Secretary General Kofi Annan should seize the opportunity to promote strong measures on Darfur when he meets with representatives of Arab League member states, including host Algeria, at a summit in Algiers on March 22 and 23, urged Human Rights First.
“Neither the Arab League nor Algeria, a member of the U.N. Security Council, has taken a firm stand in support of investigation and prosecution of the grave crimes in Darfur by the International Criminal Court,” said John Stompor, Senior Associate in the International Justice program of Human Rights First.
“Instead of promoting greater protection of civilians in the region, the Arab League is poised to reward Sudan with the honor of hosting its next summit. The current proposal for Khartoum to host the summit in 2006 should be put on hold until there is an end to the human rights emergency in Darfur,” added Stompor.
Human Rights First also urged Algeria to join other members of the Security Council in adopting a resolution authorizing the International Criminal Court (ICC) to exercise jurisdiction over the grave crimes committed in Darfur and providing immediate support for the enlargement of the existing African Union force in the region.
More than a month has passed since the report of the U.N.-appointed International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur, which called for immediate referral of the situation of Darfur to the ICC, was presented to the Security Council. Since then, the African Union’s envoy to Sudan has reported that the situation in Darfur is deteriorating, and the United Nations has predicted that, unless conditions improve, the number of displaced persons in Darfur will grow from 1.8 million to 3 million before the end of the year.
“The deadline is now for action to bring peace and justice to Darfur,” said Stompor. “Weeks of delay have already contributed to a worsening of the security situation in Darfur.”
