Heard about Darfur?
Hopefully you have, but in case you haven't, here is a short version of what was said at a briefing that I had to go to today. Sorry for not posting something more lively, but it is all I had time to write today. Oh, and I'm leaving out people's names in order to drive you mad with curiosity.CSIS-USCCB Briefing on Sudan
Panel presentation on the humanitarian situation in Darfur, western Sudan, as perceived by officials from USCCB and Catholic Relief Services
Summary: In collaboration with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and Catholic Relief Services (CRS), the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) hosted a briefing on the current humanitarian situation developing in Darfur, western Sudan. This event featured X, Y and Z, all of whom recently returned from Sudan. These officials stated that their visit has led them to believe that the Sudanese government is untrustworthy, that humanitarian assistance has not yet reached adequate levels and that sustained and intense international pressure is necessary to prevent the situation from deteriorating.
The Humanitarian Situation: During the briefing, panelists addressed several aspects of the complex humanitarian situation developing in western Sudan. X began by stating that during their visit to two refugee camps, it was evident that humanitarian assistance was still inadequate. He stated that food and health supplies as well as security were gravely deficient, and that rain made living conditions for refugees and displaced people nearly unbearable. Following these remarks, Z explained that despite these difficult circumstances, the humanitarian situation has improved during the past month, as work permits have become more easily available and the government has improved accessibility to the area for humanitarian agencies. However, Z stated that if political conditions changed, the situation could easily deteriorate again, especially given the fact that the Janjaweed militia is still visible in the area. Y then added that Sudanese officials seemed to be perplexed at the international community’s heightened attention to events in Darfur, given that in their opinion, the situation is not unusual within the context of violent conflict in Sudan.
Assessment of the Sudanese Government: During their visit to Sudan, the speakers were able to meet with Sudanese government officials, but were not impressed with the prevalent attitude of denial that they were met with. Indeed, the conclusion drawn by X from his conversations with several government members, including the Foreign Minister, was that that clearly “they were not telling you the truth.” He stated that officials would insist in denying the existence of any significant humanitarian issues in the Darfur region despite obvious evidence to the contrary. Z then added that the Foreign Minister considered that the government was simply responding to aggression by rebel groups in the Darfur region in a legitimated way. Finally, Y stated that local officials were confused and upset about the change from a 90- to a 30-day deadline regarding a visible amelioration of the humanitarian situation that was imposed by the UN on the Sudanese government. He added that although international pressure was indeed tremendously necessary, the international community should be careful to avoid debilitating and destabilizing the government.
Some recommendations: The speakers concluded by making several recommendations about the type of actions that may help to finally resolve this humanitarian dilemma. The main policies that were suggested were applying intense, sustained and credible international pressure on the government; aiding the African Union to expand its presence in the region up to about 3,000 troops; urging the US government to name Special Envoy focused on Sudan that will help to bring about a permanent political solution to the dilemma; inviting more humanitarian agencies into the region; and taking exceptional care to resolve the Darfur situation without undermining the peace process in the south.
Discussion Session: After the speakers had concluded their briefing, there was a time for discussion and questions during which certain noteworthy points were raised. It was mentioned, for example, that open disagreement between Western nations regarding possible solutions to the Darfur crisis tended to undermine the credibility of threats in the eyes of the Sudanese government. In addition, it was pointed out that international pressure must not only be directed at the government but also to the rebel groups in the area, who should be held accountable for the population’s wellbeing, as well. Finally, several attendees stressed the point that the peace process in the south should not undermined by policies and events developing in Darfur.
posted by ertandberni @ 4:06 PM
<< Home