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AU Summit in The GambiaDarfur, war crimes and Islamists top the agendaAfrican Leaders assemble in Banjul, The Gambia, to discuss reforms on the African continent
The seventh annual African Union (AU) summit will convene in Banjul, The Gambia July 1 and 2. The meeting is aimed at discussing key issues of reform for the continent. At the top of the agenda will be the future of AU troops in the troubled region of Darfur, Sudan. AU forces do not plan to remain there beyond September. According to the UN's Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN), UN Secretary, Kofi Annan intends to meet in Banjul with Sudan's president, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, to attempt to persuade him into accepting UN peacekeeping forces. The conflict in Darfur has also triggered a humanitarian crisis in neighbouring Chad, another nation that will be a priority in Banjul. Beyond the effects of Darfur in Chad, the AU will also be deciding how to handle appeals for former Chadian president, Hissene Habre, to face trial for war crimes. Since 1990, Habre has been living in exile in Senegal, where he was indicted for war crimes in 2000. Senegalese courts ruled, however, that he must be tried elsewhere. He was then indicted by courts in Belgium but the Senegalese courts ruled Belgium was not competent to try Habre. They then referred his case to the AU who chose seven jurists to study the case and present recommendations concerning Habre's fate during the summit. With Liberia's former president, Charles Taylor, already awaiting trial for war crimes and other indicted war criminals still at large, the AU's decision is expected to demonstrate their commitment to bringing former leaders to account. Another important issue to discuss during the summit is the Islamists who have recently taken control of southern Somalia, including Mogadishu. But joining AU leaders in Banjul will be two high profile international guests. The Gambia's, President Yahya Jammeh has invited Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez, to attend the conference. All three leaders have had their problems with the United States during recent months. Ahmadinejad over Iran's nuclear future; Chavez over oil; and Jammeh for The Gambia's human rights record. In fact, human rights groups have criticized the AU for holding the conference in The Gambia not only because of allegations over poor human rights but because they are perceived by many international donors to have a weak policy regarding democratic reform.
The copyright of the article AU Summit in The Gambia in North African Affairs is owned by Sean Sinclair-Day. Permission to republish AU Summit in The Gambia in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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