April 7, 2004
FIRST WE SEND IN HANS BLIX TO INSPECT
UN chief Annan urges action to halt genocide in Sudan, Congo (Jonathan Fowler, Canadian Press, 07/04/04)
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, who was blamed in the UN failure to avert genocide in Rwanda a decade ago, said Wednesday the world now must act in Congo and Sudan to avoid such mass slaughter there.
"The genocide in Rwanda should never have happened. But it did," Annan told the UN Human Rights Commission in laying out plans for an international warning system to prevent future massacres - including faster military action. "Anyone who embarks on genocide commits a crime against humanity. Humanity must respond by taking action in its own defence," Annan said...
Annan said he now is gravely concerned at the situation in Sudan's conflict-ravaged Darfur region. UN officials and human-rights groups have said Arab militias, reportedly with government backing, are engaged in "ethnic cleansing" against Africans in the year-old conflict.
"Such reports leave me with a deep sense of foreboding," said Annan. "Whatever terms it uses to describe the situation, the international community cannot stand idle."
The Sudanese government, which blames rebels for the fighting, has denied the claims. But there has been little outside scrutiny because Sudan has restricted access for aid groups and journalists.
"The international community must be prepared to take swift and appropriate action. By 'action' in such situations I mean a continuum of steps, which may include military action."
An international warning system? A continuum of steps? Wow, they can’t be sleeping well in Khartoum tonight.
Posted by Peter Burnet at April 7, 2004 9:50 PMSend the French!
Posted by: genecis at April 7, 2004 9:53 PMGood idea. Blix can give legitimacy to their contnuum of steps.
Posted by: Tom Wall at April 7, 2004 10:05 PMOnly after 1m have been killed. Isn't that the standard now???
Posted by: Sandy P. at April 7, 2004 10:50 PMKofi has plenty of money - time to put it to good use.
Posted by: jim hamlen at April 7, 2004 10:56 PMGenecis:
Sending the French in would be better than doing nothing, although with the French one can never be quite sure which side they will fight on.
Sandy:
Here is the full continuum:
1.0 million dead--Kofi calls for action and appoints a special representative;
1.5--Two thousand Canadian, French, Indonesian and Bangladeshi troops are sent it with orders to place themselves between the combattants and not to shoot. The U.S. promises logistical support because no one has any way of getting there otherwise. Issues of command are discussed behind the scenes for months.
2.0--Kofi's sense of foreboding has been upgraded to full-blown concern, and he calls for a much bigger international force, this time equipped with live bullets;
2.5--Under pressure from the Muslim states, Russia annouces it will veto a larger force, but offers to mediate a resolution;
3.0+--Mediation fails, in part because no one can agree who the parties are. Everyone gives up and decides to just blame Washington for letting down humanity. Annan announces a high-level international conference on the root causes of genocide, to be hosted in Damascus.
Posted by: Peter B at April 8, 2004 8:23 AMIf you're not sleeping well in Khartoum, just go down to the marketplace and buy a black sex-slave or two. (That is, if the Saudi or Libyan buyers haven't cleaned out the stock or driven the price over $50 American...)
Posted by: at April 8, 2004 12:24 PM