“The paper begins with a discussion of the specific peculiarities of the conflicts in Sudan (North- South conflict and the Darfur conflict) which will enable us to understand the type of intervention chosen by both the AU and the UN and its appropriateness as a conflict management method for Darfur. The mission in Sudan will then be compared to some benchmarks and criteria for successful peacekeeping missions. A brief discussion of the emerging AU peace and security architecture within which the intervention took place will be done with a view to determining how the Darfur crisis has challenged AU norms and principles. It will then focus on the AU/UN Hybrid Mission and how it has striven to correct the perceived
failings of AMIS. The issue of sovereignty and humanitarian intervention and the concept of the ‘responsibility to protect’ (R2P) will be analyzed in the context of how African states have responded to R2P issues. The role of international actors such as the UN and China will be analyzed, as these have had a direct correlation to the success or failure of the mission in Sudan.”