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Despairing for Darfur

Despite increasing coverage, the press has failed to impart the extent of the genocide

By Eric Reeves

While there is growing attention to ongoing genocide in Darfur, this has not translated into either a meaningful international response or an accurate rendering of the scale and evident course of the catastrophe. On September 18, the U.N. Security Council passed another ineffectual resolution, trimmed to avoid a Chinese veto. (China abstained from the resolution, declaring publicly it would veto… return to article

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    and this is Bush’s fault how?

    United States Posted by maria on Oct 3, 2004 at 5:50 PM

    The tragedy taking place in Dufar is almost unimaginable to us in the US. Despite some of the kookier posters here, we take food, medicine, shelter and freedom for granted here in the USA. By contrast, the US has *NO* poverty or inequity at all.

    The lack of a global response to such a horrible tragedy simply reminds us that when the US does not act, no real action is taken (Europe is impotent, Asia and Africa much worse). When the US does act, at best it can get cooperation with some of the other free nations. At worst, it is merely condemned for its trouble.

    United States Posted by JustShows on Oct 4, 2004 at 1:24 PM

    Hmmmm… let’s see, an estimated 200k+ slaughtered in this mess, with millions displaced… those are numbers Hussein never even dreamed of. Do you think if someone struck oil there Dubya might actually pay attention?

    United States Posted by g-love on Oct 4, 2004 at 2:53 PM

    Yes.

    United States Posted by Neil on Oct 4, 2004 at 7:38 PM

    but he probably can’t even point to Africa on a map…

    United States Posted by Neil on Oct 4, 2004 at 7:39 PM

    There IS oil in the Sudan, that’s a large part of the problem.

    United States Posted by Neil on Oct 5, 2004 at 9:08 AM

    There are reports of the Janjaweed using cell phones to organize attacks, take pictures of enemies as well as communication puposes. If this is the case, whatever company is responsible for these phones should be held entirely responsible for facilitating “genocide” (which is the first time ever that it has been labeled as such by the US) and full compensation should be given to the Darfur region and the displaced people, by this particular phone company. If businesses are this irresponsible a strong message should be sent to the rest of the corporations or businesses, to think twice about facilitating genocide directly or indirectly.

    There is oil there but the US can’t legally set up shop there, and consume it. The Chinese are the major consumers. And because of this one argument goes, that the Chinese should actually go into Darfur and help out. It makes one wonder whether oil producing states are going to be chaotic and war torn more so in the future, as maybe a business plan, and or thriving on the lack of governmental control.

    United States Posted by Jay Smith on Oct 5, 2004 at 10:23 AM

    The **phone companies** are responsible for the genocide in Sudan! Now that is funny! Well, it would be if not for the genocide thing, that is. . .

    I am convinced that the US can do very little to help Sudan. The UN security council would never approve any significant action. Too many OIL interests at stake for one thing. For another, it is just another genocide in Africa, ho hum (this is bitter satire, in case you need a primar).

    United States Posted by youAreKidding on Oct 6, 2004 at 8:27 AM

    youAreKidding is an apathetic little piece of shit. wtf is with you?
    Wish I could see you be one of those many innocent little girls as young as eight-years-old, gang-raped by six men at a time, in front of your mother, and your brother tied up and thrown into fire. And the janjaweed uninhibited, merrily singing, and telling you that you are just a sexual slave, worthless, and they brake your arms and legs so you can’t escape.
    Satire is certainly not what’s asked for.
    Genocide is not acceptable, whenever or wherever it is or whoever does it, and Darfur IS genocide.
    The UN must act stronger and persuade the government of Sudan to pursue the already agreed Plan of Action. The US can certainly help, since it is indeed still the most powerful nation in the world, and if it shows itself as a paradigm, it will lead nations, and they will follow. The question is who will lead the US in the next few years, which are crucial to organizing international affairs.
    NGO’s like Amnesty International are deeply involved in this. Some might want to check out its website:
    <http://web.amnesty.org/pages/sdn-background-eng>

    United States Posted by Che on Oct 6, 2004 at 11:36 PM

    I wasn’t trying to claim that the phone companies were directly resposible for the genocide, but indirectly facilitating the genocide at the same time there should be some measure of accountability. This wasn’t my intention but alas.
    Is it that difficult to think that phones are being used, they are cheap, light weight, and can take pictures?
    My point is that to stop things like genocide and military operations of this nature, putting a halt to attacks means cutting its source of communication, supply lines, their means of committing these crimes in general.
    With the attacks in Rwanda, the call to kill was stated over the air via radios, the US could have simply jammed the radio.
    I do think with the oil situation you have a point, but are the interests in favor of the US, with the possible calim that the US isn’t going in for resolution but the oil? Or is the interests with buyers abroad, pissing them off? Like China? Sorry areyoukidding I wasn’t trying to be funny, but simply mention an aspect of genocide. And you are an apathetic little bitch.

