AU meets to discuss Darfur report

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Pretoria - African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council member states are meeting in Abuja, Nigeria on Thursday to discuss a panel report on justice and reconciliation on Darfur.

The 15 states will examine the recommendations drawn up by the high-level AU panel led by former South African President Thabo Mbeki.

The team was mandated to examine the situation in Darfur and submit recommendations on how best issues of accountability, ensuring peace, healing and reconciliation could effectively be addressed.

The report which was submitted to the AU in at the beginning on the month recommended the establishment of a special court, including foreign judges, to try those charged with atrocities in Darfur.

The report also suggests means to achieve peace, healing and reconciliation in the region where a counter insurgency by mainly non-Arab Darfur inhabitants has claimed some 300 000 lives, according to the United Nations.

The International Criminal Court issued a warrant of arrest against a number of Sudanese officials for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur, including the Sudanese President, Omar al-Bashir.

According the AU to the summit is also expected to discuss the crises in Niger and Guinea.