Both Rajan Rishyakaran and Glenn Reynolds are doing very important work covering and analyzing the Darfur Sudan genocide story, and helping bring together the larger community of bloggers.
Rajan does periodic summaries that are excellent, notably one today called SUDAN GENOCIDE ROUNDUP that I urge you to visit:
Here is an excerpt:
International community and genocide# US is keen to introduce international UN sanctions [US held sanctions on Sudan since October 2002], however (unsuprisingly for some) France and China, along with fellow Muslim brothers Pakistan and Algeria, oh, and Brazil, seems very opposed to it.
# Thinking it would be more successful than international intervention, France issued a stern warning for Sudan to disarm the Janjaweed.
No blood for oil!
# A little old, but Aiseh, man... notes the oil links between the genocidal Sudan and Malaysian state-run Petronas, as well as Ranhill.
# Bet you're guessing: why is France and China (both veto-yielding permanent members of the UNSC) opposes sanctions and other actions on Sudan? In a couple of words: Oil Concessionaires Gives new meaning to "No Blood for Oil" ehh?
Thanks to Glenn Reynolds for linking to Rajan.
Here, BTW, is an interesting sequence excerpt from Glenn this morning:
And in response to an earlier Darfur post mentioning this, reader Ryan Jordan emails:Looking at the map linked to in the reader email of Sudanese concessions, I note that there are a few companies from countries we would expect to support that sort of thing (China, the Sudan of course, and Qatar) but there are also concessions to companies from Canada, Austria, and Sweden, besides TotalFinaElf from France. Perhaps a boycott or some massive negative publicity is called for?
Sounds good to me.
UPDATE: Reader Patrick Hall notes this map from the Chinese -- "the graphic pretty much tells the whole story.
"Nothing wrong with drilling for oil, of course -- but if the Chinese join the French in trying to block action against the genocide there, we'll have a pretty good idea of why.
The Darfur Sudan genocide story has an entire world of issues nested within it. The more we learn, the more we learn.
The United States has been pressing for new UN sanctions against Sudan, and most observers of Darfur want a UN-mandated peacekeeping force. So, I am told, do many high level US officials. Such a force could be small yet effective, and several African nations are eager to supply troops. The price would be minimal compared to the (albeit defered) cost of inaction. So why is this logical choice not being made? Why is the "international community" not willing to confront the Sudanese governing regime and force them to accept such an intervention? Because the international community includes several powerful nations who have lucrative oil-related business with Sudan. First on the list are France and China. And let's see, what nations are currently arguing against stronger action on Sudan?
I am posting portions of an email I received from my daughter who is a child protection officer for UNICEF in Darfur, Sudan. This gives you a very personal, eyewitness account.
"Today is (almost) my two week anniversary in El Fashir. I returned on Thursday from my first field visit to an IDP settlement about an hour and a half from El Fashir in a town (large village) called Tawilla. This visit is what I will try and describe to you - now .
First of all - the drive to Tawilla was literally through the desert. No really, through the desert . no roads, no semi-obvious landmarks - just the occasional shrub and every once in a while we would fly past a woman or a girl on a donkey - carrying food or water. We past a few small villages before getting to Tawilla - at these villages you will see more donkeys, sheep, horses, and every once in a while - a camel. I was just thinking - how on earth does the driver know where he is going? But - no worries - somehow they know the way through the desert.
We arrived in Tawilla and first met with the official or unofficial (unclear) deputy commissioner of Tawilla. He told us a little about the situation of the IDP's there. There are an estimated 3,718 IDP households in Tawilla. If you average about 6 people per household (mostly children) you come up with about 22,000 people. 22,000 new residents that have been forced to flee from their own villages due to aerial bombs, Janjaweed (militia) attacks (setting fire to their huts and more), fighting between the govt of sudan and the rebels- and related conflict. He told us that just under half of the IDP children have recently started to attend school. These schools are operating with support from UNICEF. Right now about 1600 IDP children (girls and boys) are going to school and many more need to be registered.
After this meeting, we walked over the basic school for girls. When we entered the school grounds - we were taken by complete surprise when about 100 or more girl school children lined up in a square - started to sing to me and Anna. One of the teachers told the children we were with UNICEF and we were supporting the school. The children sang about 4 songs for us. I was so taken a back - I started crying. Never in my life have I been so touched by a gesture from children like this. My heart was swelling - and I was trying to take it all in . Something I will never forget and be thankful for always.
