The European Union and African Union partnership in Darfur: developing a new strategy in Darfur

Abstract

The European Union(EU) and African Union (AU) partnership is a cooperative effort which focuses on cooperation, conflict management and engages in peacebuilding in Darfur-Sudan. It is based on the recognition that human rights, democracy, crisis management, and peacebuilding are linked; that the EU, its member states and civil society have a role to play in Darfur-Sudan. This paper may be approached from two distinct points of view: either by conceiving how the EU might go about improving the manner in which it works with the AU or by considering the expectations of the AU relative to the EU. On the one hand, the Darfur crisis confirmed that the EU intends to be a major, global actor in international relations. It defined consistent policies and developed tools necessary for implementing them. The limitations on its action are well-known and mainly stem from coexistence within the EU of divergent interests. Without political will, technical solutions will not be able to provide the comprehensive responses that are needed. On the other hand, the EU has to keep on assessing the expectations of its partners accurately. The continuous evolution of European policies towards the AU illustrates that this concern has been taken into account. It is also at the heart of the African ownership concept. However, it has also to inspire the definition of the tools, particularly by means of a lessons learned process. The objective shall not be to comply with all the partners' requirements but to ensure flexibility. This flexibility shall provide the EU with the capability to adjust its responses, not just to the entire range of Darfur conflict, but also to the cultural background of its partner. The EU-AU cooperation relies on a pattern of concepts which are hardly compatible with the need to act in a pragmatic way in Darfur. A more pessimistic account can also be offered of events: the diplomatic offensive in favor of the UN takeover of the operation being carried out by the AU can be read as a failure of the policy aiming at enhancing the role of regional organisations. While the EU air transport support is now delivered in an acceptable fashion. the cohabitation of these two institutions was not without tension at the beginning. These facts for the most part explain whatever difficulties were experienced. Both partners must improve the way in which they employ their tools and must learn to collaborate more smoothly. The paper argues that there is a mismatch of ambition between the two institutions and that the EU and AU do not have a common vision and strategic diplomacy to address the Darfur crisis. Although they recognised the Darfur crisis as a major challenge neither the EU nor the AU could fully appreciate the extent to which the AU's capabilities would be stretched by its requirements. Even though adjustments are being made as other tasks are considered in the future, the partners will need to define more precisely what each can realistically contribute if disappointment is not to set in.