| Letter to the Editor, The Times, 20th
September 2006
Sir,
The question of whether the US and other nations will act now to
prevent further tragedy in Darfur or merely express sorrow and act
later to deal with its aftermath is a most poignant one.
The world has had ample warning over the imminent genocide in
Darfur where the lives of 2.5 million people dependant on humanitarian
aid for survival hang in the balance.
Despite the pronouncement of “never again” in the wake
of the Rwanda genocide, the massacres have continued unabated.
At the onset of the humanitarian crisis, two weeks after trouble
first broke out, humanitarian aid agencies, major newspapers, and
respected diplomats all warned of the imploding genocide in the
region, and begged the United Nations to take action to bring an
end to the brutal campaign waged by the Janajweed. But no such action
was forthcoming. Now three and a half years later a brutal civil
war continues where armed groups, rebel factions, and government-backed
militia are involved in attacking civilians with impunity.
The case for the urgent deployment of a strong, mobile, fast-reacting
UN force in Darfur to protect civilians and keep aid channels open
is beyond dispute. Two weeks ago the UN Security Council passed
a resolution to deploy 20,000 troops and police to Darfur to replace
a cash-strapped force of 7,000 African Union soldiers - conditional
on the Sudanese Government accepting the force. But Sudan is opposing
any UN involvement in peacekeeping, and has vowed to emulate Hezbollah
in Lebanon and smash any incoming force, and has renewed aerial
bombing and sent thousands of troops to the region.
With the UN constrained by Sudan’s approval, the UK or US
– which both have troops and have made clear their willingness
to join a UN-sponsored response unit – should take unilateral
action. The onus is on them to bring this carnage to an end, and
prevent another humanitarian catastrophe. They must go it alone
and put the lives of the most vulnerable before all else.
Yours sincerely,
JOHN O’SHEA
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