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LETTER TO
AFRICAN MINISTERS
10 December 2005 - Human Rights Day - Darfur / Sudan
Excellency,
On the anniversary of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, we wish to raise with you the important
issue of the forthcoming chairmanship of the African Union by
Sudan.
As announced, it is proposed
that the Government of Sudan would chair the African Union for
the year 2006, following the Summit scheduled for January in
Khartoum.
Originally, this chairmanship
would have been a mark of recognition of the signing of the Comprehensive
Peace Agreement, bringing an end to the long and destructive
civil war between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's
Liberation Movement. However, the tragic conflict in Darfur automatically
calls this decision into serious question. Whatever the analysis
made of the causes for the Darfur conflict, it is necessary to
recognize that the Government of Sudan is unable to protect its
citizens in Darfur; unable to feed them without massive external
aid; unable to provide minimum standards of health care, education
and agricultural infrastructure; and unable to control its own
military air-force, which continues its devastating bombing raids
on defenceless villages in the Darfur regions.
We believe that the African Union
chairmanship should not go to a State whose policies and practices
flout universally recognized human rights standards. We would
hope that the Sudanese Government would recognize that the continued
conflict in Darfur prevents it from such a chairmanship and will
step aside. At a time when the International Criminal Court is
investigating specific Sudanese individuals for crimes of war
and crimes against humanity, and when there is a real possibility
that a State Party to the 1948 Genocide Convention might
request - under its article VIII - some form of UN action, the
Government of Sudan is in no position to provide the necessary
administrative and moral leadership of the African Union.
Among the objectives of the AU,
two are worth citing in regard to this particular Darfur case:
"To encourage international cooperation, taking due account
of the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights;
"To promote peace, security, and stability on the continent.
Since time is short before the Summit, it is important to negotiate
rapidly an alternative chairmanship. Therefore, we request you
to transmit this message to your authorities.
Yours respectfully,
Rene Wadlow
Representative of the Association of World
Citizens to the United Nations, Geneva
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Articles Archive 10 December 2005 - Human Rights Day - Darfur / Sudan Excellency, On the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we wish to raise with you the important issue of the forthcoming chairmanship of the African Union by Sudan. As announced, it is proposed that the Government of Sudan would chair the African Union for the year 2006, following the Summit scheduled for January in Khartoum. Originally, this chairmanship would have been a mark of recognition of the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, bringing an end to the long and destructive civil war between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement. However, the tragic conflict in Darfur automatically calls this decision into serious question. Whatever the analysis made of the causes for the Darfur conflict, it is necessary to recognize that the Government of Sudan is unable to protect its citizens in Darfur; unable to feed them without massive external aid; unable to provide minimum standards of health care, education and agricultural infrastructure; and unable to control its own military air-force, which continues its devastating bombing raids on defenceless villages in the Darfur regions. We believe that the African Union
chairmanship should not go to a State whose policies and practices
flout universally recognized human rights standards. We would
hope that the Sudanese Government would recognize that the continued
conflict in Darfur prevents it from such a chairmanship and will
step aside. At a time when the International Criminal Court is
investigating specific Sudanese individuals for crimes of war
and crimes against humanity, and when there is a real possibility
that a State Party to the 1948 Genocide Convention might Among the objectives of the AU,
two are worth citing in regard to this particular Darfur case: Yours respectfully, Rene Wadlow Home Page | AWC Goals | AWC Branches | Archives Resolution 2010 | Human Manifesto | AWC History United Nations | AWC Staff | Join Online Today | Worldometers Contact Us |