Vox Nova: Darfur Update
We have discussed the situation in Darfur several times on Vox Nova. President Obama, during his campaign, made a promise to deal with the situation in the Sundan. That promise received bi-partisan support, and it looked like something which most people could agree upon would be a good thing, if Obama did as he promised.
We have not had a post about Darfur for sometime, and so I thought I would highlight recent events.
First, there is the news that the outgoing UN-African Union Peacekeeping commander, Rodolphe Adada, has said he has helped bring the genocide down, and that the massacre has ended. Not so fast, says the Washington Times. Not only is there something odd about this claim, it appears he has been given an award for his work by the questionable President of Sudan, Omar Bashir. It should be of big surprise to Adada that the conflict has once again increased, and UN Peacekeepers are needing to increase patrols in the Sudan after more attacks on humanitarian aids in the region.
Second, what has happened with Obama’s own advocacy of the Sudan? Advocates against genocide are proclaiming it Obama’s own bridge to nowhere. That is because there is no “end game” policy involved, no final vision as to what should be done. Nonetheless, the United States recent envoy to the Sudan, Scott Gratian, suggests there will be further dialogues in the future, where he seeks to act as mediator to the different warring parties. Refugees from Darfur, however, suggest the United States is currently downplaying the crisis. Let us hope in Obama’s meeting with African leaders at the UN, the situation in the Sudan will be mentioned. Let us also hope Obama can re-install support for human rights issues in the UN, which appears to be eroding away, as this op-ed piece in the New York Times points out.
Third, South Africa sent a high level delegation to the Sudan, hoping to draw the two nations closer. But South Africa is also trying to intercede on behalf of the Sudanese people and to hold bi-lateral talks, and as a part of it, appears to be trying to over-ride the arrest warrant for Bashir.
Finally, keep in prayer Sharon Commins and Hilda Kawuki, who were abducted in the Sudan over two months ago. They were working for the Irish charity, GOAL. Recently, Sharon was allowed to contact her family in Ireland; but that is not any indication that she will be freed any time soon.
Comments are closed.
Henry,
I don’t have much optimism about the situation in Darfur, because I think Sudan itself is in danger of another North-South civil war (if the South doesn’t split apart in tribal warfare, as seems a possibility). Only a much larger peacekeeping force that is willing to fight any group (insurgent, janjaweed, or Sudanese Army) that targets civilians could succeed in putting a lid on the violence, and even then it would need political support (of course, if the peacekeepers ever accidently kill a civilian thinking he is trying to attack them or other civilians, Michael Iafrete can then label it “demonic activity”). I don’t see how the conflict gets resolved. The international community lacks the willpower, the Sudanese government isn’t interested in peace in Darfur, and they’re the only ones who could bring it about, but they’re also the ones who facilitated the genocide?
PS. Have you read Gerard Prunier’s Darfur: The Ambiguous Genocide? I highly recommend it.
Zak,
I don’t have much optimism because I don’t think much is being done, and there is not much reason for the world community to care (it cares in abstract, but finds no compelling reason to get involved).
No, I’ve not read it.
The book presents a good history of Darfur and the source of its problems. The Khartoum-based “Arab” Sudanese have governed the rest of the country Including Darfur, the South, and the Northeast, as peripheries to be exploited. It presents the “quasi-genocide” (Prunier’s term) as sometyhing Sudan bungled into, not really intending mass slaughter, but not minding if it happened in pursuit of its broader strategic interests.
If John Garang hadn’t died, I feel like he might have been able to forge a “have-nots” coalition and changed the country as a whole for the better. But now it seems like the South is primarily interested in going its own way (ordering the Ukrainian tanks that pirates hijacked last year) and not on fixing the country.
On the subject of depressing African conflicts, the Washington Post reports today that the new selection for Oprah’s book club is a book of short stories by a Nigerian Jesuit about children around Iraq Say You’re One of Them. I read it this winter – it’s a pretty depressing series of stories about children’s lives in Africa. It certainly does make one grateful for the blessings we have.
Thanks for the update, Henry, and for continuing to raise awareness re: the ongoing tragedy taking place in Darfur.
Stephen
You are welcome. I thought it was time for another post. I am hoping Mickey will provide posts from STAND’s perspective sometime, when he has the time, of course.