The Political Spectrum

This is the first in a series of weekly posts sent to all members of the Coalition for Darfur.

In May 2004, Roger Winter, the Assistant Administrator for the U.S.
Agency for International Development's Bureau for Democracy, Conflict
and Humanitarian Assistance, told a House
committee that it was inevitable that "more than 100,000 people will
die no matter what" in Darfur, Sudan by the end of the year. Winter
went on to warn that, in a worst-case scenario, the number could reach
as high as 350,000.

One year later, the estimated death toll stands at more than 300,000.
The actual number of deaths is nearly impossible
to determine given that the government of Sudan, fearing the
truth, refuses to grant access to the World Health Organization so
that it can conduct a mortality survey. Nonetheless, knowledgeable
observers agree that thousands have died at the hands of the Sudanese
government and their proxy militia, the Janjaweed (a term meaning
"Devils on Horseback") and tens of thousands more have died of disease
and starvation after having their villages destroyed in government-led
attacks. More than 2 million Darfurians have been internally
displaced, the agricultural economy has been decimated and an
estimated 3-4 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance.

Nearly two years ago, the Muslim government in Khartoum was in the
process of finalizing a peace accord that would end a twenty year
civil war between the government in the North and the Sudan People's
Liberation Army in the South that had taken some 2 million lives.
Fearful that the Western region of Darfur was going to continue to be
ignored in the new coalition government that was being formed, African
rebels launched a series of raids against government facilities.
Rather than negotiate with the rebel forces in the West, the
government of Sudan enlisted Arab militias in a campaign to wipe out
the rebels and anyone suspected of supporting them. In the process,
hundreds of villages have been destroyed, tens of thousands have been
raped and killed, and millions have been displaced.

The international community has responded in a haphazard fashion. The
African Union secured the deployment of some 4,000 troops to the
region, though its mandate was limited to monitoring a cease-fire that
neither side honored. Less than 2,000 AU soldiers have arrived and
they have limited logistical capabilities for covering this area
roughly the size of Texas, nor do they have a mandate that allows them
to protect civilians. The United Nations has been plagued by
inaction, with China and Russia using their veto power to water down
Security Council resolutions seeking sanctions or demanding
accountability. A recent UN investigation detailed
massive war crimes and crimes against humanity but stopped short of
calling the campaign a genocide, a declaration
the United States made last September. For now, much of the debate is
focused on where any cases arising from this situation will be tried:
the International Criminal Court or some Africa-based tribunal.

Angered by the lackluster response to what is widely acknowledged as
the "world's worst humanitarian crisis," a group of bloggers have
formed a Coalition for Darfur to do what little they can. We seek to raise awareness
of the crisis in Darfur, but also to raise money for the vital work
that Save the Children is doing by providing food, water, shelter, and
protection to over 200,000 children and families in Darfur each month.

Together, and with your support, we hope to make a small but
meaningful contribution to alleviating the massive suffering that
continues to plague the region. Please consider making a donation via
our Coalition for Darfur blog.