The Sudan Conflict

The Economist has a great article in this week's print edition on the conflicts within The Sudan. It highlights the problems the central government has in dealing both with the South and Darfur. In the former, they appear unwilling to devolve as much power (or at least money) as they promised to in the peace accord. In Darfur, they continue to hamper efforts by relief agencies and the peacekeeping force provided by the African Union (AU) and rein in their militias, the janjaweed, who continue to kill and terrorize the population of Darfur and the aid workers and peacekeepers. While the U.S. government has publicly rebuked the Sudanese government (Colin Powell called what was occuring in Darfur "genocide") it has not done much to push for changes in Sudanese policy. Furthermore, the CIA sees the Sudanese government as a valuable partner in the war on terrorism. Russia and China, also, have their reasons (read: oil) for keeping quiet on the Sudanese government's atrocities. Yet another tragic example where intelligence or resource need has precluded intervening in a continuing genocide that, after Rwanda, the international community had promised "Never again". Never again, apparently, as long as there is not intelligence or resources to be gained by tiptoeing around atrocities.