Sudan Blogging

Looking on Google News, Sudan is the top item. It's about time this story started getting the coverage that it deserves, and it better continue. Since it's finally getting coverage, it makes special "Sudan Blogging" updates on here obsolete because I'll just be rehashing top stories of the day. That's rather redundant. But, in this instance, for the sake of continuity...

Despite the US removing the word "sanctions" and somewhat weakening the resolution to get other countries to vote for it, the world community takes baby steps towards doing the right thing. The UN Security Council votes 13-0 to act against Sudan if the government there does not stop supporting the atrocities in Darfur.

Sudan, of course, rejects the resolution. It doesn't seem like the Sudanese government will even admit that atrocities are happening in Darfur. Read a few of these quotes from Information Minister El-Zahawi Ibrahim Malik and try not to say to yourself, "God, this guy's a fucking asshole." Just try.

"Sudan expresses its deep sorrow that the issue of Darfur has quickly entered the Security Council and has been hijacked from its regional arena."

200,000 refugees, 30-50,000 dead, and impending murder of a million more people if the Sudanese government continues to stall foreign aid from making it to Darfur... "Regional." My. Ass.

"Sudan has been watching what the enemy circles have been preparing. Sudan has been observing the greedy moves (to take over) its economic resources, and it is preparing to confront these outsiders so that the peace, which the government started with bold steps in Navasha, shall prevail in the country."

Speaking as an anti-Bush American citizen, I'd be the first person to believe that he's being greedy. However, this excuse just doesn't make sense. All Bush needs to do is declare the situation in Darfur to be genocide, and then international agreements would force him to act. And while the world is skeptical of anything Bush does, believe me, he would have a lot of people defending him on this action.

Hell, why can't Bush be greedy in the right situations? Hey Bush, there's oil in Sudan... Gogogo!

Malik said the government was capable of "disarming all the looting and robbing gangs."

First off, then fucking do it! Secondly, all the "looting and robbing gangs"? Looting and robbing have caused 30,000 deaths? Well he even admit that people are dying?

Actually yes, he will admit that "horrible" acts are happening, but it's not the Janjaweed committing them. Seriously.

He accused the resolution of focusing on the Janjaweed militia more than the humanitarian plight of the displaced people in Darfur province. He also said the resolution failed to punish the rebel groups in Darfur "which are still committing horrible acts and refuse to sit at the negotiating table."

You know, after reading this I'm convinced that every member of the Sudanese government beats their wife, because the only thing that can explain these statements is by saddling it with the mentality of a wife beater. It's not just the fact that they don't believe they are doing anything wrong, but it's the other party that's causing all the problems.

The hopes I had for diplomacy solving this crisis are so dim right now. Just think about those comments and read this:

"The only thing the UN Security Council has delivered is... another 30 days in which civilians will continue to live in fear of being killed or raped," Representative of aid agency in Darfur.

These creeps get another 30 days. They didn't comply with the last warning, makes one wonder why they are getting another. Will it really take this long to get a unifed world opinion? If so, what does that say about rest of the world?