Mbeki's appointment followed the International Criminal Court's decision last week to issue a warrant of arrest against Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.
South Africa's Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma said Mbeki, who brokered the deal for Zimbabwe's political rivals to share power following last year's disputed elections, would have the role of mediating between ICC and Sudan.
Dlamini-Zuma said the ICC decision to issue the arrest warrant was regrettable and that South Africa had accepted AU's initial response to the ICC decision.
"South Africa has never countenanced any acts of impunity. However, South Africa supported the decision of the AU to defer the issue by a year to give the peace processes in the Sudan a chance," Dlamini-Zuma was quoted as saying.
The arrest warrant is a major milestone in the fight against impunity in Darfur, the International Bar Association (IBA) said, adding that the decision should be seen as targeting impunity, not Africa.
Mark Ellis, IBA’s executive director, said the decision of the ICC judges affirmed that sitting heads of state were not above the law and must be held accountable.
"Sudanese victims will now know that justice is attainable, irrespective of the status of the alleged perpetrator," he said.
Cape Town - 09/03/2009
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