Darfur Experts Debate Conflict | Newsweek International

Dueling Over Darfur

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A final rejoinder on this contentious issue of genocide. Good people can disagree about the use of this term. For example, Amnesty, Human Rights Watch, and the International Crisis Group (despite my best efforts when I worked there) all were not prepared to call what was happening in Darfur genocide. It comes down for them—and many legal scholars—to the question of intent. The Convention says the perpetrator of genocide must INTEND to destroy, in whole or in part, specific groups of people. I happen to believe that the government of Sudan indeed had the intent to in part destroy the Fur, Zaghawa and Massalit ethnic groups to punish them for supporting the Darfur insurgency, to cut the umbilical cord between rebels and their supporters, and to send a message to all would-be rebels throughout Sudan that this would be your fate if you rebelled. Others disagree, saying it was a by-product of a disproportionate counterinsurgency strategy.

On this I believe we agree. Now where you and I diverge is on the last couple years. The war changed, yes, precisely as you say it has. But it changed BECAUSE of the ruling party's genocidal counterinsurgency strategy, which aimed to divide and destroy Darfur, and throw it into the very chaos it suffers from today. You describe it as an "ineffective counterinsurgency strategy." I couldn't disagree more strongly. This has been a textbook counterinsurgency operation, which has turned the Darfur conflict in on itself, leaving the clear lines of regime culpability much more murky, and leaving analysts like you to carry the government's argument that it is anarchy, not genocide. Mission accomplished.

Darfur is witnessing the echoes of genocide. I believe one of the best chances we have of reversing the crisis is if well-infomed, united activists in the U.S. and abroad work diligently for governments around the world to step up their efforts to promote peace, protect the people, and punish the perpetrators.

In fact, working in partnership with Darfurians, I believe it is the only chance Darfur has.

Its absurd for these so-called experts to expect the Islamic Regime in Khartoum to have in writing its policy of genocide stacked somewhere like Hitler's final solution.No, Sirs, they are smarter than that. But absence of "physical" evidence doesn't necessarily prove absence of "intent" on the part of Beshir Regime to commit genocide.And for these sellout activists to deny the crime of genocide against Sudanese people and reduce it to "counter-insurgency" is morally repugnant let alone the intellectual dishonesty involved.We Sudanese people shall remember those who denied us justice and defended the Islamic Regime of Beshir!!.Is it a wonder that these same activists and analysts were the same sell-outs in and outside the UN body involved in taking bribes and business contracts from Saddam Hussein while he was killing his people; and denying and opposing the basis of UN-sanctions against that mrderous regime???. Same tune, same dance.Beaware of these humanitarian activitists and independent analysts,they are but bedfellows of the terrorist States embbedded in the West!!!.
I worked for 16 years as a local Sudanese for an international humanitarian agency in Sudan and I have seen and experienced first hand how the government conceived and carryout its genocidal program.Conception of intent and planning are done in secret meetings and indoctrination to commit murder and genocide in mosques "preaching" Jihad against a whole people considered enemies of Islam(meaning the state).If your so-called experts could speak Arabic and live amongst the Sudanese,they will discover what is really going on as opposed to the government staged-managed visits of UN experts!!!.But who really cares to discover the truth?.Everyone is interested in thier interests and how they can used the sufferrings in Darfur to further those interests."Do no Harm", don't antognise the perpetrator of genocide,etc,etc, are the same old and tired music we have been hearing since the "death of genuine humanitarianism".

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Posted By: Bornita @ 01/02/2008 10:26:59 AM

Thank you Newsweek for finally covering Darfur. I would love it if the love soon grew back in Sudan.
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Posted By: nadiya @ 12/11/2007 3:02:02 AM

AS someone who has seen first hand how that government works, what would you suggest that a "nobody from Colorado" do to help the Sudanese people. I want so much to stop the genecide but I have no idea what to do. I don't trust are government to do anything so what other route can I take. Thank you
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Posted By: ayoss58 @ 12/02/2007 4:40:51 PM

Its absurd for these so-called experts to expect the Islamic Regime in Khartoum to have in writing its policy of genocide stacked somewhere like Hitler's final solution.No, Sirs, they are smarter than that. But absence of "physical" evidence doesn't necessarily prove absence of "intent" on the part of Beshir Regime to commit genocide.And for these sellout activists to deny the crime of genocide against Sudanese people and reduce it to "counter-insurgency" is morally repugnant let alone the intellectual dishonesty involved.We Sudanese people shall remember those who denied us justice and defended the Islamic Regime of Beshir!!.Is it a wonder that these same activists and analysts were the same sell-outs in and outside the UN body involved in taking bribes and business contracts from Saddam Hussein while he was killing his people; and denying and opposing the basis of UN-sanctions against that mrderous regime???. Same tune, same dance.Beaware of these humanitarian activitists and independent analysts,they are but bedfellows of the terrorist States embbedded in the West!!!.
I worked for 16 years as a local Sudanese for an international humanitarian agency in Sudan and I have seen and experienced first hand how the government conceived and carryout its genocidal program.Conception of intent and planning are done in secret meetings and indoctrination to commit murder and genocide in mosques "preaching" Jihad against a whole people considered enemies of Islam(meaning the state).If your so-called experts could speak Arabic and live amongst the Sudanese,they will discover what is really going on as opposed to the government staged-managed visits of UN experts!!!.But who really cares to discover the truth?.Everyone is interested in thier interests and how they can used the sufferrings in Darfur to further those interests."Do no Harm", don't antognise the perpetrator of genocide,etc,etc, are the same old and tired music we have been hearing since the "death of genuine humanitarianism".