A chance for peace in Darfur?

In this blog I have attempted to outline developments within the Darfur campaign (the priority campaign within the Society and Citizenship Zone), followed by a ‘comment’ piece on the wider context of the political and humanitarian situation in Darfur and why I believe, as a National Union of Students, that we have a duty, as part of the international community, to campaign on this issue. For those who are simply interested in keeping an eye on me fulfilling my duties, your focus may be on the first section. For those interested in my views on the wider context and why this issue was so central to my election campaign, please read on into the second section

Building the Darfur campaign within NUS

On Wednesday 8th August I attended a meeting organised by the UK Day for Darfur coalition, of which NUS is a member. The meeting was held to coordinate the next Day for Darfur demonstration that will take place on Sunday 16th September in central London. The demonstration will call on the British government and the international community to exert pressure on international institutions to ensure that the objectives outlined in resolution 1769 (ratified two weeks ago) are upheld.

A network of students from within NUS, Aegis Students, the Union of Jewish Students (UJS) and other student organisations have been key players in the UK campaign calling for an African Union/UN peacekeeping force, with an effective mandate, to be deployed to Darfur.

Now this mandate has been accepted, it is imperative that our voice is not lost. The simple act of the Security Council passing a resolution does not stop the killing on the ground in Western Sudan. The coalition must continue to give a voice to those who do not have one. It is essential we, as part of the international community, do not loose focus as a result of the passing of this resolution. Although this is a significant and positive step in the process of peace, stability and justice; all this political good will means nothing if the militia on the ground are still killing, raping and abusing the people of Darfur.

During recent officer development programmes, I have been able to speak to students’ union officers about this campaign and how we can engage grass roots support for this, a campaign many of our members feel very passionately about. I have NEC responsibility for coordinating NUS’ campaigning work on Darfur and over the coming months I will be working with Aegis students, UJS and Students Unions to organise speaker tours to students unions’ as well as coordinating support for future Day for Darfur demonstrations and events. Due to developments and the changing nature of the situation, the details of the next demonstration on Sunday 16th September (messages/ stunts/ locations/ etc/ etc) will be finalised in the coming week or so. I will communicate these messages through all the normal channels. However, for more regular updates, please email me and request your name be added to the campaign database

adam.mcnicholas@nus.org.uk

Comment: Resolution 1769: A chance of peace for the people of Darfur?

Two weeks ago the United Nation passed resolution 1769. This resolution gives the UN a mandate to create a hybrid African Union (AU)/ United Nations peacekeeping force that will attempt to install peace and security in Darfur. For the past few years, the National Union of Students has been part of the UK coalition calling for a UN peacekeeping presence in Darfur, to work with other countries in the region in bringing peace and security. Yet again the international community has been painfully slow to react to the outbreak of genocide in Africa. In 1994, the international community failed to see the signs that led to the abandoning of humanity in Rwanda. The world choose to look the other way as hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians were slaughtered in a campaign of ethnic cleansing.

You and I are living through the first genocide of the 21st Century. Since the outbreak of the crisis in Darfur in 2003, over 250,000 civilians have been killed and over 2 million displaced. The fallout of this crisis has wider implications throughout the region, with displaced persons crossing the border in to Chad. There is no clear explanation as to the history of the crisis. Sudan is a country that has experienced civil war for decades, following the process of decolonisation. However, it is widely accepted that the process of ethnic cleansing came about as a result of rebel factions opposing the Sudanese government. There is a vast body of evidence to support allegations that the Sudanese government are sponsoring the Arab militia, known as the Janjaweed, supplying them with weapons and other resources that have been used in the systematic killings of the black African civilian population. There is also growing evidence to directly implicate senior figures within the Khartoum regime.

Failed attempts at peace talks and empty resolutions have demonstrated the lack of political will to act. This lack political will within Sudan has been mirrored by the international community, which has failed to bring about influence enough as to establish peace and security. The United Nations Security Council in particular, has demonstrated its inability to uphold its commitment to protect the people of a nation, whereby the state is unwilling or able to do this . Britain holds one of the five permanent seats on the UN Security Council, along with Germany, France, Russia and China. Russia and China have consistently, until two weeks ago, vetoed any meaningful attempts in securing an effective UN peacekeeping presence in Darfur. Both countries have economic interests vested in Sudan and have been implicated in arming the Sudanese government. In turn, these weapons have reached the militia who have used them in their campaign of destruction.

Further complications remain. Over the past week, leading figures from 8 rebel factions have met in Arusha, Tanzania, for peace talks. Again, this is a positive step but with limitations. A key rebel leader has refused to sign the agreement, displaying fragmented political desires. These fractures in the road to peace and stability clearly highlight the need for maintained attention and pressure from the international community.

is therefore essential that the international community (of which I emphasise our role in that as part of wider civil society) exert continued pressure to ensure an end to the rape, abuse, torture and killing of innocent and defenceless people. We have a legitimate mandate; in fact a responsibility, to demonstrate that we are not prepared to look the other way. We have a commitment to build on the work of the past few years and I look forward to working with student activists on this campaign.

The Co-convenors of the Society and Citizenship campaign will be working with Aegis organising a Darfur campaigning session at the NUS Campaigns convention on September 4th. Please contact me if you are interested in attending this session.

1. As outlined in the document In Larger Freedom: Towards Development, Security and Human Rights for all, UN General Assembly and Security Council 2005

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