The Other Ongoing World Shame: Darfur

As the author indicates, when you have lots of "show," there is often very little "go." Take away all the glitter and false starts and Darfur is still one of the leading killing grounds in the world. Is Sudan's oil worth that much?

clipped from www.sudantribune.com Diversionary tactics on Darfur By Anne Bartlett September 20, 2009 — Diversionary tactics seem to be the order of the day where Darfur is concerned. The real tragedy of Darfur – the suffering of its people – has been forgotten under a sea of pointless initiatives, all of which seem to have only one goal in mind: to create enough confusion and chaos that the status quo will prevail. On the ground - and contrary to prevailing diplomatic speak - people continue to be killed and targeted in the Jebel Marra area by government forces that now have carte blanche to do what they like. Meanwhile, day after day we are treated to a circus-like environment in which more and more competing initiatives are announced. Of course none of them have a hope of working, but that isn’t the point. For most of those involved, self-interest and geo-political gamesmanship have been put before human suffering – a point that is not lost on those living through this nightmare every day on the ground.