Daily Darfur: Looking Back at 2008 with Regret, Looking Forward with Hope and Apprehension

Published December 29, 2008 @ 11:19AM PT

An AFP article looks back at the the last year and forward to the next in Darfur, noting:

"Darfur ends 2008 more dangerous than ever with a much vaunted UN mission unable to protect civilians and a possible war crimes indictment against Sudan's president casting a pall over 2009."

As the article continues, the year started out with a sense of promise, as the UN combined forces with the African Union (AU) and assumed control of peacekeeping in the region. This quickly fizzled into resounding disappointment, as member states failed to contribute to the force and support its full deployment.

The security situation continued to deteriorate in Darfur throughout the year, as the government of Sudan intensified its onslaught against civilians, particularly after a surprise attack on a suburb of Khartoum by the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) in May. And despite Khartoum's concerted diplomacy to push the UN to suspend the ICC indictment proceedings against President Bashir, their efforts to appear amenable to peace have thus far proven superficial---including a bad-faith "unconditional" ceasefire declaration in November, which the government didn't even pretend to implement.

And as Savo Heleta writes, the rebel movement in Darfur continues to fracture, taking on the character of self-interested roving bandits as opposed to champions of the Darfuri people.

And yet, as the Obama Administration brings its "unstinting resolve" to the White House in just a few weeks, and as the looming ICC indictment decisions represents a potential opportunity to isolate Bashir, 2009 is beginning with a similar sense of promise as 2008. I just hope that, this time next year, I'm not sitting here writing about how we squandered that, too.

Other items of interest...

The faction of the Darfur rebel Sudan Liberation Movement led by Minni Minawi (SLM-MM)--the lone group to sign a peace deal with the Sudanese government in 2006--wants to be included in the current round of peace talks led by Qatar. SLM-MM accuses the government of failing to implement the 2006 Darfur Peace Agreement (which they certainly haven't), and essentially warned that the SLM-MM would not comply with any agreement if it is not included in the discussions.

In yet another attack on UN troops in Darfur, a peacekeeper was shot in the leg by three unidentified gunmen in El Fasher, North Darfur. (He later died from his wounds.) As this article in the East African notes, the peacekeepers aren't the only losers in this game--Darfur's substantial internally displaced population suffers as well.

[Photo from AFP.]

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Comments (15)

I think everyone wants to be in a better place in a year.

Obama will definately have more diplomacy power than anyone else has had with Bashir. Bashir does not take negoiations seriously when the greatest nation in the world is run by the Bush administration. How can such an administration urge Bashir to ICC proceedings, when Bush should be in the same courtroom!

As long as Washington can understand that long term strategies are the answer, we will be successful. Basic necessities are key: food, water, stability. It will be a slow process of "failing forward" but will make more sense at the end of 2009.

We have seen through the current leaders in Washington that we cannot make peace using violence, but we cannot hold Sudan's hand all of the way, either. Training the Sudanese to develop their own land is a start, then we push them out on their own. But it does not help their development if companies investing in the nation are not considerate of the people who call Sudan "home."

Posted by John Thompson on 12/29/2008 @ 09:02PM PT
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We might talk forever about genocide, warfare, poverty, injustice and all kind of atrocities; though if we don't understand the very fundaments of in which our society is built on and really make an effort to eradicate the causes, most probably we will never see the end for all those things. We must change ourselves first in order to see changes outside. This is no simple task, is rather a painful and overwhelming one particularly when the very concepts, beliefs, culture in which we learned and grew from is so deep rooted in our collective mind. Give the planet back to the people! http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com/

Posted by Daniele deLima on 12/30/2008 @ 03:50AM PT
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How do we change?

Posted by William Hahn on 01/23/2009 @ 08:45PM PT
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What I am not surprised to see is that there is absolutely no coverage that this is an example of persecution, murder and enslavement of christians by the "religion of peace". People nailed to crosses, whipped for attending church. These people are not "rebels" in the more common sense. They are merely guilty of not converting to islam. Pay attention Europe, you're next.

Posted by Charlie Reed on 12/30/2008 @ 06:42AM PT
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Can someone explain this to me?
One village in Darfur organized its own self-defense and drove out the Janjaweed. Why cannot ALL Darfur villages be organized in the same way, thus empowering the Darfuri to drive out the Janjaweed themselves?

Posted by D B on 01/02/2009 @ 06:05PM PT
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I agree with Charlie Reed; the fact that there is no press coverage is concerning, to say the least. However we as Americans have more power than we realize, as PE Obama knows. The press will write about what they believe Americans consider important. To paraphrase a quote from the show THE WEST WING, "...is a Darfurian life more important than an American life?" At this point that is what the press believes and so they fail to cover the genocide in Sudan. If we let the press know that we as a country consider what is happening in Darfur important, then they will cover it.

