VOA标准英语2009年-Mbeki Assumes Leadership of AU Darfur Panel

A high-level panel led by former South African President Thabo Mbeki has begun work exploring a possible African-led solution to the crisis in Darfur. The panel's opening session heard strong calls for a deferment¹ of International Criminal Court war crimes indictments² against Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir.
　
Former South African President Thabo Mbeki (file photo)

The eight-member high-level panel includes three former African heads of state. South Africa's Thabo Mbeki is joined by Burundi's Pierre Buyoya and Nigeria's General Abusalam Abubakar.

South Africa's foreign minister, Nkozasana Dlamini-Zuma, was quoted recently as saying Mr. Mbeki's role on the panel would be to intercede³ between Sudan and the International Criminal Court.

Speakers during the opening session at AU headquarters argued the ICC indictments against President Bashir undermine efforts to bring peace to Darfur, and ignore a unanimous appeal from African leaders for a deferment of the process.

An AU delegation⁴ is due to go to New York to press the U.N. Security Council to order the indictments be delayed for one year.

Mr. Mbeki told the gathering⁵, which included representatives of the five permanent Security Council members, that the AU Charter claims primary authority over African peace and security issues.

"The African Union has taken the clear and unequivocal decision the continent must act not only to end war and violent conflict in Africa, but also to ensure that where war does anyway break out, all belligerents⁶ must know that war crimes, crimes against humanity and other abuses will be punished resolutely⁷, and that a culture of impunity⁸ will not be permitted to take root and entrench⁹ itself," Mbeki said.

Most African representatives at the two-day meeting expressed support for deferring¹⁰ the ICC indictments to allow time for Africa-led peace efforts in Darfur.

But Sudan scholar Alex de Waal of the Social Sciences Research Center in New York said such an ideal is impractical¹¹ in the current circumstances. He told VOA Africa still lacks the capacity to confront a powerful and determined¹² leader like President Bashir on the war-crimes issue.

"The African Union has consistently called for justice in Sudan, it has consistently been embarrassed by the actions of the Sudan government, by the fact that the Sudan government has not complied with AU demands," said de Waal. "But the question is still out there, what can the African Union, with its limited capacity, what can it actually achieve when it is up against a very, very tough and determined operator in the form of the Sudan government, and very strong international agendas pushing the International Criminal Court pushing different forms of intervention¹³ in Sudan."

De Waal rejected suggestions the Mbeki-led panel is nothing more than a coverup attempt, similar to Mr. Mbeki's much criticized handling of Zimbabwe's political crisis. He called those suggestions 'simplistic'.

The panel is expected to visit Sudan soon on a fact-finding mission. It is due to issue a report to the full AU Commission within four months.

1 deferment   

n.迁延，延期，暂缓

参考例句：

• The bank do not allow further deferment of his payment. 银行不容许他再次推迟付款。 来自互联网
• Students are to refer to the regulations governing course deferment, refund and withdrawal the Student's Handbook. 学生需要参考学生手册上有关推迟入学、退费和退学的相关规定。 来自互联网

2 indictments   

n.（制度、社会等的）衰败迹象( indictment的名词复数 )；刑事起诉书；公诉书；控告

参考例句：

• A New York jury brought criminal indictments against the founder of the organization. 纽约的一个陪审团对这个组织的创始人提起了多项刑事诉讼。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• These two indictments are self-evident and require no elaboration. 这两条意义自明，无须多说。 来自互联网

3 intercede   

vi.仲裁，说情

参考例句：

• He was quickly snubbed when he tried to intercede.当他试着说情时很快被制止了。
• At a time like that there has to be a third party to intercede.这时候要有个第三者出来斡旋。

4 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

5 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

6 belligerents   

n.交战的一方（指国家、集团或个人）( belligerent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• At long last an armistice was declared by the belligerents. 交战双方终于宣布停战。 来自辞典例句
• Yet it remains unclear whether the actual belligerents will accept it. 但真正的交战双方是否会接受还是个未知数。 来自互联网

7 resolutely   

adj.坚决地，果断地

参考例句：

• He resolutely adhered to what he had said at the meeting. 他坚持他在会上所说的话。
• He grumbles at his lot instead of resolutely facing his difficulties. 他不是果敢地去面对困难，而是抱怨自己运气不佳。

8 impunity   

n.(惩罚、损失、伤害等的)免除

参考例句：

• You will not escape with impunity.你不可能逃脱惩罚。
• The impunity what compulsory insurance sets does not include escapement.交强险规定的免责范围不包括逃逸。

9 entrench   

v.使根深蒂固；n.壕沟；防御设施

参考例句：

• A series of measures were designed to entrench democracy and the rule of law.采取一系列措施旨在巩固民主和法制。
• These dictators have entrenched themselves politically and are difficult to move.这些独裁者在政治上已经站稳了脚跟，很难推翻他们。

10 deferring   

v.拖延，延缓，推迟( defer的现在分词 )；服从某人的意愿，遵从

参考例句：

• Recently, the Supreme Court has focused on an additional reason for deferring to administrative agencies. 最近，最高法院强调了尊重行政机构的另一种理由。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• Think of it as deferring part of the compiler's job to runtime. 可以认为这是将编译器的部分工作延迟到了运行时。 来自互联网

11 impractical   

adj.不现实的，不实用的，不切实际的

参考例句：

• He was hopelessly impractical when it came to planning new projects.一到规划新项目，他就完全没有了实际操作的能力。
• An entirely rigid system is impractical.一套完全死板的体制是不实际的。

12 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

13 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。