The Communiqué of the 271st meeting of the Peace and Security Council on Sudan, held in Addis on 08 April 2011 refers. The following statements reflect personal opinions and reactions to this document:
1. The assertion in this communiqué regarding the security situation in Darfur, which is worsening, is rather true. It is in this light that I now question the praise of the Council at the instance of UNAMID leader, Ibrahim Gambari. It is hard to believe that having failed to accomplish the primary objective of UNAMID in Darfur, which is the protection of civilians; he is praised by the African Union for accomplishments. Which are these accomplishments which the AU PSC seems to support? Gambari has abandoned his primary objective and is concentrating on seeking to take over the Mediation process, supporting the Government stance on Darfur and conniving with Mbeki, who is equally seeking personal gains in Sudan. As Darfurians we neither support nor agree to the approach of both Gambari and Mbeki.
2. I equally note that the Mediator Bassole, who is responsible for the Darfur file, was not invited to brief the African Union Peace and Security Council on the progress that has been made in Doha. Gambari and Mbeki were allowed to do so in his place and to write the communiqué that clearly supports their agenda. This communiqué does not recognize the efforts deployed so far towards the search for a political solution to the crisis in Darfur. The assertion in para 4 of the communiqué, about the need for an urgent solution to the Darfur crisis is true, but it is in total contradiction of the steps being taken by the African Union. The Commission is not genuinely seeking a rapid solution to this crisis, and this is proven by the creation of parallel structures that only constrain the search for peace, the personalities they choose to handle the issue and the encouragement they give them to fight an existing and genuine process already underway in Doha. Both Mbeki and Gambari are certainly aware that no inclusive process can take place under their purview, given their lack of trust of the people of Darfur and their one-sided approach to the matter. The armed movements will not support such a process, and even the civil society and IDPs will not support it. With whom does Mbeki and Gambari want to do this so-called political process, and how can the AU support it? Can the AU ever be trusted as a genuine broker in continental affairs or taken seriously in Darfur or elsewhere in Africa when they issue such statements to officials appointed partly by them?
3. It is being said in Addis that the communiqué of the PSC was drafted by the Mbeki Panel and was imposed on the Council, which, with no recourse to proper rules of procedure and professionalism decided to publish it. The communiqué uses very undiplomatic and insolent language and treats the Doha process with so much spite and disrespect. Can anybody respect an organization that allows itself to be manipulated in this way by self-seeking individuals? It should be recalled that the African Union is a continental organization, financed by tax payers, and therefore should not lend itself to such manipulation for personal interests. The organization should be accountable to Africans and not to individuals, even if they are former heads of state.
4. In its para 14 the Council is requesting the UN Security Council to strengthen partnership with it, under the leadership of the AUHIP. This implies that the AUHIP, which is an ad hoc body formed to look into a specific issue, now has precedence over the AU Commission itself. Why should the UN Security Council strengthen its supports to the AU through the AUHIP? Here the manipulation of the PSC and the African Union by the AUHIP becomes clear! What the African Union would be, if every former head of state, having failed in their internal politics, would come in and dictate to the Union what is should do and how, and seek to use the entire organization to meet their own ends and ambitions.
5. From the perspective of the people of Darfur and people involved in the struggle for justice and peace in Darfur, we feel utterly betrayed by the African Union. We doubt that Africa deserves this sort of leadership that we are now experiencing at the AU Commission, and if at all any African who understands the way the organization now works, can be proud of it. The communiqué in question makes a mockery of professionalism and integrity, which would be expected of an organization with such stature as the AU and former heads of state.
We the people from Darfur we deserve a better consideration.