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It’s been just over 7 months since 'Sudan: Day of Conscience,' when I and other people of faith and good will were arrested as we called on the government of Sudan to stop the genocide in Darfur. I am dismayed that so little progress has been made since then. Thankfully, momentum is once again building around legislation in the US Senate and proposals in the UN Security Council. I applaud the efforts of the UU United Nations Office to rally Unitarian Universalists to action, and hope that many congregations will answer the call to help stop the violence in Darfur.

Rev. William G. Sinkford
President, Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations


 

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS & UPDATES

ICC Warrants of Arrest for the Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs of Sudan, and a leader of the Militia/Janjaweed

by American Non-Governmental Organizations
Coalition for the International Criminal Court
www.amicc.org

For the first time in history, a permanent international court has issued a warrant of arrest against a sitting government official. Earlier today in The Hague, the judges of Pre-Trial Chamber I of the ICC responded to the prosecutor’s application of February 27 by issuing warrants of arrest for Ahmad Muhammad Harun and Ali Muhammad Al Abd-Al-Rahman, also known as Ali Kushayb. The arrest warrant for Harun, former Minister of State for the Interior of the Government of Sudan and current Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs, is based on 20 counts of crimes against humanity and 22 counts of war crimes. The arrest warrant for Kushayb, a Militia/Janjaweed leader, is based on 22 counts of crimes against humanity and 28 counts of war crimes. The crimes set out in both arrest warrants include murder, persecution, rape, torture and directing attacks against civilians. The arrest warrants follow an application for summonses to appear which the Pre-Trial Chamber deemed insufficient to ensure the appearance of the two suspects.

These arrest warrants represent a crucial step in ensuring accountability for atrocities committed in Darfur. The next step will likely be confirmation of charges hearings, similar to the indictment process in the US, which will provide an opportunity to present evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity, even in the absence of Harun and Kushayb. While the Rome Statute does not permit trials in absentia, today’s Pre-Trial Chamber decision, the initial arrest warrants and evidence to be presented at future hearings will put the world on notice that officials in the Sudanese government should be held criminally accountable for the crimes committed in Darfur. The arrest warrants and ensuing proceedings will also make it increasingly difficult for foreign governments and corporations to deal with the Sudanese government and Sudanese entities. The investigation and potential confirmation of charges and trial of these first suspects will also help the ICC build cases against others in Sudan responsible for these atrocities.

The referral of the situation in Darfur to the Court by the Security Council in March 2005 marked a shift in the hostile US approach to the ICC. With an official channel of communication formalized between the State Department and the Court for cooperation on Sudan, progress in the cases against Harun and Kushayb presents an opportunity for AMICC and its allies to put further pressure on the US to assist the ICC in these crucial investigations by providing intelligence and satellite imagery. Please use this opportunity to reach out to local and national media and groups and organizations in your area concerned with Darfur or about atrocities. In many areas, there will be opportunities to work with representatives and events of the Save Darfur Coalition. This is an unusually important moment to educate Americans about the progress the ICC is making toward accountability for Darfur. As always, please do not hesitate to contact us with questions or requests for materials.

Click here to go to the official ICC website.

( Last update 05/08/2007)

Click here for past developments on Darfur

After the signing of Darfur Peace Agreement in May 2006:

Why the UN troops are needed in Darfur?

7 January 2007- Ban Ki-moon, the new UN Secretary General, announced that the situation in Darfur is one of his top priorities. He said the delays on sending UN peacekeeping forces to the area were unacceptable, and could lead to an increase in bloodshed to the area. At the end of January he attended the African Union Summit where he met with Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir. However, he failed to get approval for details concerning the deployment of 3,000 UN personnel to aid the struggling African Union (AU) effort in Darfur. The unwillingness of the Sudanese government to cooperate with UN efforts in Darfur delays humanitarian efforts in the area and could potentially result in a loss of life reaching 100,000 per month.

On January 29, the AU chose Ghanaian president John Kufuor to lead the 53-member bloc. Sudan had also placed a bid for the presidency, but was denied due to the worsening conditions in Darfur. Although Sudanese officials say they support the decisions, Sudanese leaders felt they deserved the rotating leadership. However, international organizations, including the AU stated they would reconsider their peacekeeping mission in Darfur if Sudan was selected.

