01/27/2016

26th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (January 30 / 31) and Ordinary Session of the Executive Council (January 27)

A call for human rights in South Sudan and Burundi – and for more effective measures against Boko Haram! (Press Release)

Session of the African Union. Photo: © Embassy of Equatorial Guinea via Flickr

In the run-up to the 26th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union (AU), the Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) has sent an appeal to the presidents of the 54 member states to show more commitment towards the protection of human rights – especially in South Sudan and Burundi. “We expect the AU to stand up for peace and to put an end to impunity in the two countries. For the AU, the summit – which focuses on human rights – is a chance to improve its bad reputation as a cartel of dictators,” said Ulrich Delius, the STP’ Africa-expert, in Göttingen on Wednesday. “Further, the AU must take more effective measures against the terrorist movement Boko Haram in West Africa.” The anti-terrorist measures are co-funded with 50 million Euros by the EU and 45 million Euros by the United Stets, but have so far only caused Boko Haram to move its terrorist activities to Nigeria’s neighboring countries. There, about 2.2 million people are now on the run.

The AU’s heads of state will be holding their 26th Ordinary Session in Addis Ababa this weekend. Today, there is a meeting of the Executive Council of the AU’s foreign ministers.

“We are concerned about the fact that the Chadian President, Idris Déby, is seen as the most promising candidate for the AU’s presidency,” said Delius. Despite his dictatorial reign and despite serious human rights violations in his country, Déby is appreciated as the new ‘strong man’ in Africa since his soldiers intervened in conflicts in Mali and Nigeria. “If here were to be elected, this would be a setback for more commitment towards human rights within the AU.” Also, the fact that the Sudanese President Omar Hassan al Bashir, who is wanted by international arrest warrant, will be taking part in the meeting, shines a bad light on the AU. Bashir, who is accused of genocide crimes, will be trying to find allies within the AU to support him in his efforts against US-sanctions and against the deployment of peacekeeping forces to Darfur in the embattled west of Sudan.

The AU’s meeting focuses on the tense situation in South Sudan and Burundi. After an ultimatum for the rebel groups and the ruling SPLM to establish a joint government passed last Saturday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expects more peace initiatives in South Sudan. “Without justice, there will be no lasting peace in South Sudan. Therefore, we demand the AU to finally establish a ‘Hybrid Court’ with African jurists – as envisaged in the peace agreement met in August 2015 – to sanction the serious crimes of all conflict parties in the civil war since December 2013. In the case of Burundi, the AU must reaffirm its approval of a deployment of peacekeepers in order to prevent a further escalation of violence.” So far, however, Burundi’s government is not prepared to do so.


Header Photo: Embassy of Equatorial Guinea via Flickr