After waiting for months, the United Nations has finally decided to put pressure on the Sudanese government to convince its government-backed militias to stop attacking innocent civilians in Darfur. At last, the slaughter, rape and murder of innocent Darfurians would finally grind to a halt once Sudan’s President Omar Hassan Ahmed Bashir gives in to the U.N. demand.
Was it a show of goodwill on the part of the U.N. leadership after reports reached his desk that thousands of people are being massacred each day, without regard to international human rights and respect for innocent lives. How could the Sudanese government close its eyes on the sad fate being experienced by millions of villagers in southern Sudan, while government officials live in the luxury of convenience while many are being butchered in neglected parts of Sudan.
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon could only hope that Bashir will read and understand the content of the letter, which he handed to Sudan’s ambassador to the U.N It was reported that the letter contained an outline on how to achieve peace in Darfur. However, it wasn’t immediately known what sanctions could be taken should Sudan fails to comply with the U.N. appeal for it to do something about the chaos in embattled Darfur.
The U.N. has dispatched some 180 peacekeepers to beef up the African Union Force of about 7,000 soldiers. As of late, one of the peacekeepers was killed at his home in Darfur. Despite the presence of these soldiers, the peace and order situation in this part of Sudan has worsened. Reports said that some of the soldiers are engaged in illegal activities for personal gains at the expense of their mission’s objectives.
But Sudan’s Ambassador Abdalmahmood Abdalhaleem divulged that the Sudanese government would resort to unilateral ceasefire once the rebels agreed to a peace talk. What about if the rebels undermine the peace process? Perhaps, the answers would now be in the hands of the Sudanese government, who is believed to be supporting the janjaweed militias to sow chaos in Darfur.
At the moment, the rebels have splintered into several factions which make it more complicated for the Sudanese government to unite them. On the contrary, it is hard to imagine why Bashir had rejected the proposed joint U.N.-African Union Force to be fielded to Darfur? Critics are puzzled as to what the Sudanese leader has in his sleeves considering that he seemed to be inutile in pursuing peace in Darfur despite his power. Does this mean that he doesn’t have any control over the Sudanese military commanders anymore? Otherwise, it is easy to think that the Sudanese leader is happy to see some of his constituents, if he considers them to be, being butchered by animalistic janjaweed militias. Perhaps, there is no better punishment than to skin them off once they are caught alive and feed them to the crocodiles.