Is Darfur Crisis Humanitarian or Socio-Political or Both?
By Isaiah Abraham
June 27, 2007 — Well, this is an odd and possibly the lazy question that has frequently been in the public domain since the start of the crisis in 2003. There are many theories and schools of thought as there are different minds interpreting issues as to what is actually going on there in Darfur. It also depends on what piece of conflict one dissects from there. The bottom line though has been what kind of solution should it be- would it be humanitarian solution/intervention or an agreed political solution/settlement. All of the above are parallel but also are intertwining. Since the inception of this war in 2003, Darfur case never ceased to top world agendas in substance and character. It’s probably the world most discussed crisis ever at the moment, next to Iraq and the Middle East; but also the world lost war at given Khartoum ‘cat and mouse policies’.
Protagonists in this conflict namely the Darfurian Rebels and the Government of Sudan lavishly served the world with fictions and facts about what is really the fundamental cause of the problem there. But with all the glaring testimonies about issues at hand, the facts are too many and the world still grope, not pinning where to end the conflict more quickly and convincingly. This paper too wouldn’t end it or any other efforts underway in European capitals. The only place where this matter could be arrested must be Khartoum in which the ruling party (NCP) should be kept engaged and constantly involved on matters to do with peace, resettlement and political settlement. That is where the bug stops. To be brief this matter is crystal clear a socio- political problem and any attempt made towards this initiative would end the conflict more abruptly.
For good or bad intention, the majority of people per this judgment came to identify themselves with the Darfur cause because of humanitarian aspect for the people affected by the conflict. But the least notice aspect of the conflict perhaps poses an important element that could have been given much attention by everyone. The world leading bodies such as the United Nations, European Unions, the Arab League and the Africans Union concerns are in this area of the humanitarian. They are in pursuant of their organizational mandates but they should have let genie out of the bottle and look beyond the underlining factors to the same.
But the writer and Darfur rebels among others see it otherwise. The-would be mistake by the world bodies shouldn’t be based primarily on this angle of the humanitarian without going beyond it as to what actually happened before then. This assumption has and will always make peace for Darfur a pipe dream and an elusive. Numerous agreements that were signed in different capitals never brought peace there and won’t bring any unless the cause of Darfur people to share mathematically the power and resources with the central Government are adequately brought to the fore/addressed. If the author bored you next with anything else, refer to the previous last line of this argument.
People are trying and trying to come up with solutions and resolutions but the purported attempts to kill “two sparrows by a stone” have been proven unworkable and shall ever remain a nightmare. People are dying there in Darfur particularly in the Western State of Darfur (Geneina). Children and affected mothers in the Morning, Ardh Matta etc Camps are crying for justice and peace every moment of their life. Unbelievably, the war of words; and peace resolutions for the problem are perfectly fought in the media. The idea we got to understand as members of the world community is simple; Khartoum killed, rape, burned villages and maimed people in Darfur for one and only one reason and that is the fear of black man claiming his/her natural right to live comfortably in his country. In another word, why should black man claims equality and justice with the ‘light’ skin person. ‘Where on earth will a black person be made equal with non-black person?’ That was the concept that has reinforced the idea of arming Ali Mohammed Abdul Rahman’s horse men (Janjaweed).
For Khartoum it was good as saying ‘let’s wipe them out from this land to allow our Arab nomads to occupy this land instead’. It really tragic! That was and still the situation we shall all deny or accept for Darfur. I must admit however that our people (read rebels) in the Region of Darfur failed the world and us (writers) by not coming together or formed an alliance with Southern Sudan or any other marginalized part of the Country. Dr. Garang tried in earlier 1990s to send leading figure from that region but guess what Darfurians chop off his head. Why? Because to Darfurians, Darfur as ‘a bedrock of Islam in the Sudan’; shouldn’t have been touched by the Christian South, however the lofty and endearing slogans of New Sudanism. Garang however wasn’t deterred and at some point it works but after Garang got killed they Darfurians turned their back against his predecessor Lt. General Salva Kiir Mayardit (Southern President) and the people of Southern Sudan. Their main negative perception and contention against the South is in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) provisions on power. They are understandably lobbying hard to stop Southern Sudan from breaking away when their political future remains uncertain. It is in doubt.
