UN must save Darfur civilians

Editorial, The Khartoum Monitor

April 12, 2007 — The military situation in Darfur has suddenly worsened. Chadian troops have crossed into Darfur; resulting in the death of 17 Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) soldiers and the wounding of 40 others. Another African Union (AU) soldier has been killed and two others wounded, bringing the total number of murdered AU soldiers to six in the past week.

Bombing raids by government forces have gone up and both the Darfur groups who signed the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) and those who did not, have been mobilizing their forces in various areas of the region. Darfur is about to become a new killing field.

In such a situation does the UN need to be allowed in by the host country, especially as the government is part of the mayhem and has a lot of things to hide?

I believe the time has come for the UN to come in at once. The UN must come in to save the civilians of Darfur and even government soldiers. If the UN was in Darfur, it would have probably saved the lives of the 17 SAF soldiers who were killed.

The AU is unable to save lives, even of its own members. It needs help. A lot of it. Who is going to help? The UN is the only body able to do so. The various segments of the Sudanese people want the UN in. The Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement (SPLM), the Darfur groups including both factions of the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the National Redemption Front (NRP) want the blue helmets in straight away. The National Congress Party (NCP) is completely isolated. But because it is a dictatorship, it is not listening to its people or the international community. The humanitarian situation is sure to worsen in the next few months. The people of Darfur are crying out for help. The UN will let them down if it does not act now.

If the UN does not act then it will show that it respects and listens to the government power, not the people. The UN would then cease to be a just power.