"Grim though it has been, this was not genocide or classic ethnic cleansing. Many of the displaced moved to camps a few kilometres from their homes. Professionals and intellectuals were not targeted, as in Rwanda. Darfur was, and is, the outgrowth of a struggle between farmers and nomads rather than a Balkan-style fight for the same piece of land. Finding a solution is not helped by turning the violence into a battle of good versus evil or launching another Arab-bashing crusade."Steele also notes even MI6 and the CIA are frustrated by the attitude of US neocons and the Christian right towards the Sudanese conflicts, and says:
"Thriving on bad news - typical was Caroline Moorehead's Letter from Darfur in the New York Review of Books this summer - commentators who still write about Darfur often thunder away without any sense of time or context. In fact, the UN secretary general's latest report to the security council points out that the influx of 12,500 aid workers has "averted a humanitarian catastrophe, with no major outbreaks of disease or famine". Patrols by the hundreds of AU monitors have reduced violence and other human-rights violations."The Century's First Genocide is Nearly Over
Yesterday, I noted a few blogs linking to an opinion piece by Johann Hari entitled "The Century's First Genocide is Nearly Over." The Independent UK published it online under subscription but the author copied it in full at his website JohannHari.com.
My initial reaction was not to link to it here at Sudan Watch because it does little to help readers understand what is really going on in the Sudan and why. Even the title is misleading. However, after reading Jonathan Steele's piece in today's Guardian, I have decided to file both articles here for future reference, along with a link to the inane comments it prompted at a post entitled "The crisis in Sudan is nearly over...".
Plus, one other opinion piece entitled "The Bosnia of Our Time" by Michael J Totten, 23 August 2005. [with thanks to E]
- - -
UPDATE Oct 8: Indigo Jo Blogs - Darfur "not genocide" - links to an MSNBC article "Violence in the Sudan displaces nearly 1 million" - featuring an interview with aid worker Mercedes Taty. Taty, a 36-year-old Spanish doctor and the Deputy Emergency Director for Doctors without Borders in Paris, had returned from a month working in Sudan where she worked with 12 expatriate doctors and 300 Sudanese nationals in field hospitals set up in the towns of Mornay, El Genina, and Zalinge. She spoke with MSNBC.com about the gravity of the crisis. [Note the report is dated 16 April 2004 - eighteen months ago, when I first started blogging Darfur]
UPDATE Oct 13: More Sudan from DSTP for War blog [with thanks to Wilson]
As the author of the post that attracted loads of inane comments I'd like to apologise.
ReplyDeleteIt's difficult, short of a constant delete, to keep discussions on-topic.
I do like what you're doing on your blog and will link to it on my own blog and also on DSTFW.
cheers
Wilson
As co-bloggers of Wilson's, and authors of some of the comments you mention, we'd also like to apologise - inane comments suit some topics but not others - and also to endorse what Wilson says (above). All the best for what looks likely to be a valuable enterprise.
ReplyDeleteDear Wilson and SIAW, Thanks to you both for your kind comments. Surely it is better to receive inane comments than none at all. Your well written posts prompt lively discussion which is more than can be said for mine. You have a great blog and obviously, a keen following. Well done. Kind regards, Ingrid.
ReplyDeleteHi there,
ReplyDeleteThe link you posted to my blog (Indigo Jo Blogs) is broken; please replace index.php in the link with mt.php.