Having listened to a talk by former Ambassador Donald Steinberg yesterday evening, I realize that Darfur needs much more attention than it is getting. Amb. Steinberg said that Kofi Annan has characterized his service as secretary general as primarily revolving around the problems of the Middle East and Darfur. Ban Ki Moon also expects that Palestine and Darfur will be the biggest issues of his tenure.
What we've learned from Rwanda is to call a genocide a genocide. This the U.S. has done; which makes it all the more insidious that no real action has been taken despite this characterization of the situation in southern Sudan.
What we've learned from Rwanda is to call a genocide a genocide. This the U.S. has done; which makes it all the more insidious that no real action has been taken despite this characterization of the situation in southern Sudan.
And as Ambassador Steinberg explained yesterday, the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) makes action that much more possible.
The following excerpts from the 2005 World Summit document which included R2P show how radical this idea is, and how it spurs the international community to action when states fail to protect their citizens from genocide:
"Each individual State has the responsibility to protect its populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. This responsibility entails the prevention of such crimes, including their incitement, through appropriate and necessary means."
" The international community, through the United Nations, also has the responsibility to use appropriate diplomatic, humanitarian and other peaceful means, in accordance with Chapters VI and VIII of the Charter, to help protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. In this context, we are prepared to take collective action, in a timely and decisive manner, through the Security Council, in accordance with the Charter, including Chapter VII, on a case-by-case basis and in cooperation with relevant regional organizations as appropriate, should peaceful means be inadequate and national authorities manifestly fail to protect their populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity."
(The rest of the excerpt at the Responsibility to Protect - Engaging Civil Society project)
Save Darfur Coalition
The following excerpts from the 2005 World Summit document which included R2P show how radical this idea is, and how it spurs the international community to action when states fail to protect their citizens from genocide:
"Each individual State has the responsibility to protect its populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. This responsibility entails the prevention of such crimes, including their incitement, through appropriate and necessary means."
" The international community, through the United Nations, also has the responsibility to use appropriate diplomatic, humanitarian and other peaceful means, in accordance with Chapters VI and VIII of the Charter, to help protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity. In this context, we are prepared to take collective action, in a timely and decisive manner, through the Security Council, in accordance with the Charter, including Chapter VII, on a case-by-case basis and in cooperation with relevant regional organizations as appropriate, should peaceful means be inadequate and national authorities manifestly fail to protect their populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity."
(The rest of the excerpt at the Responsibility to Protect - Engaging Civil Society project)
Save Darfur Coalition
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