Daily Darfur: Far Better than Standing By

by Michelle

Published February 26, 2009 @ 05:23AM PT

For those who say that international intervention in conflict is a fool's errand, Nick Kristof disagrees. (And, I think it goes without saying, so do I.)

In his op-ed in the New York Times today, Kristof notes improvements in the security situation of refugee camps in eastern Chad (significant, if only marginal in the grander scheme of things), and gives kudos to France for leading the push for the European protection force authorized last year:

"On that 2006 trip here, I met Abdullah Idris, a young farmer who had just had his eyes gouged out by the janjaweed. The mutilation broke my heart, especially when I saw Abdullah's 5-year-old daughter looking at her dad's face in revulsion, seeing a monster.

On this trip, I tracked down Abdullah and found him living with his family in a camp for displaced people. His daughter and wife lead him around, hand in hand. Security has improved enough that a few people are even returning to their villages from the camps.

Hats off to France! There are thousands of problems with the deployment, but it's far better than standing by as militias gouge out men's eyes."

A protection force is, of course, a far cry from conflict resolution --- but it still serves as an example of the positive impact of international efforts. (And it begs the question, in reference to our recent mutli-blog "rumble": What role did the human rights activist movement have in pushing for the protection force? If the movement did play a role, what say you, critics, of the claim that the movement is pointless and ill-informed?)

Kristof also believes that fears over the impending ICC indictment of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir are overblown, arguing that, historically, Bashir has changed his behavior in response to international pressure and scrutiny. Kristof also writes of "whispers" around Khartoum of a possible push to oust Bashir if an arrest warrant is issued. I side with Kristof's inclinations --- and he certainly knows more about it than I do --- but I wish I had the same level of confidence on the matter.

But according to an article from the AP, Bashir himself seems keenly aware of his loosening grip in power in the wake of the ICC:

"Al-Bashir, who seized power in a 1989 coup, is also likely watching his back - no doubt remembering Yugoslavia's Slobodan Milosevic and Liberia's Charles Taylor, two heads of state who were pushed from power while facing war crimes prosecution. With rallies and professions of support, al-Bashir appears to be trying to gather all Sudan's factions around him to ensure no rival is encouraged by the warrant to try to remove him."

And speaking of the ICC, and to get back to the Kristof article, in the heated arguments over the court's possible impact and utility, we more often than not neglect the opinions of those with the most at stake:

"At the Obama School here in eastern Chad, the refugees are waiting to see if the school's namesake will resolutely back up the International Criminal Court. I'm betting that he will."

Other items of note...

The UN reports that 15,000 civilians have fled recent violence around Muhajiriya, South Darfur, and sought refuge at the Zam Zam IDP camp in North Darfur, further straining the camps' already-scarce resources (namely, water).

The global economic downturn is having a devastating effect on aid budgets, as the needs of crisis-affected communities (such as Darfur) are on the rise.

If you haven't had enough of George Clooney's Darfur activism, Matthew Clark has a nice overview of the actor's recent efforts at the White House on the Global News Blog at the Christian Science Monitor.

[Photo from NYT: Students at the Obama School in Djabal refugee camp for Darfuris in Chad. The sign by the doorway says "Obama" in Arabic.]