Will the world rescue Darfur?
February 6, 2006
The Chicago Tribune
Original Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0602060202feb06,0,4667748.story?coll=chi-newsopinion-hed


The African Union sent a strong message last week to Sudan's government, and to the world, about its commitment to ending the indiscriminate violence in the country's western province of Darfur.

The 53-member union refused to elect Sudan President Omar al-Bashir as its chairman even though he was the only announced candidate. Leaders of several other African countries opposed his election because of escalating human rights abuses in Darfur.

Maybe Sudan got the message. Maybe, just maybe, the United Nations got the message too. On Friday, following the union's action, the UN Security Council unanimously approved a U.S.-sponsored motion to deploy peacekeepers to Darfur.

The AU maintains a peacekeeping force of 7,000 in the region and had no credible alternative but to reject Bashir as its chairman. He hasn't just failed to stop the atrocities; he has sponsored them. Thug militias backed by the Sudanese government have killed at least 200,000 people and driven 2 million from their homes since a rebel uprising three years ago.

In recent weeks the AU has concluded reluctantly that its troops are no match for the thugs. After insisting its peacekeepers could contain the violence with financial help from the U.S. and the European Union, the AU now wants the United Nations to take over.

The Security Council signaled Friday that it desires to do just that. But the motion to deploy peacekeepers doesn't guarantee that the international community will, in fact, respond.

The Security Council already has agreed in principle to impose military and economic sanctions against the perpetrators of the violence, including the government, militias, rebels and neighboring countries that supply weapons in violation of an arms embargo. So far, though, sanctions are just an empty threat. Seven rounds of peace talks between the government and ethnic African rebels have gotten nowhere.

Sanctions face resistance from Russia and China, which have strong economic ties to Sudan. But they will be essential to ending the chaos in Darfur. Peace talks will never be productive against a backdrop of violence, plunder and suffering.

The promise of peacekeepers could prove to be empty too. The UN still has to persuade nations to contribute troops to such a force. The U.S., which has difficult missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, is likely to provide backup support but not frontline peacekeeping troops for Darfur.

The U.S., which holds the temporary presidency of the Security Council this month, has succeeded in bringing Darfur to the top of the agenda. Millions of displaced civilians, mostly farmers, are living in refugee camps. They are not likely to return to their land in time for the next planting season, almost assuring a famine. Thousands already have died of disease and malnutrition. Foreign money to feed and shelter the refugees is drying up and increased violence in recent weeks has forced more than 100 aid workers to evacuate. As the situation becomes more desperate, even more are likely to take up arms.

The looming threat of complete lawlessness and anarchy draws near, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has said.

Those are sobering words. It falls on the UN, having now promised help, to come through.