After visiting the school -we went to the health clinic. There are two national doctors and five nurses there and they see an average of 220 patients a day. Can you imagine? The doctors were very kind and provided us with a lot of information about the safety and security of the IDPs in Tawilla. We then visited a therapeutic and supplementary feeding centers - these centers are for infants and children who are severely and moderately malnourished. Again, this was an experience that could have been depressing, hard to witness. Instead, what I saw were 18 strong, brave, resilient mothers and babies. I took some photos of the mothers and babies and since I have a digital camera - I showed the women the pictures after taking them on the screen. They all smiled and almost laughed and wanted to see them again and again. An unexpected bonus of the digital camera!!
After these two stops - from now on -- the trip became a lot more sad and guilt provoking - a sense of urgency was felt. We sat under a tree and talked to some women about what has happened to them (this is all through a translator). I heard unbelievable stories here. Women whose husbands, brothers, sons killed. Sons and daughters abducted. I met one very young looking woman who husband and sister were killed - she is right now taking care of 15 children. This leads me to my firmest belief and impression after being in Darfur for 2 weeks. The women are the true warriors. The woman are the heart, muscle, and courage of Darfur. The do not wonder around with guns - wreaking havoc and causing humanitarian disasters. No, they do everything but that. And I do mean everything. The women and girls here grow the food, carry the food to markets on donkeys, horses, sell the food, pump the water, carry the water, feed everyone, raise the children, and on and on ....... We heard a story while in Tawilla that some bandits came and stole about 40 sheep from some IDP families - the men were too afraid to go and get the sheep back -so the women went and got them all back!
And it goes for fair, to poor, to horrible. After Tawilla - we went only 15 minutes away to another village called Dali. There we saw a horrible situation. About 3000 IDPs living in tiny "shelters" made of tree branches only. These shelters are about the size of a refrigerator - made only of things found in the land (completely vulnerable to rain, sun, etc.) No proper temporary shelters, no latrines, and no food at all. The IDPs in Dali had a very urgent and desperate energy to them. We told them that UNICEF will go back to El Fashir and plead their case immediately with WFP (the world food program - provides food) and ICRC (the international committee of the red cross - they provide shelters.) Anna is to meet with these groups ASAP and we hope to act immediately.
But being in Dali - I felt intensely guilty that no one had taken care of these people by now. That we were just going to come and go and not leave them anything - not even a bit of food. And knowing realistically, it will be at least a week before concrete help arrives there.
Tomorrow (Sunday) I am going to Kabkabiya - a town/ large village about 4 hours from El Fashir. We will sleep one night there and come back Monday. . ."
P.S. For all of you wondering what you can do from the US:
The International Crisis Group's webpage has good analysis and many links to more information, including a good "What You Can Do" section with details for
contacting elected representatives around the world:
http://www.crisisweb.org/home/index.cfm?id=2700&l=1
Some examples of what your money can buy:
$100 buys one of the recreation kits we have put together with enough footballs, volleyballs, skipping ropes, colored pencils, notebooks, paints, etc. for 50 children.
$700 buys construction of one temporary classroom/tent for 130 children to attend school (in double shifts).
$2888 buys the classroom, mats for the floor, blackboard, text books, school supplies, teacher
training, latrines, and a water hand pump for the same 130 children.
Posted by: Sheryl Hutchens | July 11, 2004 at 09:19 AM
TO THE PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATE; PLEASE HELP STOP THE KILLINGS OF INNOCENT PEOPLE IN SUDAN;I AM PRESENTLY IN GERMANY ASKING FOR ASSYLUM; I ESCAPED FROM SUDAN AS A RESULT OF TREATH TO MY LIFE; I AM IN HARBERSTADT REFUGEE CAMP; MY DATE OF BIRTH IS 1ST-DECEMBER-1967 PLEASE HELP TELL THE GERMAN GOVERMENT THAT I SHOULD NOT BE RETURNED TO MY WAR TURN COUNTRY;I WAS SENTENCE TO DEATH BY THE PRESENT BASHIR GOVERMENT; BUT LUCKY TO HAVE EXCAPED:
Posted by: amend gharaya | July 16, 2004 at 06:33 AM
TO THE PRESIDENT OF UNITED STATE; PLEASE HELP STOP THE KILLINGS OF INNOCENT PEOPLE IN SUDAN;I AM PRESENTLY IN GERMANY ASKING FOR ASSYLUM; I ESCAPED FROM SUDAN AS A RESULT OF TREATH TO MY LIFE; I AM IN HARBERSTADT REFUGEE CAMP; MY DATE OF BIRTH IS 1ST-DECEMBER-1967 PLEASE HELP TELL THE GERMAN GOVERMENT THAT I SHOULD NOT BE RETURNED TO MY WAR TURN COUNTRY;I WAS SENTENCE TO DEATH BY THE PRESENT BASHIR GOVERMENT; BUT LUCKY TO HAVE EXCAPED:
Posted by: amend gharaya | July 16, 2004 at 06:34 AM