World Must Act on Darfur Crisis, Says Kerry

[JI7]

<The presumptive Democratic Presidential candidate, John Kerry, expressed concern about Darfur in a statement Monday. Also Monday a Washington Post newspaper editorial said that the United States and key allies had been so anxious to get an agreement ending Sudan's north-south civil war that they have "shrunk" from pressuring Khartoum on greater access to Darfur. Meanwhile the Bush administration defended its handling of the crisis in Sudan's western Darfur region.

As many as 30,000 people are believed to have been killed in the Darfur conflict, which erupted more than a year ago and pits local rebels against Arab militiamen backed by the Sudanese government.

Scorched-earth tactics by the militiamen have driven more than a million people from their homes, many of whom have fled into neighboring Chad.

The United Nations and human rights experts warn that the government of Sudan is committing crimes against humanity and that there is a real risk of genocide.
Last week the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) estimated that up to one million could die in the region.

“The world did not act in Rwanda, to our eternal shame. Now we are at another crisis point this time in Sudan. The Sudan’s western Darfur region demands the world’s immediate attention and action, " John Kerry said.>

http://www.politinfo.com/articles/article_2004_06_8_5548.html

[Pachamama]

1. But there is no oil there and they have lots of dark skinned people....

...that's why Chimpy and Co. won't bother....

:grr:

[NewYorkerfromMass]

3. but lots of future terrorists being formed no doubt. eom

[SummerGrace]

4. Yes, there is oil...

Under the peace agreement, Sudan's new oil wealth - at present 250,000 barrels a day rising to 500,000 by 2005 - is to be split equally between north and south. When implemented that will provide some funds to build and develop southern Sudan as well as the north. However, Sudan will still need billions of dollars of aid for reconstruction.

Furthermore the Americans, who have driven the peace process recently, have not set up any monitoring process to ensure it keeps on track.
http://www.globalpolicy.org/security/issues/sudan/2004/0122balancing.htm

Despite this desperate situation (of the victims of the wars), many were concerned that this Congress might end without enacting the Sudan Peace Act, which had languished for more than a year because of disagreement (between the House and Senate) over a 'capital markets sanctions' provision that would have prevented corporations doing business with the Sudanese government from borrowing money from U.S. financial institutions.

The resulting bill does not have the 'capital markets sanctions' provision...
http://www.cwfa.org/articledisplay.asp?id=2646&department=CWA&categoryid=freedom

[Pachamama]

11. Oh, so the * Strategy is "Kill off the population/any possible resistance

...to a * led invasion in 2005 when the #'s have reached in the 100K's and they need to "rescue" Sudan....and it's "OIL"...

:evilgrin:

[talleyJudy]

6. Well then, Why doesn't the UN get after it??

Sheesh...does the US have to do EVERYTHING for the UN?

Maybe the UN is irrelevant.

[stevedeshazer]

8. You mean, like

invading Iraq?

[Bandit]

10. The UN is not the most effective when it's major players (USA, England)

don't wish to support them. The UN is made up of mostly poor countries that have no Mighty Armies like the US. We are one of the creators of the UN and should help them when needed. It is our go it alone attitude that gets us into the messes we get into. We demand to be in Control or we won't play.

[JI7]

16. right, the US is part of the UN

it's funny when right wingers talk as if the united nations is separate from the united states. the united states is a part of it and it's up to us to make it a strong institution.

[mmm]

13. The UN was right about Iraq; the UN is right about Sudan

Bush is a bastard. How do you feel about Bush?

[gottaB]

2. the complete statement is up at the John Kerry blog

Not much extra info , but it flows better.

http://blog.johnkerry.com/blog/archives/001867.html

[Jack Rabbit]

5. Related thread in FA (main)

Press release from Human Rights Watch
Dated Thursday June 3

Sudan: Darfur Needs Action on Human Rights
Donor Governments Must Do More Than Provide Aid

Donor governments meeting in Geneva today should address the human rights crisis in Sudan as well as the humanitarian crisis, Human Rights Watch said today.
Currently one million people are internally displaced within Darfur, an arid region in western Sudan, and another 110,000 refugees have fled to Chad. All of them desperately need humanitarian assistance. The United Nations has called Darfur "the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today."
But the root cause of this humanitarian crisis is the Sudanese government’s campaign of “ethnic cleansing” against civilians of three ethnic groups. Only by addressing the human rights crisis can donor governments hope to solve the humanitarian disaster, Human Rights Watch said.
"The crisis in Darfur is a manmade emergency," said Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch. "Humanitarian aid is urgently needed, but it is not enough. A political solution is necessary: the Sudanese government’s ethnic cleansing must not stand."

For more, please go to this this thread on the Foreign Affairs forum.

[hatrack]

7. Glad to see he's talking about it!

Glad to see someone - anyone - on the nation stage addressing what appears to be building up to Rwanda North.

Guess there's just not enough oil for us to guarantee freedom for the people of Sudan, although the current regime there would seem to qualify for "evildoer" status.

[Pachamama]

12. The reason Bush Co isn't getting involved:

....the * Strategy is "Kill off the population and any possible resistance" to a * led invasion in 2005. Then, when the #'s of dead and massacred Sudanese have reached in the 100K's - (and would be Terrorists are taking root) that they need to "rescue" Sudan....and it's "OIL"...


:grr:

[struggle4progress]

9. kick

:kick:

[grouchy]

14. It is not our responsibility.

We should not be there, or anywhere else...Bosnia, Iraq, Dominican Republic, ad nauseum

[struggle4progress]

15. War is expensive, hurts the world economy, ...

spreads to neighboring regions, destroys cultural treasures, prevents tourism etc. And its effects last for generations after the original conflict ends. I have no problem whatsoever with supplying US troops for UN peace-keeping missions.

[gottaB]

17. amnesty page updated

http://web.amnesty.org/pages/sdn-010604-action-eng

[gottaB]

18. Another update at the John Kerry blog

http://blog.johnkerry.com/blog/archives/001870.html#more

http://passionofthepresent.org