UNAMID Withdrawal: Darfur “Janjaweed” sharpening their knifes
By Trayo A. Ali
The “Janjaweed” are coming. The blood thirsty carnivorous predator militias that created genocidal havoc in Darfur are making in again as the UNAMID busy talking withdrawal. With that notorious reputation of terror haunting Darfur people, the “Janjaweed”, with full vengeance, are sharpening knifes, machetes, hatchets and axes. Of course with their heavy machine guns on top of that preparation. All geared to accomplish their mission: “turn the already devastated Darfur into total ashes”.
“Not only am I back, bitch, I am back with a vengeance”, reads one “Janjaweed” post in the net.
All that “opportunity” is precipitated by the talks of withdrawal of the “much harassed” UNAMID. Its withdrawal, if materialized, would definitely means paving the way for the “Janjaweed” to enter and fill the vacuum.
Seriously speaking that is unacceptable move and the worst judgment that could happen. It only increases unfavorable chances and widens the gap in the much needed security in Darfur and unleashes the “Janjaweed” militia to effect the most ruining phase of genocide.
(1) Withdrawal? How? On what based and what ground?
Nothing on earth the most hated issue government harbor than the one of UNAMID presence on Darfur soil. Remember the “hissing and humming” government made in the early stages of the deployment process till it was able to drastically reduce the potential capability of the would-be deployed “force” to the level of what been coined as “African character”. It was the tasteless and colorless entity government wanted to be and fought for, the docile and submissive it got it. That was the genesis of the prevailing bullying and blackmailing policy visited on UNAMID.
(2) Zero Security on the ground
The UN knows very well (more than anybody else) the reality that; there is nothing anything similar condition to security of any kind on the ground including that of surrounding the mission’s personnel. Not only in the already “ravaged” Darfur (where everybody is effectively in the IDP camps) but, as we reported earlier, nobody is safe within the entire Sudan for the mere fact of being a “Darfuri”. Look at the ongoing predicament of Darfur students who are being hunted throughout the country, from Port Sudan in the extreme East to Al-Genaina in the West and from Dongola in the up-North to Kosti and Danazeen in the South.
May be the UMAMID abandoned the reason why it’s there been deployed. If the UNAMID primary purpose of being deployed in Darfur is to “protect civilian” from government militia, the “Janjaweed” aggression, protect IDPs from frequent raids and rape, then the reasons for UNAMID being there are still prevailing. It’s even getting worst. Everybody now knows, including the UNAMID, the simple reality that, while the “Janjaweed” mission remained the same, the militias are today even better organized than any time before. They are trained, financed, equipped and even a big portion of it is organized under the official government security apparatus and known as Rapid Support Force (RSF).
The “Jamjaweed” havoc is gone far to the extent of targeting and preventing the UN agencies accessing the IDPs with food, medicine, water and shelter. The situation remained bizarre. One of the pity aspect of it is that, none of the UN agencies, including UNAMID, has any accurate or credible number of the ongoing “genocide related deaths” or that of the IDPs. All that coupled with the daily routine of aerial bombardments. Of course forgotten is the refugee’s situation.
On the “peace process”, that is becoming an “abominable” issue.
With Qatar government virtually “vetoing” every attempt or initiative on the peace process with the argument that, everything should ends up with the document known as ”DDPD” which turned into a real recipe for continual chaos in Darfur. By the grace of Qatar the government is clinging on it till death to them a part. Discuss this issue with the UN and AU officials and the answer you get is Qatar.
(3) All has to do with the UN compromising position
So after ably reducing mission’s capability to that of “African character” level, the government started imposing restrictions, including expulsion of the humanitarian agencies working in Darfur (as partners to UN), preventing the free movement of the UNAMID (in valagrant violation to what is stipulated in the Status of Forces Agreement-SOFA), editing and doctoring and UNAMID reports, refusing visa granting for the UN appointees to UNAMID, vetoing UN Secretary General envoys(including head of UNAMID and the Force Commanders), “neutralizing” AU official, classifying and labeling its official as “persona non- grata”, spying on their communication system, unleashing militia to ambush and kill UNAMID persons, bull-shitting the ICC and now is daring to eject the Mission by this cunning argument of “exit strategy”.
(4) Darfur minus UNAMID equals second phase of genocide
My argument doesn’t sound contradicting either. I remember a journalist once posed me question that goes as “As the UNAMID presence does not please the government as well as its withdrawal will not please the movements, yet both sides criticize the “Mission” on equal foots, does not that sound contradictive?
My answer was like this: “The two criticisms come from different perspective and of different connotations. The government wants to expel the UNAMID all together, while the movements want the Mission to perfect its role. There is no comparison down here.”
So that tallies with today’s position too. The UNAMID should be there and be re-enforced. One prerequisite is that the government should take its long hand off the mission and let free to operate respected peace keeping force. It’s the UN to correct this situation. Nobody buys this feeble argument of “the government doesn’t cooperate”. After all, how one can expect the criminal to willingly give his/ her neck to be hung it?
(5) Where is that slogan “Never again”?
If there is one sure thing terribly felt flat and failed to accommodate the case of Darfur, it’s this internationally cherished slogan “Never again” before our eyes. However, under these circumstances it’s crucial to rally international support that would influence to mitigate the unfolding of another genocide in Darfur. Thus, it’s imperative for the Darfurians, international community (the UN and the AU in particular), “stop-genocide” activists and the media should move to stop this “withdrawal” palaver. What is needed now is the re-enforcement The UNAMID needs and not the abort of the mission.
The writer is a leading member in the Sudan Liberation Movement-Minni Minnawi and humanitarian secretary of the Sudanese Revolutionary Front. He is reachable at [email protected]