Darfur Aid Expulsions, One Year Later

One year ago today, the Sudanese government expelled 16 major aid organizations from Darfur in a move so quick, calculated, and cruel, that it took the entire world by surprise, even given the nefarious reputations of those responsible. The expulsions were a swift act of retribution for the International Criminal Court's arrest warrants against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. And, as always, it was felt hardest by the people of Darfur.

The doomsday scenario many predicted -- the mass movement of new refugees -- thankfully did not come to pass. However, the expulsions did create a slow, smoldering crisis of a different sort: Access to Darfur is even more difficult for aid, peacekeepers, and various monitors, so that huge portions of the population are cut off from aid and basic security services and no one really has an accurate picture of what is going on across the region; vital protection services, particularly for women and victims of sexual violence, were almost completely eliminated; and the quick gap-filling measures coordinated by the UN and others are stretched to the limits after a worryingly dry rainy season.

And except for the voices of a few vigilant and vocal advocates and journalists, nobody seems to be paying any mind.

For all of the international mediators and initiatives competing for the prize of "bringing peace to Sudan," little concern has been shown for the astonishing restrictions on access to aid organizations and peacekeepers in Darfur. UNAMID personnel are not even allowed to travel to areas of instability to assess the needs of the civilian population. The politics of peace agreements are complicated and the negotiations often protracted, but facilitating protection and assistance services to those caught in the middle of the fighting should be a non-negotiable starting point: Allow the aid if you want your seat at the table.

Our own special envoy to Sudan seemed content to take Khartoum at its word when it promised to ease restrictions, and was then surprised to learn that they did not follow through. Save Darfur Coalition President Jerry Fowler put it best when he told Special Envoy Scott Gration, in a live webcast, "You've given the government a lot of credit for averting -- barely -- a catastrophe that they set in motion." When pressed to answer "yes or no," if unimpeded humanitarian access would be one of the Obama administration's benchmarks for progress from Khartoum, Gration refused to give a straight answer.

As it stands now, the people of Darfur continue to suffer from the whims of their government and rebel movements alike, while political horse trading takes center stage. It is beyond shameful. If ever there was a clear benchmark for progress in a conflict situation, especially one that has seen large scale atrocities committed against civilians, it is open access to aid and peacekeeping forces.

Photo credit: UN Photo/Olivier Chassot.