AU Summit: A critical moment to support Sudan

For years, we have been hearing African leaders calling for African solutions to African problems. And for many more years, we have been waiting to see our leaders rise to the occasion and demonstrate strong leadership to resolve the many conflicts that are plaguing our continent. 

The Sudan crisis is one such conflict. In the past year, the African Union demonstrated the type of leadership that Africa really needs by commissioning a report on the situation in Darfur. This leadership comes at a critical juncture for Sudan whose post-independence history is hallmarked by internal conflict — between North and South, in Eastern Sudan, and more recently in Darfur. An estimated over 300,000 Darfurians have been killed and over 2.5 million continue to live in displaced camps both in Sudan and across the border in Chad.  Rampant sexual violence, including rape, featured prominently during the conflict. 

Despite several international and regional attempts to resolve the conflict in Darfur, none has been more promising than the African Union High-Level Panel led by former South Africa President Thabo Mbeki and his team consisting of former African heads of state, ministers and prominent Sudan specialistson Darfur. They made four trips to Sudan within six months and sought to listen to the voices and perceptions of the people. The process achieved credibility with the Sudanese.

The Mbeki report reiterates that the conflict in Darfur must be addressed in the context of the root causes. It stresses the importance of justice and reconciliation and proposes a combination of mechanisms to repair the damaged relations between Darfurians and the State. 

It also devotes a section to exploring the need to combat impunity for sexual violence crimes and recognises the short-comings of prosecuting crimes of sexual violence, but also addresses the importance of such mechanisms not only for successfully combating impunity, but for building the confidence of the thousands of women who have been victims to sexual violence in Darfur.  The report also underscores the importance of inclusiveness in achieving sustainable peace and justice in Sudan and calls for a democratic transformation for the whole of Sudan, built on power and wealth sharing. 

The Panel made a number of important recommendations that highlight the need for Sudanese women to be at the forefront of all conflict resolution processes, in Darfur and across Sudan.  One of the recommendations is the need to provide for at least 30 per cent representation of women.  Security Council Resolution 1325 mandates women’s full participation, but often their appointment to the process is tokenism.

African leaders at the 14th African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, are declaring 2010 the year for Peace and Security in Africa. I ask them to continue their support for the Mbeki report recommendations and provide the moral and financial support to the High Level Implementation Panel to make the recommendations a reality for the people of Sudan.

— IPS
 Wangari Maathai is the 2004 Nobel Peace Laureate and founding board member of the Nobel Women’s Initiative.