Mbeki informed about the work and recommendations of the Darfur Panel which will be presented to the AU Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) at the end of September. The mandate of the panel is to give the AUPSC advice for the further peace process, justice and reconciliation in Darfur.
The thorough work of the Darfur Panel and the constructive recommendations given seems to be well received, and its impact on the peace process will hopefully be constructive. The panel was established by the African Union in March 2009 and since then the high-level Panel of eight members, led by Thabo Mbeki, has consulted with the Sudanese people about the prospects for expediting and consolidating peace in Darfur. The panel also includes former presidents Abdulsalami Abubaker of Nigeria and Pierre Buyoya of Burundi.
Members of the Panel have met with a wide range of stakeholders, including the leadership of the Government of Sudan, representatives of political parties, Sudanese civil society actors, members of legal profession, representatives of internally displaced persons, Darfurian refugees in Chad, traditional leaders, Native Administrators, nomadic groups, and some leaders of the armed movements of Darfur.
Beyond Sudan, the Panel has discussed and received representations from various international actors such as the International Criminal Court, human rights organisations, representatives of international and multi-lateral organisations as well as the leaders of some of Sudan’s neighbouring states.