Important diplomatic moves on Sudan and Darfur this weekend
There important diplomatic moves are being made this weekend, and
there is the start of response on the part of the government of Sudan.
On Friday the United States began talking seriously of travel and financial sanctions against individual leaders of Sudan. This targeting of individuals seems to have gotten attention in Sudan.
Seemingly
in reponse to the threat of individual sanctions, on Saturday, the
president of Sudan announced that the government would take steps to
disarm the militias that have been perpetrating the worst offenses in
Darfur. If true, this is tantamount to saying that the government
will stop actively promoting the military side of the genocide–since
it is widely
understood that the militias are extensions of the Sudanese military,
armed by the military, and supported by air strikes when they attack
and destroy villages in Darfur.
Still to be addressed, however, is the current killer in this phase
of the genocide, which is the starvation and epidemic disease that has
resulted from the destruction of the villages and the rendering of a
million people refugees.
Longer term there is the challenge of resettling a million traumatized displaced people, and reestablishing society.
There is also an unconfirmed report by the UPI that Sudan has asked Qatar to intercede on its behalf with the United States.