Dana Bellwether's comment tells me that the Janjaweed are merely thugs, and that an organized defense will more than likely scare these 'gang members' away.

Why should America go to Darfur? Because we can. There are times when what is right smacks us in the face, and a mass genocide is so horrible that we as a country that has the military we have simply cannot, as human beings, simply ignore what is happening to thousands of fellow human beings that share our planet. Not for oil, as was the case in Kuwait and Iraq, but because the problem is so horrible and the solution so clear that failure to do so makes us less than human. Failure to do what we are able to do makes us no better than the Janjaweed; if we're not part of the solution then we're part of the problem.

If you have not already seen it, watch the show SCREAM BLOODY MURDER, by Christianne Amanpour (sp?). This show was first on television in 1995; the fact that no action has occurred after this reporter made it clear that what is happening in Darfur makes me ashamed of my country. This is another Holocaust.

When we say, "never again", let's mean it.

Mike_the _doctor

Posted by Mike Sauber on 01/02/2009 @ 09:45PM PT
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If the US government went into Darfur, it would be to steal their
oil, and anything said about "intervening to stop genocide" would be only an excuse. Kicking out the Janjaweed (and, yes, the nearest English translation of that word would be something like "guttersnipe") needs to come from within Darfur. If the young men who can't keep jobs and thought it sounded exciting to get paid to rape and murder were to be routed, only to be replaced by serious Sudanese military, then i'd want to see the UN--not the puppets of the ruling class--go in.

Posted by D B on 01/03/2009 @ 05:42PM PT
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I've tried to look at "Scream Bloody Murder"; is there a way to see it without paying?

Posted by D B on 01/03/2009 @ 07:08PM PT
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Dana - I hope you're wrong. For the first time in it seems forever I truly believe that we as a country have a leader coming who will be a true leader, and not a 'puppet of the ruling class'.

When George Bush Sr said (I'm paraphrasing), "We can't be bothered with every little thing in the world" when speakng of a past genocide, I was ashamed of my country. George Bush (both) went to war for oil. I believe Barack Obama will lead the USA in a way that is both moral and right when it comes to international intervention. I certainly can't live with the thought of continued apathy when it comes to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of fellow humans.

I challenge you to watch SCREAM BLOODY MURDER and then speak your conscience.

Mike_the_doctor

Posted by Mike Sauber on 01/03/2009 @ 07:12PM PT
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Mike--I'll be so thrilled if i turn out to be wrong; i'll be saying, "Lucky me--i've lived to see a camel walk through the eye of a needle!" As i mentioned in my post four minutes before the one you're referring to, it IS a bit of a challenge to get to watch "Scream Bloody Murder." I've lived all my adult life right at the US "poverty" line rather than give the Pentagon a dime. Among the members of an online bulletin board for my county, i have an income < 1/5 the average. Any advice on how to view SBM for those of us to whom the subscription is not small change?

Posted by D B on 01/04/2009 @ 07:31PM PT
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Dana, now that our man Obama is in the white house will you support our country (including the Pentagon/military) financially by purposing to raise yourself out of your self inflicted poverty and pay taxes? If you don't want to pay for viewing "Scream Bloody Murder" find an organisation fighting the genocide in Sudan. They will you send information including DVDs if you ask or donate. One such org is Persecution Project. I could also send you 1 or more of their DVDs

Posted by William Hahn on 01/21/2009 @ 05:53AM PT
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In re. William:
So-o love me, love me, love me--I'm a lib-er-al!

Posted by D B on 01/21/2009 @ 08:15PM PT
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I believe that animals can show more compassion than people. So many have no clue what is going on in Darfur or any place besides their own area. It saddens me that people who may have seen a program or news coverage about the horrors and slaughters of innocent men, women and children still don't care. If it does not involve them who cares. Some people who do care end up feeling helpless and frustrated about the situation. The media needs to shine the spotlight on the wonderful doctors, nurses, volunteers and humanitarian organizations that donate their time and money to help those desperate hunted people in Darfur. The volunteers can then tell how they are in great need of medical supplies, sustainable food and protection. It sickens me to turn the tv on and see a news story about who is dating who when at the same moment in Darfur there are starving babies watching their pregnant mothers being raped.

Posted by Sarah Steiner on 01/23/2009 @ 12:03PM PT
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Sarah, shall we start a letter writing campaign to the media?

Posted by William Hahn on 01/23/2009 @ 09:03PM PT
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Writing letters to local papers sounds like a great idea.

Posted by Sarah Steiner on 01/24/2009 @ 04:10PM PT
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Michelle became involved in the anti-genocide cause at a young age, and has been involved in various activist endeavors, including the Teach Against Genocide pilot campaigns, ever since.