Darfur requires tough, immediate action

By PETER MAKORI

It is time that the African Union, the United States and the United Nations formulated a joint strategy to deal with the crisis as a priority.


Reports that President Bush is contemplating sanctions against the Sudanese government are welcome, but they would come too late.

Bush and the United Nations ought to do more than just issue threats against the cold-blooded regime of strongman Omar Hassan al-Bashir.

The four years of destruction in Sudan’s western Darfur region remains the biggest shame in the face of the world community.

But seeking negotiation with the despot before deciding to deal with his madness continues to prolong the crisis. Sanctions against the Sudan government may not be enough.

Bashir, perhaps one of the most notorious dictators of modern times, is the single most culpable individual in the genocide.

The United States and the United Nations should not negotiate with the dictator. He continues to engage the world in an absurd game of hide and seek.

Women and children continue to bear the brunt of the violence by the government-sponsored militia, the janjaweed. Mass rape and defilement are the hallmark of the war in Darfur. Boys are abducted and forcefully conscripted into the war. Read more >>>