The African Union Commission has learnt of the judgment rendered by the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC), directing the ICC Pre-trial Chamber I to reconsider whether or not the indictment of President Omar Hassan Al Bashir, announced on 4 March 2009, should be extended to cover the charge of genocide.
This decision comes at a particular time in the history of the Sudan. Indeed, over the coming months, the Sudan will be witnessing momentous events, in particular the holding of national elections, in April 2010, and the holding of a referendum on self?determination for Southern Sudan, scheduled for January 2011. For the African continent, the successful completion of these processes and, more generally, the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) are of utmost importance.
It is in light of the above that the AU has been actively involved in the efforts aimed at assisting the Sudanese people meet the challenges facing them. In particular, mention should be made here of the steps being taken to follow?up on the far reaching recommendations of the AU High Level Panel on Darfur (AUPD) on the three interlocking issues of peace, justice and reconciliation. The overall objective is to facilitate the democratic transformation of the Sudan in line with the vision articulated in the CPA. The AU's efforts also include its support to the relaunching of the political process between the parties, under the auspices of the AU/UN Joint Chief Mediator and with the facilitation of the State of Qatar, to enable the Darfurians effectively to participate in the upcoming general elections and in the debate surrounding the 2011 referendum, as well as the continued deployment and enhancement of UNAMID.