Daily Darfur: Looking Back at 2008 with Regret, Looking Forward with Hope and Apprehension

An AFP article looks back at the the last year and forward to the next in Darfur, noting:

"Darfur ends 2008 more dangerous than ever with a much vaunted UN mission unable to protect civilians and a possible war crimes indictment against Sudan's president casting a pall over 2009."

As the article continues, the year started out with a sense of promise, as the UN combined forces with the African Union (AU) and assumed control of peacekeeping in the region. This quickly fizzled into resounding disappointment, as member states failed to contribute to the force and support its full deployment.

The security situation continued to deteriorate in Darfur throughout the year, as the government of Sudan intensified its onslaught against civilians, particularly after a surprise attack on a suburb of Khartoum by the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) in May. And despite Khartoum's concerted diplomacy to push the UN to suspend the ICC indictment proceedings against President Bashir, their efforts to appear amenable to peace have thus far proven superficial---including a bad-faith "unconditional" ceasefire declaration in November, which the government didn't even pretend to implement.

And as Savo Heleta writes, the rebel movement in Darfur continues to fracture, taking on the character of self-interested roving bandits as opposed to champions of the Darfuri people.

And yet, as the Obama Administration brings its "unstinting resolve" to the White House in just a few weeks, and as the looming ICC indictment decisions represents a potential opportunity to isolate Bashir, 2009 is beginning with a similar sense of promise as 2008. I just hope that, this time next year, I'm not sitting here writing about how we squandered that, too.

Other items of interest...

The faction of the Darfur rebel Sudan Liberation Movement led by Minni Minawi (SLM-MM)--the lone group to sign a peace deal with the Sudanese government in 2006--wants to be included in the current round of peace talks led by Qatar. SLM-MM accuses the government of failing to implement the 2006 Darfur Peace Agreement (which they certainly haven't), and essentially warned that the SLM-MM would not comply with any agreement if it is not included in the discussions.

In yet another attack on UN troops in Darfur, a peacekeeper was shot in the leg by three unidentified gunmen in El Fasher, North Darfur. (He later died from his wounds.) As this article in the East African notes, the peacekeepers aren't the only losers in this game--Darfur's substantial internally displaced population suffers as well.

[Photo from AFP.]