I’ve been wondering a little more lately. Below is an article I wrote in a hurry. In it I mention some of my most recent thoughts. You’ve got to examine a problem from all perspectives right? 
Anyways it’s just a thought, that’s all.
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The latest maneuvers by the ruling NCP in regards to Darfur have been jaw dropping. Their decision to expel the AU troops and their continuing stubbornness over accepting UN troops have put us all on the edge of our seats.
The NCP isn’t stupid (okay fine it is). It’s increasingly becoming desperate and paranoid. They’re slowly but steadily dragging the international community and especially the United States into a “hostage situation”. The United States and international community don’t realize this. Or do they?
Darfur has received a lot of media attention in the West. Off course this media attention isn’t anywhere when compared to the huge, sometimes undeserving attention given to Iraq or Iran for instance. Nevertheless, many in the West now know what Darfur is about.
Many organizations in the United States are increasingly pressuring the Bush administration to do something about the ugly situation. With the deteriorating conditions in Iraq and the slow recovery of New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, the Democratic American Left has been getting very frustrated. Moreover and most importantly the Republicans fear they might be on the verge of losing control of Congress to the Democrats.
Omar Hassan al-Bashir and his NCP will accept the UN troops I predict (and I hope) but not now. Not yet. I believe they’re trying to take the Darfur situation to a very high-climax. We might already be witnessing this climax. Once that is done, the West will be put in a very uncomfortable position.
The West and America will have two choices. Either they can sit back and watch, or get up and do something. If America sits back and watches, the Bush administration will face more pressure. Moreover the Democrats will use Darfur to rally more support against the Republicans. If Bush and the West get up to do something, that “something” better be good.
I believe Sudan will have a stronger bargaining position when the climax reaches sky high. A demand will be made before accepting UN troops. The NCP will request the lifting of sanctions imposed on Sudan. That’s all. There will be no other choices or options provided. At this point the United States will be in a nasty position. What will the Bush administration do? Will they give in to Bashir’s demands or will they do things their own way? Will they negotiate for the sake of the 3 million innocent people in Darfur or will they “bust in” like SWAT teams do in Hollywood movies?
We’ll see what happens.
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I’m frustrated and so pissed off. Moreover what’s pissing me off even more is the relaxed attitude of many Sudanese I see around me. I guess some of us Sudanese have gotten used to all the suffering and we’re becoming immune to its depressing effects. Sigh!
SudaneseThinker
SudaneseThinker
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Nice new site, Drima.
Hey Drima,
Could use your help getting ASAP out. 100% of the proceeds bypass the UN and go directly to Save the Children, Darfur (as recommended by Eric Reeves). It’s good music too.
Best.
The world should listen to the people on the ground. The victims. With no regard whatsoever to any other aspect - What do they want in order to gain back their right to live in peace in their own country w/o everybody taking advantage of their victimship.
Tse.
2nd try. First time didn’t work. Sorry if it appears as a double comment.
First of all Drima I want to thank you for stopping by and leaving a comment re: my latest post on Sudan (Darfur). Do a search at the blog and you will see that I have written a great deal more about the crisis in Darfur, especially in the years 2005-2005.
Second, it is really great to see a Sudanese blogger joining us here in the blogosphere. I will do my best to stop by as often as possible to checkout your work here. It is especially interesting to discover a Sudanese blogger who lives and studies in Malaysia, a country with a thriving blogger community and some of the world’s best known blog authors.
Re: General Omar al-Bahsir and the present Khartoum regime
You can drop the phrase “international community” in your references to parties who are actively involved in trying to find solutions for the crisis in Darfur unless you are referring to the handful of international agencies and governments that have been in there from the start attempting to assist the people of Darfur and work with the GoS and the various militia groups to come to a peace agreement that works for everyone. The vast majority of the world’s governments and inter-governmental bodies have for the most part remained silent, offered only rhetoric and meaningless gestures, or are actively involved in supporting the GoS in their campaign of ridding Darfur of the troublesome residents who have put up some resistance to Khartoum’s policies of ethnic cleansing and of course the millions of innocent people who were simply trying to scratchout a decent living on the parched earth of Western Sudan.
The United States government and more importantly the people of the United States have taken the lead since 2003 in pressuring the GoS and its supporters to back-off those suffering women and children in Darfur, followed closely by the government of the U.K. and perhaps a dozen or so other countries and the relevant U.N. agencies and the A.U. President Omar al-Bashir and the NCP have lost all credibility on the international stage of multi-lateral and bi-lateral relations and are in great danger that their biggest supporters (China, Russia, the Arab League, etc.) will turn against them to save their own hides (economically & politically speaking). That is where we are today in my opinion and not the reverse as you suggest in this post about America & the West being in a “hostage situation”.
I’m certain the al-Bahsir is seeing spooks and spies and enemies behind every bush at the moment, not realizing that his greatest enemy has always been his distorted vision for the future of Sudan that clearly favors prospertiy for the very few at the cost (in lives and treasure) of the many. Once enough people inside Sudan and within the Sudanese diaspora come to this realization, the walls of power will collapse on top of Bashir and his regime.
The question is, are we (the so-called international community) willing to sacrifice even more lives in Darfur and the south of Sudan by continuing to do next-to-nothing to stop the killing and rapes and pillaging, or should we give the process (regime implosion in Khartoum) a little push? Remember, the international community allowed the Sudanese Civil Wars to rage for more than two decades. What’s a few more months and years to wait before any substantial action is taken in Darfur?
Note: Cross-posted to the comment section of my blog post Sep 04 06.
Black River Eagle,
“That is where we are today in my opinion and not the reverse as you suggest in this post about America & the West being in a “hostage situation”.”
This post is just really a thought from a new and different perspective. There is a considerable number of Sudanese people who believe this is all a trick to get the US to lift sanctions. In this post I try to examine how that in any way can be possible. Again, it’s just a thought really.
If you read all my previous posts you’ll realize that my opinion and stance is similar to what you suggested.
Tse,
“The world should listen to the people on the ground. The victims. With no regard whatsoever to any other aspect ”
I agree with you. What they’re all saying is “bring the filthy NCP to its knees.”
O.K. I’ll do just that (review your previous writings on Darfur). As far as the U.S. government lifting sanctions, that could be in the cards. First, the powers in Washington would have to see some radical improvements in the way that the Government of Sudan deals with the people of Sudan… ALL of the people of Sudan. I cross-posted my original comment here to my blog and I’m certain there is going to be some (heated) debate.
If we (the U.S.A.) lift sanctions on Sudan, what do you think the business people of Sudan would like to import from the U.S.A. Coca-Cola? Fast food? Technology? Hip-Hop CD’s? O.K., we can scratch that last item…:-)
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