Interview with Francis Deng

Francis Deng is the Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Displaced Persons. In an interview with IRIN after a recent visit to Sudan, Deng said that the government had agreed to hold a workshop which he hoped would result in a clear strategy on internal displacement. In discussions with the Sudanese authorities he said that the international image of Sudan would be enhanced if it was seen to care about the plight of its own people and called on the Government to solicit international cooperation to help it deal with the displacement problem. QUESTION: What was the purpose of your recent trip to Sudan ? ANSWER: I made my first trip to Sudan in 1992 shortly after I was appointed. But even then I battled with the idea. Having been given a global assignment how would it be perceived if I rushed to Sudan as one of the first countries to visit ? At the same time I thought that if I did not visit Sudan early on in my tenure when it is the worst case of global displacement people could also say: "How does he go around the world looking at other people's problems when he has the worst problems in his own country". So I figured out that if I'm going to be blamed I'd rather be blamed for doing something and so I went to Sudan. Since then I have wanted to go back and the government has on occasions invited me but for a variety of reasons I didn't return until recently. I went to dialogue on ways in which the international community could cooperate with the Sudanese government to address internal displacement and specifically to agree on holding a workshop to address these issues. So I think that this was a very positive development. Q: Do you think that something concrete will come out of this workshop or will it just be a talking shop ? A: If this conference can help Sudan develop a clear strategy on internal displacement thereby showing a great deal of concern about the plight of their people, and if Sudan can be seen to be doing it, I think it would help address the humanitarian problems of internal displacement specifically as well as promoting international involvement in addressing the problem and I think that the international image of Sudan would be enhanced. Q: To what extent do you feel that the Sudan Government complies with your own Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement ? A: It certainly is an issue for discussion. The Sudanese authorities have raised the point in the General Assembly that the guiding principles were not negotiated by States and that they should be subject to that kind of negotiation. It's a position they hold with others. They have also expressed concern that both the displacement problem and the guiding principles could be used as a justification for humanitarian intervention which they are quite wary about. My argument with the Sudanese authorities is that first of all our case of internal displacement is the worst in the world. We should be seen to be very concerned about the plight of our own people and should solicit international cooperation to help us deal with this problem. Second, by being seen to care about our problems the international image of Sudan will be enhanced. Q: The Sudanese government has accused you of relying on data on displaced people provided by the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) and ignoring figures given by the government. Can you comment on this ? A: I think there needs to be a slight correction here. I did read their statement and media reports on this subject. The Sudan Government is saying that the sources cited in my report include those from the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) database. It may amount to the same thing but there is a difference in saying that I am relying primarily on SPLM sources and that the database is relying on those sources. The NRC has said publicly that its makes every effort to present information on internal displacement in an objective and fair manner without judgement or bias and that it seeks to compile information from all sides of a conflict. The Sudanese government did also say that the results of my visit to the Sudan were not reflected in my report to the General Assembly. This is because my report to the General Assembly preceded my mission to the Sudan by a period of two months so there is no way we could have reflected the results of my mission in it. The findings of my mission to Sudan will be submitted to the next session of the Commission on Human Rights to be held in March and April next year. So that is a technical error on their part as they did not know the timing of the submission of the report. Q: What is your view of the recent Resolution on the displacement that was recently adopted by the Third Committee of the General Assembly ? A: I am quite satisfied that it was adopted by consensus and by the fact that 64 States voted for it. I am concerned that there is a group of states that still feels that this is a potential infringement on sovereignty when I think we have made a plausible case that sovereignty cannot be seen as a barricade against international involvement to help countries deal with humanitarian and human rights problems. Sovereignty cannot mean that whatever happens within your borders and whatever you do with your citizens, the world will not get involved. I see sovereignty as a principle of responsibility to put your house in order, to take care of your people, to assist them and protect them and if you need international cooperation to call on the international community or at least to welcome their initiative to help your people…I do believe that the cause of human rights and humanitarian involvement is progressive, is incremental and that those who are trying to halt the march of humanitarian progress will be seen historically in a negative light.