pultneytooner
23-Oct-06, 10:40
It is over three years since Darfur first came to the attention of the Western world.
Back in the summer of 2003, television viewers watched in horror as images of burning villages filled their screens. "Janjaweed" militia backed by the Sudanese government were on the rampage. Tens of thousands of people, probably many more, died. Over two million Darfurians were driven from their homes.
In the face of such misery, the world's largest humanitarian operation was hastily assembled to provide food and water.
The gamble taken by the international community to back a deal signed by just one rebel faction (Minnawi's SLA) has back-fired spectacularly.
Resolutions from both the UN Security Council and the African Union have called for a transition to take place. But, faced with mounting international pressure, Sudan has shown about as much flexibility as a brick wall. Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has dubbed the UN mission re-colonialisation and offered to resign and lead the armed resistance himself.
Sanctions have been threatened as a means of persuading Khartoum to change its mind but on the back of rising oil exports the Sudanese economy is booming.
Is this going to be yet another failure for the toothless UN to add to the ever expanding list?
Back in the summer of 2003, television viewers watched in horror as images of burning villages filled their screens. "Janjaweed" militia backed by the Sudanese government were on the rampage. Tens of thousands of people, probably many more, died. Over two million Darfurians were driven from their homes.
In the face of such misery, the world's largest humanitarian operation was hastily assembled to provide food and water.
The gamble taken by the international community to back a deal signed by just one rebel faction (Minnawi's SLA) has back-fired spectacularly.
Resolutions from both the UN Security Council and the African Union have called for a transition to take place. But, faced with mounting international pressure, Sudan has shown about as much flexibility as a brick wall. Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has dubbed the UN mission re-colonialisation and offered to resign and lead the armed resistance himself.
Sanctions have been threatened as a means of persuading Khartoum to change its mind but on the back of rising oil exports the Sudanese economy is booming.
Is this going to be yet another failure for the toothless UN to add to the ever expanding list?