Darfur Consortium: Action: Press Releases

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UN must reject Nigerian proposal for African panel

(NEW YORK, March 18, 2023)— The Darfur Consortium, an umbrella group of about 40 primarily Africa-based civil society organizations, today expressed concern at the proposal by the Nigerian government for an African Panel to pursue justice in Darfur and reiterated its call for an immediate referral of the situation in Darfur to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The Darfur Consortium asked Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo to uphold the wishes and aspirations of many African governments that prefer the ICC to any other mechanism to try the heinous crimes committed in Darfur.

“As chairman of the Africa Union, Mr. Obasanjo has a particular obligation to respect the wishes of the African continent,” said Dismas Nkunda, a representative of the Consortium.

“Not only do many African governments see a referral to the ICC as the best way of bringing justice and accountability to Darfur, but the people of Darfur also see such referral as a protection mechanism from the continued attacks by government forces. Mr. Obasanjo should be supporting these efforts instead of derailing them.”

Moreover, the International Criminal Court is supported by African states, a majority of whom have signed the Rome Statute establishing the Court and many of whom are parties to the ICC.

While the Darfur Consortium recognizes that the ICC alone will not achieve the long term peace and reconciliation that Darfur needs, it sees a referral by the Security Council as an essential element in a range of measures that must be taken to ensure peace, justice and reconciliation in Darfur.

“The Security Council must stand united and send even a stronger message that such impunity will not be tolerated by immediately referring the situation in Darfur to the ICC,” Dismas Nkunda added.

Read the Darfur Consortium's letter to President Obasanjo

1 TOGO SANS ETHNIES

Action Professionals Association for the People

Aegis Trust Rwanda

African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies

African Center for Development

African Center for Justice and Peace Studies

Africa Internally Displaced Persons Voice (Africa IDP Voice)

African Security Dialogue and Research (ASDR)

African Women's Development and Communications Network (FEMNET)

The Ahueni Foundation

Alliances for Africa

Amman Centre for Human Rights Studies

Andalus Institute for Tolerance

Anti-Slavery International

Arab Coalition for Darfur

Arab Program for Human Rights Activists

Association Africaine de Defense des Droits de l'Homme (ASADHO)

Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies

Centre for Minority Rights Development (CEMIRIDE)

Centre for Research Education and Development of Freedom of Expression and Associated Rights (CREDO)

Citizens for Global Solutions

Conscience International

Conseil National Pour les Libertés en Tunisie

Darfur Alert Coalition (DAC)

Darfur Centre for Human Rights and Development

Darfur Leaders Network (DLN)

Darfur Reconciliation and Development Organization (DRDO)

Darfur Relief and Documentation Centre

East Africa Law Society

Egyptian Organization for Human Rights

Femmes Africa Solidarité

La Fédération Internationale des Droits de l'Homme (FIDH)

Forum of African Affairs (FOAA)

Human Rights First

Human Rights Institute of South Africa (HURISA)

Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa

Institute for Security Studies

Inter-African Union for Human Rights (UIDH)

Interights

International Commission of Jurists (ICJ Kenya)

International Refugee Rights Initiative

Justice Africa

Justice and Peace Commission

Lawyers for Human Rights

Lebanese Association for Democratic Elections

Legal Resources Consortium-Nigeria

Ligue Tunisienne des Droits de l'Homme

Makumira University College, Tumaini University

Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA)

Minority Rights Group

National Association of Seadogs

Never Again International

Open Society Justice Initiative

Pan-African Movement

Rencontre Africaine Pour la Defense des Droits de l'Homme (RADDHO)

Sierra Leone STAND Chapter

Sisters' Arabic Forum for Human Rights (SAF)

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP)

Sudan Organization Against Torture (SOAT)

Syrian Organization for Human Rights

Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC)

Universal Human Rights Network

WARIPNET

Women Initiative Nigeria (WIN)