Eric Reeves, a professor at Smith College, recently wrote a five-part overview of the genocide in Darfur for TNR OnLine. He's not particularly optimistic:

There is no sign that normal agricultural production will resume any time in the near future. There is no sign that the insecurity confining people to camps for the displaced or villages under siege will be alleviated, even with the currently planned deployment of additional African Union personnel. There is no sign that the international community intends to fund humanitarian efforts in Darfur at an appropriate level. There is no sign that Khartoum's National Islamic Front, and the new government it dominates, has changed its genocidal ambitions, now best served by preserving the deadly status quo. There is no sign that peace negotiations in Abuja, Nigeria will yield more than the vaguely worded "declaration of principles" signed two weeks ago. And there is no sign of the international humanitarian intervention that might stop the genocide.

There are only signs that the dying will continue indefinitely... In other words, the genocide in Darfur will continue. We could stop it. We have simply chosen not to.

Read the whole series: parts I, II, III, IV, and V.

With the notable exception of the Coalition for Darfur, and to a lesser extent Democracy Arsenal, no one is paying enough attention to Darfur. I've mentioned it a few times before, which is better than nothing, but still not nearly enough. Darfur is the new Siberia; nearly three million people are going to go hungry this fall because the Janjaweed and Khartoum's military have wiped out their farms and livestock.

What a wonderful world.

Thanks for pointing me to the Reeves series. Its quite good and I recommend it to all. After all the Holocaust Museums that have been built, this is still happening. I guess in ten years we will get a movie called "Hotel Darfur." Even at my advanced age, I am surprised at the human capacity for cruelty, GUY

Posted by  Anonymous @ 8:57 PM

 

Post a Comment