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Darfur: The
World's Worst Humanitarian Disaster (by Mark Masongsong)
Mark
Masongsong is a political science student at Simon Fraser University
and a member of War Child Canada’s Youth Advisory Board. He can be
reached at mmm@sfu.ca.
With
all the suffering going on in the world, from the crisis in Iraq,
strife in Afghanistan, the tragedy of AIDS in Africa and elsewhere, it
takes an especially horrific situation to be branded the worst of them
all. Unfortunately for the people in Western Sudan, their plight of
incomprehensible suffering stands out.
Last
year, conflict broke out in the Darfur region of Sudan between rebel
groups and a militia called Janjaweed. As the conflict wore on,
civilians increasingly became the target of atrocities, with some
30,000 killed and scores more wounded. An estimated 170,000 civilians
fled as refugees to neighboring Chad, while over a million were forced
from their villages to settle elsewhere in the country. Instead of
protecting its people, the government of Sudan in Khartoum was heavily
supporting the Janjaweed with helicopters and bombers. Amnesty
International reported that in many cases, women and girls as young as
eight were being raped by militias while the government troops aided
or watched.
The
situation has attracted international attention; after UN
Secretary-General Kofi Annan called for $350 million in aid for the
Darfur, the United States came forward with some $130 million while
Canada has committed $14.5 million to the region since October of last
year. The United States Congress has passed a motion declaring the
situation in Darfur genocide, the most serious violation of
international law, while also calling for President Bush to consider
military action and economic sanctions. Foreign ministers of the
European Union have similarly called for sanctions, and Britain is
said to be considering deploying thousands of troops to stop the
killing.
Yet
despite the strong words and a visit from U.S. Secretary of State
Colin Powell to the region, atrocities continue at an alarming rate.
Reports continue to come in that village after village is being
destroyed, and the United Nations and aid agencies now fear that as
many as two million people are in danger, with famine, disease and
violence preying on a desperate people. After international pressure
came to bear on the Sudanese government, promises were made to protect
civilians, disarm the militias and provide better access to aid
organizations, which have been harassed and endangered by roaming
thugs. Despite this rhetoric, observers from the African Union and
European Union report that little is actually being done to help the
most vulnerable, and as the rainy season approaches, time is running
out.
It
is not as if the international community is unable to address the
situation. After nearly two decades of civil war between the Khartoum
government in the North and rebel groups in the South, countries,
including Canada and the United States, appointed envoys to the region
last May to broker a peace deal. Although tensions remain, the peace
deal signed under international pressure has held, and a deployment of
peacekeepers and monitors has begun.
So
if international pressure has worked in the past, but the current
actions aren’t enough, what else can Canada do? Providing even a
token force of peacekeepers would be difficult, as the Canadian Armed
Forces is already overstressed with recent deployments to Afghanistan,
the Balkans and Haiti. But other actions can be taken, and it is
important for the Government of Canada to consider all options
considering the gravity of the situation. Prime Minister Paul Martin
has repeatedly stated that Africa will become a priority under his
leadership, and Sudan provides an opportunity for him to provide real
global leadership. By publicly and repeatedly condemning the Khartoum
regime in the strongest possible terms, the Prime Minister could bring
enormous pressure for the Sudanese government to cooperate. Newly
minted foreign affairs minister, Pierre Pettigrew, has long sought
this job, and he has a chance to make a difference. The foreign
minister could declare representatives of the Sudanese government
personas non grata (unwelcome in Canada). Even a symbolic move like
this would be considered humiliating in diplomatic circles and would
further pressure Khartoum to act.
Although
Canada has made significant humanitarian contributions to Darfur, an
emergency of this magnitude should justify Canadian Minister for
International Cooperation, Aileen Carroll to dramatically increase
Canada’s assistance package. This would give Canada a leading role
in the region, and a right to call attention to our concerns of human
rights violations. Finally, although Sudan has not signed or ratified
the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, Canada could
call for an investigation of war crimes and the level of
responsibility that the Sudanese government has. With the nearby
tribunal in Sierra Leone serving as an example of what could happen to
Sudan’s leaders, such a threat would not be idle.
In
times like these, it is not enough to leave it to the Government alone
to act. Citizens, and youth, have the ability and the responsibility
to act and ensure that the suffering comes to an end. In the recent
federal election, every political party made an effort to emphasize
the power of young people in making government policy. When young
Canadians have become informed, active and outspoken, there has been a
noticeable difference made at the highest levels of government,
whether the issue was environmental protection or the fight against
child labour. The crisis in Sudan is another time where the youth of
Canada must speak up for those whose voices are silenced, and there
are many ways to do this. Writing letters to Members of Parliament,
learning and speaking about these issues to educate those around you
and writing articles and columns in community newspapers will make a
difference. We have the ability to affect the world around us, and
along with that comes the responsibility to do so. The conflict in
Sudan may seem far away, and though we may not be able to hear their
cries of suffering, we must answer their calls for help.
Sources
Canadian
International Development Agency.
<http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/>.
Kerry,
Sheridan. “U.S. Congress Members Say U.N. Must Take Stronger Stand
Against Sudan.” Voice of America. 26 July 2004. <http://www.globalsecurity.
org/military/library/news/2004/07/mil-040726-39f1050e.htm>.
Sidahmed, Alsir.
“Darfur needs peace more than aid.” The Globe and Mail. 27
July 2004. <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/
20040727/CODARF27/TPComment/TopStories>.
“Sudan: New
report reveals girls as young as eight victims of mass rape in Darfur.”
Amnesty International. 19 July 2004. <http://www.amnesty.org.uk/deliver/document/15501.html>.
Wilkison,
Roger. “E.U. Backs Sanctions Against Sudan.” Voice of America.
26 July 2004. <http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2004/07/
mil-040726-3cf1044a.htm>.
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