Daily Darfur: Zuma Under Fire for AU Resolution on ICC

by Michelle . · 2009-07-09 03:55:00 UTC
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Voices of dissent continue to trickle out from African civil society in response to last week's African Union resolution declaring non-cooperation with the International Criminal Court over the indictment of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

An editorial in South Africa's Business Day slams new president Jacob Zuma for "meekly" submitting to the "gangster" politics of the AU:

"In doing so, the new government missed a golden opportunity to set a new tone for foreign policy, which the Thabo Mbeki administration had managed to pervert. What we need is a foreign policy based on the principles of respect for the rule of law and the restoration of human dignity."

In a separate article, Business Day writes that "South Africa has been upstaged by Botswana breaking ranks and condemning" the resolution. Both pieces also criticize the conduct of the summit, arguing:

"It is understood Gaddafi forced the AU resolution on member states without proper debate or attempting to find consensus, as is the norm on sensitive matters."

Meanwhile, however, Ghana's president expressed his support for the resolution, the day before President Barack Obama's visit to the country. Obama is due to give a major speech outlining his policy for the continent.

So...what happens next?

Today, July 9, 2009, marks the deadline set by the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement for national elections in Sudan. A new alliance of Darfuri rebels and Sudanese opposition parties assert that the current government will become unconstitutional as of tomorrow:

"Otherwise the current regime would have led another coup on July 9th 2009 and all people must treat it accordingly."

What exactly do you suppose that means? How does one "treat" an illegitimate government? Stop paying taxes? Stop obeying traffic laws?

[Photo of Jacob Zuma.]

Michelle . has been involved in various activist endeavors, including the Teach Against Genocide pilot campaigns.
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