Khartoum on the other hand exploits every bit of lapse and loop to prove to the outside that they are indeed not the cause to the problem. They carefully and tacitly divided the world bodies on the expense of suffering people in the Region of Darfur. They weather every storm ostensibly due to differences within stakeholders in the conflict. As things stand, Khartoum will always emerge on top diplomatically. It is within this belief that the interested world bodies ought to give no chance for Khartoum to get away with it and others this time about. If anyone anywhere feels that Khartoum has accepted 20,000 UN Force for Darfur, then that person must be dreaming in the day. They say old habits die hard. They haven’t accepted that force unless we lie to ourselves. If they had why did they have to condition it?
Where will Africans get the necessary funding for that force without UN commanding it? That is another dilemma and a real one. Khartoum refused to go to France couple days ago because of this element for the peace keeping forces (payment). French President Nicolas Sarkozy was driving home this idea of payment for the UN Force for Darfur but Khartoum shot it down in its refusal to attend owing that its success would be the success of the exercise altogether. Isn’t that an indication of belligerence and stiff necked type of a regime in power in the Sudan? If not what is it?
The Arabs and majority of African countries plus China are firmly behind Khartoum. Why?…Internally, the party known as the SPLM that was mistakenly perceived as unstoppable has somewhat embroils in an infighting with the real ruling party (National Congress Party). The party in power (NCP) has refused to go by important elements in the agreement (CPA) and had since stopped cooperating with the SPLM on key fronts. Is that an exaggeration? Not. The SPLM on their part reciprocated and this in a way has far reaching unpleasant consequences for the country. There is deadlock, suspicion and mistrust between the two. The other leading political forces (parties) are watching at the side line with cards close to their hearts incase the two big parties renegotiate their lost love back. But the SPLM shouldn’t lose focus and the NCP partnership is vital partner at the moment for the good of the Sudan; they ought to eat humble pie and just lame on however difficult the going (partnership)!
This country started on right footing from January 2005 and was heading well until somewhere when invested parties from nowhere infiltrated the NCP. That is not pessimism in a way; there is yet a light at the end and hopefully the world must critically help the political process to move forward for Darfur and Southern Sudan if they are genuinely serious about any solution and peace in this part of the world. Khartoum of course will always run around for excuse but Darfur Region need tangible political settlement like the Southern Region. It shouldn’t be slavish in its premises like the South but share of real power with the central Government based on confederate arrangement like the Indian Keshmir is not an option but the right thing to do and a good approach to this crisis.
However this settlement MUST NOT infringe to any clause on Power Sharing Arrangement (CPA) between Southern Sudan and the North. If it does am afraid we would have courted another situation far complex than the Darfur. Southern Sudan hasn’t yet healed from long and devastating wars that have killed millions of inhabitants. The gap between the two regions remains as wide as ever and could only take the hand of the Almighty God to make it narrowed. But why would anyone allow the current chance and wind of opportunity to slip away? The world should watch out, Southern Sudan case isn’t yet over. Abyei, oil disputed areas and figures plus many games played in the Agreement would force Southern Sudan to defend itself against archenemy in Khartoum notwithstanding any consequences. Abyei is the heart of Southern Sudan; it is Dinka land and animal grazers who are looking for trouble should look for it somewhere. They would be disgraced. Shouting down or publicly abusing Hon. Deng Alor Kuol or undermining our President on this won’t help; Southern Sudan interest has always been the same there from day one and encouragingly our future is slowly but firmly getting into hands. Darfur and Southern Sudan cases therefore are purely political. Go for political settlement for Darfur.
* The author is based in Southern Sudan. He can be reached at [email protected]