    United States Posted by Jay on Oct 7, 2004 at 9:43 AM

    This place is pretty awful. Hostile people making ignorant claims.

    Apathetic little shit/bitch???

    Maybe so, but i would love to know what the silly acusers do that i don’t. For the record, my big stab at “non-apathey” is to support Christian Childrens Fund - and rather robustly at that (but maybe it doesn’t really count - it is merely a tithe?).

    Anyway, it was clearly my mistake to wander in here. One that i won’t make again!

    United States Posted by youAreKidding on Oct 7, 2004 at 3:24 PM

    youAreKidding writes “For another, it is just another genocide in Africa, ho hum.”

    Actually, that is quite true.  Negros do like to kill, as you can see from the crime statistics for Washington D.C., Detroit, New York City, Los Angeles, and now South Africa and Zimbabwe and so on, and so on.  When worthless people kill each other, you don’t intervene.  Less pressure on the environment, after all.

    United States Posted by The Realist on Oct 7, 2004 at 3:27 PM

    The tragedy in Dafur is not a race issue as “The Realist” attempts to portray it. “Negros do like to kill” he/she claims and goes on to support the ridiculous (racist) comment by pointing out - some of what goes on in our cities as some kind supporting evidence.
    This writer apparently is not aware that most of the world wars were started by “white people” killing white people”. In our early American history it was white people that slaughter dark skinned indians to takr their land.
    The Realist also ignores that once upon a time there was a group of white citizens dressed in white hoods and robes that terrorized dark skinned people and hung them from trees for being dark skinned.
    Those white people don’t wear those costumes any longer, now they they wear pin stripped suits and attempt to legislate dark skinned people into submission.
    Whether you call it “the final solution”, “genocide”, “ethnic cleansing”, or “racism” is a tragic example of what humans are capable of..
    What goes on in our cities is a complex issue and the killings and crime has nothing to do with the color of the skin!
    The solution to the tragedy in Africa isn’t of course any simple one, but I would suggest that if our government were more interested in saving the lives of black Africans they would be leading the world to do more about it.
    Over 20 thousand dark skinned civilians have been killed in Iraq by white and dark skinned people.
    Our very white VP supported apartheid in South Africa and was opposed to Nelson Mandella’s rise in stature.
    Nothing is quite as simple as it is initially stated by this president nor by “The Realist” that presumably supports him.
    The press has been less persitent in this story
    because it’s apparently not as interesting as say
    what the current controversy over what went on 30 years ago in Vietnam (another war against dark skinned people).

    United States Posted by Bruce A. Morgan on Oct 10, 2004 at 10:27 AM

    Did I actually read “Negroes do like to kill”? and “when worthless people kill each other you don’t intervene”? What is that, some kind of nihilist joke? Mr. “Realist” (which that comment was anything but), are you in some sort of competition for who can be the most hard-ass, cold-blooded motherfucker in Dodge? Get REALLY real, Slick, it’s attitudes like that that feed more turmoil, more militarism, more vengeful “solutions” to difficult problems, and less common decency in any version.

    That really has got to be a put-on!

    If not, I fear your misanthropy may turn inward and you’ll end up eating your gun some day. Get therapy, comrade, call your mental health professional today!

    Philippines Posted by Kuya on Oct 12, 2004 at 3:51 AM

    And while we’re at it, if you want to reduce some of the mass psychosis that is obviously going around the planet, how ‘bout ending the trade in arms. In fact, how ‘bout a class-action suit against the manufacturers and distributors of killer hardware. If I can sue British-American for the emphysema caused by smoking their cigs, why can’t a mass-lawsuit be concocted on behalf of those who have lost loved ones to the tools of murder. For God’s sake, that stuff didn’t grow out of the ground! One defendant could be the government of Sudan. But then I guess the US government would actually be higher on the list, wouldn’t they?

    Mr. “Realist”, really, go throw your gun into the river before it’s too late!

    Philippines Posted by Kuya on Oct 12, 2004 at 4:03 AM

    Sounds like the Nazi play book is being used here. If I am not mistaken, many Jews and others were herded into camps and ghettos only to die of malnutrition and disease. What better way to kill Sudanese without using a gun? It may take a little longer but I suspect the government is willing to wait it out at the current rate.

    United States Posted by Brian on Oct 15, 2004 at 6:47 PM
    Spain Posted by lead mortgage on Nov 5, 2004 at 12:05 PM
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