Last year Human Rights First called for the appointment of a high level U.N. special envoy to Darfur by Secretary-General Kofi Annan.  Human Rights First believed that a high-level U.N. envoy focusing solely on Darfur was needed to coordinate the international response to the Darfur crisis.  In December 2006, thanks to the support of thousands that stood in for victims of the crisis in Darfur, Jan Eliasson from Sweden was appointed to this position.

Said Human Rights First's Executive Director, Maureen Byrnes:

"Mr. Eliasson's appointment is an important step on the road to a peaceful resolution of the Darfur crisis. It is welcome and we commend it. But to make this appointment a real turning point, the Special Envoy must use all his experience and stature to press the Sudanese government directly to fulfill its existing international obligations. He must persuade all parties to the crisis to engage in a meaningful and representative political process. He must also ensure that the U.S., the EU, China, Russia, and members of the Arab League are all effectively engaged in resolving the conflict. Finally, Mr. Eliasson will also have sanctions and other measures at his disposal, and he must stand ready to use them if Khartoum’s intransigence continues."

Mr. Eliasson recently developed a "Road-map for Darfur Political Process" along with African Union Special Envoy Salim Ahmed Salim. Moving the political proccess forward towards peace in Darfur is critical. Human Rights First recommends the Special Envoy engage in the following activities to promote the peace process in Darfur:

Go to Beijing, Brussels, Moscow and Washington.

Mr. Eliasson should ensure that China, the European Union, Russia and the United States are all effectively engaged in resolving the conflict. Building on his consultations with representatives at the U.N. headquarters in New York, Mr. Eliasson should take his message directly to capitals. Among these, Beijing may be the most important. China holds one of the keys to solving the crisis in Darfur. Mr. Eliasson should gather all of the international community’s diplomatic means to push China to change its support for the Sudanese government.

Meet with African Union and Arab League leaders.

Human Right First is pleased that Mr. Eliasson is already coordinating his political and diplomatic effort with African Union Special Envoy for Darfur Salim Ahmed Salim. He should encourage the African Union to condemn the Sudanese government’s refusal to consent to the deployment of U.N. troops. In addition, he should press key Arab League member states to engage with the Sudanese government on resolving the Darfur crisis.

Return to Khartoum to hold President Bashir to his promises.

Although President Bashir recently spoke of new agreements regarding moving toward peace in Darfur, his track record of breaking pledges is far from encouraging. Furthermore, recent reports of renewed attacks by government forces in Darfur have called his most recent pledges into immediate question. To make his appointment a real turning point, Mr. Eliasson should use all of his experience and stature to press the Sudanese government directly to fulfill its obligations. To do this effectively, he should have sanctions and other measures at his disposal, and he should stand ready to use them if Khartoum’s intransigence continues.

Continue to engage rebel commanders and others in Darfur.

The challenge of engaging all of the parties to the Darfur crisis is magnified by the tense situation on the ground, and Mr. Eliasson is correct to focus initially on reducing hostilities. However, it is a matter of urgency for Mr. Eliasson to persuade all parties to engage in a meaningful and representative political process. These talks should include the rebel commanders (both signatories and non-signatories to the Darfur Peace Agreement), the militias who are supporting the Sudanese government, the ethnic and tribal groups who oppose the government’s actions, and representatives of the more than two million displaced people and Darfur refugees in Chad. He should also ensure that civil society has a voice in discussions about a peaceful settlement to the conflict.

From August 3rd-6th, the joint AU-UN peace process brought Darfur rebel groups together in Arusha, Tanzania for unity talks and to develop a common agenda for peace negotiations. Read the HRF statement here.

Continue to put Darfur on the front page of newspapers around the world.