Nov. 11, 2005

International attention focused on Darfur again as Robert Zoellick of the U.S. State Department spent the week talking with government officials, rebel leaders, refugees, and African Union officials. Although he spoke with conviction about the need for responsible action from the government and rebel groups, his visit seemed to suggest that the administration has completely forgotten that they are dealing with a genocide and not merely a civil war.

As casualties continue to mount and the international community continues to stall, two independent agencies issued reports this week stating that the international community has failed to properly support the African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur.

On the Ground

More reports of attacks on villages and refugee camps were issued this week as the government of Sudan continued to delay the deployment of Canadian armored vehicles for the African Union.

The African Union issued an update to last month’s reports on the violence that killed four African Union soldiers. The AU has found that this violence was not started by Darfurian rebels. They now believe that it was started by Arab militia in the area.

U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, Robert Zoellick visited with refugees of the Kalma camp this week and was told that there was an attack just hours before he arrived.

Refugees told Zoellick that they are afraid to return home because there is no security. The Government of Sudan has stated that refugees are now safe to return home and seeks to encourage them to do so. The return of civilians to their homes would aid the government in their genocidal campaign.

With violence increasing and their ability to provide safety lessening by the day, the African Union directly asked that the U.S. provide them with the $50 million that they were promised. Last week Congress failed to include this money in the government’s budget. Zoellick stated that the government would most likely be able to provide the money.

Robert Zoellick met with rebel leaders and after a brief walk-out he encouraged the leaders to work harder at unifying so that the peace process can move forward.

The SLA must unify before the peace talks resume in late November. This week SLA leader Abdelwahed al-Nur challenged the authority of newly elected SLA president Minni Arko Minnawi, but he also said that he would work hard to unify the movement’s position before the next round of peace talks. Amnesty International reports that forces under the command of Minnawi have detained prominent rebel commander Suleiman Marajan. The government of Sudan stated this week that they would be open to allowing both factions to attend talks.

During his visit Zoellick also met with a number of officials from the government of Sudan and the African Union. At one point he requested that regional government commissioner, Sadiek Abdel Nabi, leave a meeting so that he could hear the truth from the African Union, stating explicitly that he did not trust the government. This request enflamed Nabi and resulted in a verbal conflict.

Zoellick stated that he was concerned that the violence in Darfur would undermine the North-South peace agreement.

The U.S. continues to have strong words for the government of Sudan and rebel leaders. But this most recent visit showed that they are not willing to do what must be done to stop the government of Sudan’s genocidal campaign. This week Zoellick called the violence a tribal war, adding “frankly I don’t think foreign forces want to get in the middle of a tribal war of Sudanese.”

Perhaps Zoellick has forgotten that the President, Colin Powell, and all of Congress declared that this violence was genocide, not a tribal war. This is the same language that was used during the Rwandan genocide to get out of our responsibility to protect civilians from genocide. For the first time in history the United States government has been brave enough to use the word genocide while genocide is occurring, but now, they have regressed to using terms like “tribal war.”
Rebels have been found to be guilty of violent acts during this crisis, but the government and the Janjaweed militia have made a concerted effort to decimate the black civilian population of Darfur. This is not a tribal war, it is a organized state making a concerted (and unfortunately successful) attempt to slaughter a portion of its citizens.

International governments must stop treating this genocide like a two sided civil war. The Genocide Intervention Network hopes that the use of this language is not an attempt by the Bush administration to renege on the commitments that are implied by using the term genocide.

International Action

Canada is sending an envoy to meet with senior government officials in Sudan and to assess the needs of the African Union.

International Activism

Members of Human Rights Watch and Salih Mahmoud Osman of the Sudan Organization Against Torture called for member states of the UN to issue sanctions against the government of Sudan for its role in the Darfur crisis.

Citizens of Morristown, NJ organized a rally to call for the U.S. government to take a stronger role in ending the Darfur genocide.

Special Reports Summary

Refugees International finished their report on a recent observing mission to assess the work of the African Union Mission in Darfur. Their report, entitled No Power to Protect argues that the African Union has been given the responsibility to protect the civilians of Darfur, but they have not been given the troops, the funding, or the mandate to fulfill this responsibility. After a year and a half of neglecting this force, international organizations must step in if peace is to be restored in Darfur. Refugees International also issued a photo report of the African Union Peacekeeping Mission in Darfur.

The Brookings Institute issued a report on the successes and shortcomings of the AU this week. The report highlights shift from the hand’s-off policies of the Organization of African States to the more responsible policies of the African Union, particularly in the Darfur crisis.
Eric Reeves issued a new report this week on the State Department’s relationship to the government of Sudan. The report claims that the Bush administration has been irresponsible in handling the situation in Darfur and the still pending resolution of the North-South peace process.

Robert Zoellick addressed members of the international press on Wednesday, describing his visit and commenting on the need for the Government of Sudan and the rebels to take the lead in resolving the crisis in Darfur.

The World Food Program issued a situation report on Darfur this week noting continued violence within camps and the presence of nomads grazing on abandoned farms in southern Darfur.

The World Food Program has also issued a new map that details the location of refugee camps, attacks and clashes in Darfur and Chad, areas of accessibility, and other relevant information.

The U.S. Department of State has issued a new map of reported attacks in Darfur.