Daily Darfur: Will all the War Criminals in the Room Please Stand Up.

by Michelle . · 2009-04-08 04:16:00 UTC
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This would be laughable, if it wasn't so depressing:

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir vowed yesterday to pursue justice against war criminals responsible for the violence in Darfur:

"We know about justice between us and we know how to solve our problems. We have a committee for tribal reconciliation," Bashir told [a rally in Zalingei, Darfur].

"After the reconciliation we will investigate those who are criminals and those who committed crimes and those who were killed and those who were killers. This is all guaranteed. Compensation will be paid. Everyone will get their right. This is justice."

So will Mr. Bashir put himself on the dock for his responsibility in directing a counterinsurgency campaign that targets civilians, and has killed 300,000 and displaced nearly 3 million since 2003?

I'm not holding my breath.

Bashir also made comments that may have been directed at the presence of US Special Envoy to Sudan J. Scott Gration, who is (or was?) on his first official visit to the country:

"We thank the AU and the former presidents headed by Mbeki who came here ... But we don't want those Khawajas (foreigners)," he told the crowd.

What a lovely host.

Other items of note...

The Government of Sudan is busy lobbying the Nigerians to withdraw from the International Criminal Court.

Two armed men hijacked a UNAMID vehicle near El Fasher, North Darfur on Tuesday. Both UNAMID and NGOs have been increasingly targeted by such attacks.

Michael provides more extensive coverage of the humanitarian situation in Darfur on his blog, but because it's such a big part of the news these days, here are a few quick headlines:

Women and children in Darfur are the first and hardest hit by the gaps in assistance created by the expulsion of humanitarian aid agencies.

Water is already running out.

Laura Archer, a nurse with MSF, describes her abduction in Darfur last month.

Photo from Reuters: Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir addresses the media at Khartoum airport, April 1, 2009 upon arrival from the Arab Summit in Doha.

Michelle . has been involved in various activist endeavors, including the Teach Against Genocide pilot campaigns.
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