Carole Vann et Juan Gasparini - A week after the President of the Human Rights Council, Luis Alfonso de Alba, named the mission going to investigate the situation in Darfur, its future appears uncertain.
Its six members should be meeting on Monday the 5th February at the headquarters of the High Commissioner for Human Rights at Palais Wilson in Geneva. Although the Sudanese embassy has still not given the green light, the mission is due to leave on the 10th of the month.
Luis de Alba has appointed the American, Jody Williams, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997, as head of the mission. Other members include the Estonian member of the European Parliament, Mart Nutt, former interim High Commissioner for Human Rights, Bertrand Ramcharam, special rapporteur on human rights for Sudan, Sima Samar, as well as the ambassadors of Indonesia and Gabon, Makarim Wibisono et Patrice Tonda.
According to diplomatic sources, Sudan is opposed to the inclusion of Jody Williams and Bertrand Ramcharam. Moreover, the decision by Luis de Alba to include diplomats has been strongly criticised by EU countries, which favour the inclusion of only human rights experts and independent figures. The EU argues that the presence of ambassadors, who take political orders from their capitals, undermines the credibility of the mission. The African group at the Council had put forward the names of three ambassadors, from Algeria, Nigeria and Gabon. Against the wishes of the EU, Mr de Alba only picked the latter.
The President of the Human Rights Council said that he wouldn’t accept any right of veto from any member or member group. He believes that the six members selected represent the right balance to ensure that the mission’s two tasks; to assess the human rights situation in Darfur and to better understand the positions of the different actors involved in the conflict. Mr de Alba has made it clear that « the two ambassadors are going to Sudan as individuals and not on behalf of their countries and that the countries who are against this are in a minority on the Council. » He adds that: « the aim is to stop the violations and to find solutions and that the Council does not have the role of a tribunal. »
A group of journalists accredited to the UN have asked to cover the mission going to Darfur. However the Ambassador of Sudan has said that they can only come after the UN mission has ended.