The Janjaweed militias have been driving villagers off their land in Darfur in an extension of a long conflict over farmland and grazing. The conflict has displaced more than one million people in the region. Not to forget the thousands that have been killed.
The Bush administration has drafted a U.N. resolution threatening sanctions if the Sudanese government does not disarm the Janjaweed and remove all restrictions on access to Darfur. The Sudanese government says it is trying to comply but it will take time to implement its plans.
The U.S. Congress approved a resolution Thursday declaring genocide in the western region of Darfur. The US Congress and its supporters hope it will help mobilize the international community to protect Africans in Darfur from Arab militias.
But would this solve the problem? The Sudanese criticized the resolution and said it was unfair.
“Is Iraq not enough? Do they want to destroy us too? … America wants everyone who is Arab (in Sudan) to pay. They do not understand anything,” said a driver in Khartoum. A journalist from northern Sudan, said the U.S. Congress and administration did’t understand the roots of the Darfur conflict and were dealing with it very superficially. “They are biased and have their own agenda. Sanctions will not harm the government, they will harm the people. Have they not learned this yet?” he said.
And I totally agree, sanctions wont solve any problem. Even if the government is’t able to have the situation under control, then I think the way to help the Sudanese people is to protect them, provide security and send all possible kinds of support to the region, not the opposite. Condemnation, sanctions and blame will only make things worse.
Source: Reuters