In Search Of Utopia: Going backwards in Darfur

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May 05, 2005

Going backwards in Darfur

There's good and bad news concerning the genocide in Darfur. The good news is that I've noticed increased coverage of it in the MSM recently. The New York Times had four pieces on Darfur last week, and the Boston Globe also ran an op/ed piece by Eric Reeves.

Unfortunately, that's about it for the good news.

Deputy Secretary of State Robert B. Zoellick's trip to Sudan last week has signaled a shift -- regression -- in US foreign policy towards Sudan as hesistates to call it genocide. This is despite a high end death toll estimate of 650,000, not to mention the ongoing gangrapings, displacement of over 2 million refugees, poisoning of wells, and theft of the land (which, surprise surprise, has the potential to pump out 500,000 barrels of oil a day).

The refugees of Darfur are in need of food, especially before the rainy season starts in July, but the UN World Food Program has been forced to cut rations due to lack of funding. Worse yet, the attacks against international aid workers are climbing.

There's nobody to protect these aidworkers, or the people of Darfur, because the UN does not have a single peacekeeper in Darfur. The few peacekeepers that the African Union has in the region are relegated to filing reports after crimes happen since they don't have a mandate to protect Darfuri and aid workers by engaging the Janjaweed, and whatever elements of the Sudanese military who are helping them, in combat.

In the meantime, even though the Sudanese government provided arms and support (along with direct intervention, like using their air force to bomb Darfur villages) to the Janjaweed militia which continues to terror the people of Darfur, the world continues to attempt to work with Khartoum like they aren't part of the problem. The international community has listened to President Bashir claim that he can handle the Darfur crisis for the past two years, and during that time the bodies keep piling up. Who is finally going to call bullshit on this sham government?

There are two things you can do to help: Inform and donate.

The Darfur Accountability Act could possibly come up for a vote in the Senate this week. Click here to tell your senator to support S.495.

For donations, there are plenty of places where your money could go. I've picked out three to advertise:

* Save the Children
* Care USA
* Doctors Without Borders

Besides simplification, the reason I pick these three are because of the most pressing problems currently facing Darfur. Care USA focuses on delivering food, which is badly needed. With Save the Children, that's self-explanatory. And Doctors Without Borders is on the list because of the women and children in Darfur who need the most help. And, indeed, it's them who are the biggest victims of this genocide. The women who have survived have suffered brutal and repeated gangrapings, along with the medical complications and pregnancies that come with such crimes. In many instances, these women are shunned from their communities or are left to be the sole provider for their families if their husband is murdered. Out of any of Darfur's victims, the women need the most help, and Doctors Without Borders focuses on them.

I put my money where my mouth is last week and donated $100 each to these three organizations. This decision was helped by looking at my tax refund and seeing what I could afford, which explains the timing part of why I'm posting these donations links. Anything you can give will help.

To keep up with Darfur news, Coalition for Darfur and The Passion of the Present are great blogs to goto. I also keep an archive of my Darfur coverage at darfur.loadedmouth.com, where it has a bit more... Errr, attitude? Yes, that's the right word.