Gender Mainstreaming in Peacebuilding and Localised Human Security in the Context of the Darfur Genocide: An Africentric Rhetorical Analysis

Abstract

A wide body of scholarship has been developed on the Darfur crisis in Western Sudan which started in February 2003. Such scholarship includes various academic works by scholars such as Apiah Mensah (2005, 2006), Deng (2007), Howell (1974), Mohamed (2007), Rankhumise (2006). Among other issues identified by these scholars and conflict resolution practitioners, was the need to establish a nexus between human security and development as a key in conceiving an understanding of human peace and security. The conflict in Darfur and its impact on human security and development also caught the attention of regional and international organisations, including the African Union (AU) and the United Nations (UN). It is on this basis that this article seeks to employ an Africentric perspective (also read as Afrocentricity) for the purpose of analysing the place of women during the Darfur peacebuilding process with a focus on the underlying factors that led to the marginalisation of women. Methodologically, this article is heavily dependent on conversations and interdisciplinary critical discourse analysis in its broadest form. Contrary to the official narrative, this article contests the notion that in the post genocide era in Darfur authentic women voices have found expression in peace building. The argument established in this article is that existing domestic and international legal instruments have given a false sense in terms of women inclusion in the post genocide political life of Darfur.

Opsomming

'n Omvattende literatuurkorpus is ontwikkel ten opsigte van die Darfoer krisis in Wes Soedan, wat in Februarie 2003 begin het. Hierdie korpus sluit verskeie akademiese werke in, deur vakkundiges soos Apiah Mensah (2005, 2006), Deng (2007), Howell (1974), Mohamed (2007), en Rankhumise (2006). Die kwessies wat deur hierdie akademici en konflikoplossingspraktisyns geidentifiseer is, sluit onder meer die behoefte in om 'n verband tussen menslike sekuriteit en ontwikkeling te bewerkstellig, as 'n sleutelelement in begripsvorming van menslike vrede en sekuriteit. Die konflik in Darfoer en die impak daarvan op menslike sekuriteit en ontwikkeling het ook die aandag van streeks en internasionale organisasies getrek, insluitende die Afrika unie (AU) en die Verenigde Nasies (VN). Dit is teen hierdie agtergrond dat hierdie artikel 'n Afrisentriese perspektief (ook Afrosentrisiteit genoem) wil toepas met die oog daarop om die plek van vroue tydens die Darfoer vredesbouproses te ontleed, met 'n fokus op die onderliggende faktore wat tot die marginalisering van vroue gelei het. Metodologies gesproke maak hierdie artikel in 'n groot mate staat op gesprekke en interdissiplinere kritiese diskoersanalise in die ruimste sin van die woord. In teenstelling met die amptelike vertelling, betwis hierdie artikel die idee dat outentieke vrouestemme in die post volksmoord era in Darfoer, uitdrukking gevind het in vredesbou. Die argument wat in hierdie artikel voorgehou word, is dat bestaande binnelandse en internasionale regsinstrumente 'n vals beeld geskep het ten opsigte van die insluiting van vroue in die politieke lewe van Darfoer na die menseslagting.