Will al-Bashir chair the AU?

The author argues that the African Union's (AU) reliance on a rotational system for selecting its annual chairman creates a crisis of credibility when the designated region's candidate is a leader accused of grave human rights abuses. Specifically, the document highlights the risk of installing Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir as chair in 2007 despite the ongoing conflict in Darfur, where the Sudanese government has been accused of attacking civilians and bombing villages. The text notes that while Sudan was bypassed in 2006 in favor of Congo, a 2006 AU Assembly declaration deferred Sudan's claim to 2007. The author suggests that the AU must move beyond simple rotation toward firmer rules regarding the qualifications of its leaders to avoid damaging its international reputation.

• The African Union's chairmanship is determined by a rotational system among five geographical regions, which prioritizes regional turn-taking over the values or qualifications of the leader.
• Sudan was scheduled to chair the AU in 2006, but the appointment was deferred to 2007 following an AU Assembly declaration in January 2006 to avoid the embarrassment of appointing a leader accused of crimes against civilians during the Darfur conflict.
• President Omar al-Bashir faces accusations of escalating the Darfur conflict, attacking civilians, and protecting war criminals, with the AU confirming that the Sudanese government bombed villages in Darfur in January 2007.
• The potential appointment of al-Bashir is viewed as a threat to the AU's operational effectiveness and global reputation, as rebels have threatened to target AU forces if he takes over.

APA

South African Institute of International Affairs (2007). Will al-Bashir chair the AU? https://saiia.org.za/research/will-al-bashir-chair-the-au/

Chicago

South African Institute of International Affairs. Will al-Bashir chair the AU? 2007. https://saiia.org.za/research/will-al-bashir-chair-the-au/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=South African Institute of International Affairs |title=Will al-Bashir chair the AU? |date=26 January 2007 |url=https://saiia.org.za/research/will-al-bashir-chair-the-au/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{southafricaninstituteofinternationalaffairs2007will, author = {{South African Institute of International Affairs}}, title = {{Will al-Bashir chair the AU?}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2007}, month = jan, url = {https://saiia.org.za/research/will-al-bashir-chair-the-au/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }