A glimmer of hope for justice

In my opinion, strongly worded language like this is *long* overdue if we are to get anywhere in resolving the conflict in Darfur. I say they should bring out the handcuffs for this guy.

Pursuit of Sudan’s Leader Incites Debate

UNITED NATIONS — The International Criminal Court’s pursuit of Sudan’s president set off fierce debate at the United Nations on Friday, with the Sudanese ambassador accusing the court of trying to destabilize his country and Secretary General Ban Ki-moon expressing concern about the safety of United Nations personnel in the African nation.

Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the chief prosecutor at the court, is expected to announce on Monday that he is seeking an arrest warrant for President Omar Hassan al-Bashir of Sudan in connection with the widespread killing of civilians in the Darfur region since 2003. The United Nations estimates that the conflict has left 300,000 people dead and 2.7 million displaced, and some diplomats worry that the Sudanese will retaliate against the prosecutor’s move by evicting the relief agencies that the civilians depend on to survive.

In anticipation of Monday’s announcement, United Nations officials and diplomats said, tense meetings were held throughout the day, with China, Russia and the African Union arguing that the indictment should not proceed, and the United States and Europe countering that the judicial process had to be allowed to work independently.

Darfur update...

Are there any doubts remaining about whether or not the regime of Omar Al-Bashir, the Sudanese President, is actually looking for a peaceful solution to the conflict in Darfur?

From AP:

The peacekeeping force in Darfur said Tuesday it was still trying to evacuate those wounded in airstrikes two days earlier that an aid group reported left 12 people dead, including six children.

The U.N. Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, Ameerah Haq, called for immediate access to the wounded.

"I am deeply perturbed by the reported bombings of a school, water installations and a market where civilians, especially women and children are present," she said in a statement.

Gen. Martin Luther Agwai, commander of the joint African Union-UN peacekeeping mission, said the bombings were "unacceptable acts against civilians" and said recent Darfur violence reflected a "total lack of commitment" by the government and the rebel groups to the peace process.

U.S.-based Darfur Diaries said six children, ages 4 to 11, were killed in an airstrike Sunday on a school it funds in the village of Shegeg Karo in North Darfur. Six more people were killed when the village's market area was bombed.

Residents reported that a Sudanese government aircraft hovered over the area for some time before repeatedly bombing it, the aid group said.

At the same time, Bashir's government is facing an unprecedented threat from ethnic African rebels, who just recently mounted an assault on the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. Unfortunately, this will only give the Sudanese government another opportunity to continue its scorched earth policy in Darfur.

From Reuters:

Sudanese forces hunted for suspected Darfur rebels in Khartoum on Monday after an unprecedented rebel attack at the weekend and detained Islamist opposition leader Hassan al-Turabi before releasing him.

Bursts of gunfire kept Khartoum on edge. It was the first time fighting had reached the capital in decades of conflict between the traditionally Arab-dominated central government and rebels from far-flung regions in the oil-producing country.

Darfur rebel leader Khalil Ibrahim told Reuters he would keep up attacks until President Omar Hassan al-Bashir's government fell. About 65 people were believed to have been killed in the attack that began on Saturday.

As we head into an election year and news of the economy and rising oil prices take center stage, the Darfur Genocide may very well be disappearing from view. For those of us who still care, we must do everything to make sure the voices of Darfur's victims do not go unheard...because this is far from over. Peace in Darfur will never be possible if the Sudanese government is not revealed for the murderous force that it is.

Empty promises

Almost four years ago, both President Bush and his opponent, Senator John Kerry, stood in front of a crowd declaring that the atrocities being committed in Sudan's western Darfur province were indeed genocide. The international community decided that action needed to be taken. The phrase "never again" was invoked on numerous occasions. Advocacy groups took root, and promises were made that the people of Darfur would not be abandoned.

Then why, may I ask, is this happening:

From AllAfrica.com:

Five years after fighting first erupted in Darfur between Sudanese Government forces and rebel groups, the world has still not found a durable solution to the suffering of millions of people in the region, the United Nations humanitarian chief told the Security Council today, warning the situation will only deteriorate unless urgent measures are taken.

John Holmes, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, told a Council meeting that he was saddened and angry to inform them that the situation inside Darfur had only worsened in the past 12 months, despite the efforts of the international community.

"We continue to see the goalposts receding, to the point where peace in Darfur seems further away today than ever," he said in a statement. "Further progress in the deployment of UNAMID [the hybrid UN-African Union peacekeeping force], equipped to protect civilians and improve security, will help.

"But only an end to all violence and concrete steps towards a political settlement will make the fundamental difference needed, as the rebel movements themselves above all need to recognize. Otherwise the reality is that the people of Darfur face a continued steady deterioration of their conditions of life and their chances of lasting recovery."

Maybe its time for an end to the empty promises and false pledges of action. How many hopes of peace have been fluttered about only to be smashed beneath the boots of Sudanese government soldiers and Janajaweed militiamen as they burn villages and bury the corpses of innocent villagers in sandy mass graves.

Is an example of "false hope needed"?

From CNN in 2004:

The Sudanese government and rebels in the country's Darfur region have signed security and humanitarian agreements in Nigeria after two weeks of talks, the press officer for Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo has said.

More than 1.5 million people have been forced from their homes because of fighting in Darfur, creating what the United Nations has termed the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

The government abandoned its objection to a no-fly zone in the area to make the security agreement happen.

The agreement moves the government closer to disarming the brutal Janjaweed militias, and it calls on both sides to allow monitors to observe the cease-fire.

But this is not the most recent example. Let us never forget the infamous "Darfur Peace Accord" of 2006. At this stage, there are really only two options left. First off, we can do what needs to be done and take a stand against the regime of Omar Al-Bashir and his hired thugs, or we can be honest with the people of Darfur and declare that, judging by our actions, that we do not care about them and are only worried about the problems happening inside of our borders. Why make meaningless and empty promises of action if we have no intention of following through with it?

It is a moral tragedy that after five years, nothing has been done and no one is putting forth any serious solutions to solve this conflict. Has the world completely lost its nerve? Even in the parts of the world that have had severe repercussions for the west, such as Afghanistan, western countries have become more reluctant than ever to confront those who pose a threat to peace and stability.

During these last five years, this tragedy has been brought up during campaigns and political events. It has been the focus of rallies calling for action...it has been featured on the nightly news, and it has been the subject of many debates. But let's remember one thing: at the end of the day, this is still happening...and no matter how many pledges of action and support we make to those who are suffering, it will not go away if it is followed by inaction and becomes an empty promise.

Africa burning...

Over the weekend, rebels based along the border between Sudan's violence-racked Darfur province and the central African nation of Chad pushed across the desert into the Chadian capitol, engaging in fierce battles with government forces. At one point, the rebels managed to seize control of most of the capitol city of N'Djamena and surround the presidential palace where President Idress Deby found himself holed up. A counter-attack by helicopter gunships and tanks appears to have driven the rebels into the outskirts of the capitol, at least for the time being.



A lull in fighting on Tuesday has allowed for a mass refugee crises to develop in neigboring Cameroon, where some 20,000 people have crossed the river border to flee the violence. An exact death toll in the fighting has yet to be reported, seeing as many aid workers have been evacuated. However, those who remain in the city are reporting that the streets are littered with dead bodies.

This is from the BBC:

One refugee, who preferred not to give his name, escaped the fighting in Chad and fled south to Nigeria.

"I am now in Kano but have no money left and don't have my documents," he told the BBC.

"I don't know what to do. I telephoned my friend in N'Djamena and he told me that my mother, my father and my fiancee had all been shot. I don't know whether to cry or kill myself."

The horrific and heart-wrenching quote above shows just how serious the situation has become. Chad is accusing the regime of Omar Al-Bashir in Sudan of supporting the rebels. Bashir, a military dictator who is among the most repressive leaders in the world, is also suspected of arming and supporting Arab militias in Darfur that continue to committ atrocities and genocide against the black African population.

Interestingly enough, a peacekeeping force from the European Union was set to arive in Chad with a mandate to protect Darfur refugees when the rebels began advancing on N'Djamena. Perhaps the Sudanese regime is trying disrupt the progress of a solution to the Darfur conflict. Back in 2006, a "peace accord" was agreed upon by the government only to be violated repeatedly.

United World analysis:

As the Presidential Election nears, we are sure to be hearing about important issues that will be politicized and used to score points with voters. Just look at all this talk about an "economic recession" and the continuing obsession with all things negative in Iraq. Interestingly enough, oil prices have fallen since the fighting began raging in Chad, supposedly over economic worries. Seeing as the central African nation is a major oil producer, the "speculators" should be a lot more concerned about rebel militiamen seizing control of an oil-producing nation than the "recession" so many in the media are hoping for. Not to make this a pro-Bush post, but there's little doubt that a recession is taking priority over Africa's woes because it can be used as another example of a failure by the Bush Administration. The horrific events happening in Chad today can only be blamed on the rebels carrying out the the assault and the international community that will more than likely stand by and do nothing to stop it.

"Never Again"

Everyone should see this

Less talk, more action

Peace talks have begun in Libya to discuss the deteriorating situation in Darfur. The bloody Khartoum government has agreed to participate, but there's one problem. The two main rebel groups have decided not to attend. So who is the government negotiating with? The media is so busy celebrating the collapse of the peace talks between Iraq and Turkey (they're itching to see Iraq fall back into chaos) that they haven't even bothered to bring this up. The Sudanese government has no intention of co-existing in peace with the black population of Darfur. We probably have a better chance of convincing Iran to recognize Israel than seeing a regime that massacres its own citizens with helicopter gunships change its ways and seek a peaceful solution to this almost five-year old conflict. The people who put these peace talks together are making the same mistakes the rest of the internatonal community has made. They think that the regime of Omar Al-Bashir is simply engaged in a "tribal misunderstanding" over land and water. The incompetent UN has even come up with its own suspect for the genocide. Do you know what it is? Global Warming!! The theory is that climate change has dried up resources and now tribes are fighting over land. This is the biggest load of crap I've heard in a long time. This is a GENOCIDE. Genocide is defined as a systematic destruction of a racial, political, or religious group, and that is exactly what's happening in Darfur. These peace talks, like the many before, are destined to fail unless pressure is put on Khartoum to stop its killing rampage against so many innocent people. will any world leader stand up and do the right thing? Or are we just going to reciprocate this horrific cycle again? For God's sake, stop this genocide.

Wanted: For War Crimes

General Omar Al-Bashir, dictator of Sudan

400,000+ dead

For What?

Take action now!

Stop this Genocide

Darfur attacks continue

As I mentioned earlier this week, the genocide in Darfur is continuing unabated. Today, an unprecdented act of violence occurred when a rebel group ovveran a peacekeeping camp. Some reports are saying that as many as sixty peacekeepers were killed in the attack. Meanwhile, the UN has sent another team of negotiators to the Sudanese capital to dance the Macarena with General Al-Bashir, a man considered to be the most brutal dictator in the world. Some people are even afraid to call this genocide because it would imply that this whole thing is an intentional, systematic killing, and like I said earlier, many people find that more horrorfying to comprehend than the idea of an intertribal conflict that can be worked out through negotiatons.

Is it too late?

Today I kept thinking about the ongoing genocide in Darfur and how no one has done anything to stop it. As I write this, untold scores of people are dying over there, some of disease, others of starvation, and others who are being massacred by both Sudanese government soldiers and Arab militiamen. To this day, the world has done very little to stop this tradgedy. It's rarely brought up on the Nightly news because the networks can't point the blame at President Bush or the United States. At the end of the day, the only people responsible for this genocide are rabid, Arab militias and the regime of Omar Al-Bashir, the dictator of the Sudan. Day after day and night after night we here endless reports about car bombings and roadside bomb exposions in Iraq, yet mass killings and acts of ethnic cleansing are continuing in Darfur and most of it goes by unreported. Sadly, this seems to be a pattern that has reciprocated itself for decades. First, there was the Holocaust. People did there best to ignore it and convinced themselves it wasn't their problem. Then came the Cambodian genocide, an act of mass killing that claimed the livese of nearly three million people. Of course, this happened after the Vietnam War ended and the United States "got the hell out of" that region. While people were claiming that peace prevailed over "warmongering" when Vietnam ended, the reality was that anything but peace happened. The war continued and eventually led to the Khmer Rouge and Pol Pot, who began killing politcal opponents and began the Cambodian genocide. Then came Rwanda, an ethnic conflict that claimed nearly a million lives. During the height of the three month genocide, some 8,000 people were dying every day, many of whom were hacked to death with machetes. Unfortunately, the conflict spilled over into the neighboring countries of Congo and Burundi, and the violence is still going on. No one knows the exact figure, but its estimated that some five million people have died between these three conflicts. Today, Darfur is being ignored in the same way that every other African war has been. Many of the aid groups have pulled out of Darfur, and the African Union peacekeeping patrols sent to protect civilians are more concerned with protecting themselves. Just like Sadly, unless the world acts now, it looks like Darfur will be nothing but another miserable chapter in world history. But how could the world act? It's easy to say we should send soldiers into the region to crush the militias and protect civilians, but with the pressure on the United States ove Iraq, it doesn't look like its going to ever happen. After toppling Saddam Hussein to put an end to the cauldron of death he was stirring up, why should President Bush believe the world would support him in using force to counter the Al-Bashir's regime? If we woke up the next morning and saw that air strikes were being carried out in the Sudan, the world would probably be disgusted with the United States and any other country taking part in the operations. The whole "its not our problem, why the hell are we there?" argument would be heard just about everywhere, and we'd be where we are with Iraq all over again. The other option is to try and convince Al-Bashir to back of diplomatically, but that has gotten nowhere. No one seems to want to accept that he is just a terrible human being. Maybe the fact that he wants the people of Darfur to be suffering is just to frightening for most people to comprehend. They want to believe that Darfur is nothing but a tribal conflict that can be resolved peacefully, when it isn't. The Sudanese government has promised at least a dozen times to abide by a cease-fire but they never have, and probably never will. The only options here are for the world to put aside political anomosity and Unite or let Darfur become another genocide that we ignored.