Darfur Consortium: Action: Press Releases

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The AU must not fail the people of Darfur

(KAMPALA, March 13, 2023) The Darfur Consortium today cautioned that the African Union had set itself a formidable task in rejecting an early opportunity to transition towards an expanded the UN role in Darfur. On Friday the AU decided that it would continue to head up the international troop presence in Darfur, although it renewed its support “in principle” for a transition to a UN force in the long term. The mandate of the African Union mission in Sudan (AMIS) has been extended to September 2006.

“By electing to continue its lead role in Darfur the AU is asking the people of Darfur to renew to place their trust in a mission which, by its own admission, has not been able to protect them effectively to date,” said Dismas Nkunda, a spokesperson for the Consortium.

Despite some initial success in stabilizing the situation in Darfur, significant obstacles have prevented AMIS from fulfilling its mandate. In addition to logistic and technical challenges, lack of cooperation from the parties to the conflict, in particular from the Government of Sudan, has seriously hampered its work.

“It is vital that the African Union now sets out a new strategy for this phase of the mission, both political and operational,” said Mr. Nkunda. “Success or failure will be critical to the lives and livelihoods of millions of Darfurians.”

“Most importantly the African Union must show that it is ready to take proactive steps to protect civilians on the ground,” said Mr. Nkunda. In this regard, the Consortium welcomed the statement by the Council yesterday that it was determined to “take all necessary steps for the consistent, flexible, broad and robust interpretation” of its mandate “in order to ensure a more forceful protection of the civilian population.” These words must now be translated into action.

View the Consortium’s statement on the AU – UN transition.

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)