In January, Andrew Natsios, US envoy to Sudan, traveled to China where and asked that they use their influence with the Sudanese government to discuss possible solutions. China’s President, Hu Jintao attended the AU Summit and urged al-Bashir to cooperate with the UN Peacekeeping Operations.

18 December 2006—Various UN Actions on Darfur Crisis, including the Security Council briefing by ICC Prosecutor

13 September 2006—Secretary-General Kofi Annan states during a press conference that Darfur is heading for disaster unless the Sudanese Government changes its mind and allows UN peacekeepers to move in to take over from the existing African Union (AU) operation in the strife-torn region.

11 September 2006—Secretary General Kofi Annan addressed the Security Council on the situation in Darfur: “The current situation cannot be sustained. It is time to act. Not only in Darfur, but by people around the world, this is seen as a crucial test of the Council's authority and effectiveness; its solidarity with people in need, and its seriousness in the quest for peace. I urge you, I urge you in the strongest possible terms, to rise to the occasion.”

31 August 2006—The United Nations Security Council adopts Resolution 1706, which authorizes the deployment of 17,000-22,000 UN peacekeeping troops in Darfur, but will not come to pass until Sudan's government allows the troops' presence. Sudan has refused to participate in the UN Security Council session and has strongly rejected the resolution.

2 July 2006—UN Peacekeeping vs. Pres. Hassan al Bashir—The United Nations, with increasing support from the international community, wishes to replace weak African Union peace keeping forces in Darfur with stronger United Nations forces. The UN Security Council would like to have UN troops in Darfur before September 30th when the AU troops are scheduled to leave. Unfortunately President Omar Hassan al-Bashir of Sudan refuses to give the consent that is needed to allow the UN to take action. He claims a foreign military presence would encourage foreign dependency and neocolonism in Sudan. Click here for analysis from the New York Times on July 2 , and June 30.

15 June 2006—ICC prosecutor tells the UN Secuirty Council of Darfur crimes. The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court investigating alleged crimes against humanity in Sudan's Darfur region said he has documented evidence of massive abuse. Widespread killings and rapes are among the findings in Luis Moreno Ocampo's report to the United Nations Security Council. Read more at BBC News here.

5 May 2006—The Darfur Peace Agreement signed in Abuja, Nigeria, between the government of Sudan and the Sudan Liberation Movement.

 

Why the UN troops are needed in Darfur:

To protect civilians when their government fails to do so. A significantly strong and decisive international force is essential to deter further attacks and protect civilians, who remain under massive threat from armed local government-backed and opposition groups in Darfur. As early as three days after the peace agreement was signed in Abuja, civilians in Labado, South Darfur, were reported as being under attack by armed militias allegedly supported by the Sudanese government. These attacks will continue unless a larger, more mobile and robust international coalition is promptly deployed to plant a seed of genuine stability in the Sudan region. International force is essential to re-establish security in rural areas and to assist the return of displaced persons, more than two million of whom were victims of ethnic cleansing between 2003 and the present, and now live in camps in Darfur and neighboring Chad. These two million people, plus the additional Darfur citizens affected by the conflict, are now wholly or partially dependent on humanitarian aid for food, shelter, and medicine. However, increased security surrounding the refugee camps is rendering humanitarian aid inaccessible to hundreds of thousands of people.

The limitations of the African Union troops. The mandate of the UN force is critical. Under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, and in full compliance with international human rights and humanitarian law, the UN Security Council has the right to demand troops to protect civilians by all necessary means. This mandate would distinguish the UN troops from the limited action of the African Union force. Despite limited success in some areas of the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS), its deployment and capacity have constantly lagged behind what was required to sufficiently protect and deter attacks on civilians. In the past nine months, the world has seen a dramatic deterioration in the protection provided for Sudanese civilians and humanitarian aid workers. It is clear today that the African Union’s capacity and ability to deter attacks is insufficient to meet the mounting challenges in Darfur, and the fact that the well-meaning Darfur peace agreement confers further tasks on the already thinly-spread AMIS force does not alleviate a situation of mounting pressure. The African Union recognizes its constraints and has reiterated its intent to hand over power of force to the UN on or even before October 1, 2006.

To monitor and guarantee peace agreements. A stronger international force led by the UN will be essential to gain the confidence of the warring parties. Given Sudanese government records of broken agreements, commitments, and promises, a UN presence will be vital to ensure that the government fulfills its pledges under the peace agreement. Any further delay in deployment of an international force on the ground could eventually shatter peace efforts thus far made by the UN.