War Crimes

Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon spoke on Darfur today, arguing that the joint UN/African Union peacekeeping mission is seriously hampered by a variety of logistical problems.

In Sudan, rebels reached Omdurman, a suburb of Khartoum, this weekend. AP reports 200 people died in the attack. Sudan blames Chad, and has cut diplomatic ties.

The rebel movement may have been retaliating for the recent airstrikesby the Sudanese government, which rebels claim targeted civilian gathering places in North Darfur.

Sunday marked the two year anniversary since the International Criminal Court issued its first arrest warrants against Sudanese officials suspected of war crimes in Darfur.  To mark the occasion, Facebook (yes, Facebook) launched “Wanted for War Crimes Watch List” application to its users.  The point of the project is to generate public awareness along the lines of “America’s Most Wanted” hoping users will come forward to drive suspects from their hideouts and pressure governments to meet their international obligations.  While services such as Facebook are linked to various harassment suits and its subject to revenge seekers relishing in the anonymity of the Web, this is a good thing.  Though, on the sidebar there, there is a link to a group called

The Sudanese government appointed an alleged Janjaweed militia leader to a cabinet post.  Human rights officials and observers in Washington accuse the appointee, Musa Hilal, with coordinating the Janjaweed militia during Darfur’s bloody campaign.  Human Rights Watch called on the U.N. Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, to urge the Sudanese president to revoke the appointment.  Hilal denies the allegations, saying he led his fellow tribesman in a operation of “popular defense” at the behest of the central government in Khartoum.

Human Rights watched called Hilal the “poster child” for atrocities in the region and said his appointment was a “slap in the face to Darfur victims and to the U.N. Security Council.”

Other observers suspect Hilal may be charged for war crimes and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court.  The international court already issued arrest warrants for Ahmed Haroun and Ali Kushayb for war crimes in Darfur.  Haroun, ironically, is the humanitarian affairs minister for the Sudanese government.

Supporters of the move, however, say the appointment is worth the risk as Hilal’s reputation as a tribal elder makes him an ideal candidate for a position in the central government.

“The transfer of a tribal leader to a political post is a good step which will open the door to more settlements (of disputes),” said one supporter.

When is the international community going to step in here?  Either we move on and say that’s that, the Darfur atrocity is a thing of the past, let’s see what we can do with Khartoum, or we need to get it in gear and seek some reconciliation here.  All these cries of “never again” after Rwanda smack of empty rhetoric.  It’s almost embarrassing to still be writing about the horrors of Darfur.  I mean, what, 2.something-million people died during this conflict? Is it oil?  Is it Iraq?  This is ridiculous and, frankly, getting a bit boring talking about this condemnation from this group and that condemnation from that group when nobody really seems to be doing much more than talking big talk.  What happened to Big Stick diplomacy, I want to know?  Get it together people.  Either we do something at this point, or we don’t.  Enough is enough.

Congress sent U.S. President Bush a bill permitting states, localities and private investors to cut ties with corporations and investments linked to Sudan.  The bill, sponsored by Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., passed the House unanimously amid concerns from the Bush administration the bill allows states and local governments to wade into the dictation of foreign policy – an area normally granted to the executive branch.  “I don’t believe President Bush can afford to veto this bill,” said Dodd. “A veto would be an endorsement of genocide.”

(more…)

The international peacekeeping effort authorized for Darfur may come unraveled as officials in Sudan continue to block key components of the force necessary for a viable mission.  The United Nations Security Council passed Resolution 1769 in July authorizing a 26,000 unit peacekeeping force to protect civilians in Darfur and humanitarian groups operating in the region.  The effort is further hampered by the failure of NATO members to supply the peacekeeping forces with military equipment required by the United Nations – African Union hybrid force.  The lack of military support by capable nations as well as the demands by the Sudanese government curtailing most of the peacekeeping force’s capability suggests the deployment of peacekeepers to Darfur will not make a difference.

The U.N. Undersecretary for Peacekeeping, Jean-Marie Guehenno, on Nov. 26 suggested that the U.N. backed peacekeeping force in Darfur is facing redeployment if Sudanese officials continue to rein in its military capability.  Guehenno asked the Security Council: “Do we move ahead with the deployment of a force that will not make a difference, that will not have the capability to defend itself and that carries the risk of humiliation of the Security Council and the United Nations and tragic failure for the people of Darfur?”

The answer to that question may be a resounding “no.”  The U.N/A.U. mission in Darfur faces severe limitations as NATO members refuse to supply the mission with several requests for military equipment, including helicopters used for medevac operations and other humanitarian missions.  The failure of NATO members to step into the fray suggests the international concern for Darfur is minimal.

Sudan rejects many of the countries contributing to the hybrid peacekeeping operation, refusing access to the Port of Sudan, refusing to grant humanitarian access to Darfur, refusing night flights over the region and barring the landing of heavy transport aircraft desperately needed to support any peacekeeping force standing a reasonable chance of success. Sudanese officials also made the extraordinary demand of enforcing a blackout of the peacekeeping force’s communications when Sudan conducts military operations.

A handicapped peacekeeping force paralleled by a lack of international political will to contribute to the cause of peace in Darfur releases any realistic constraints on the Sudanese to continue its onslaught against its own people.   The military blackout means Sudan may continue its actions unfettered.  If the Sudanese government refuses most of the measures that stand any chance of relieving the crisis in Darfur and NATO and the international community refuse to provide peacekeeping operations with the support they need, the failure in Darfur may be a failure of peace.

IHT

The chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court asked the U.N. Security Council to ramp up its effort to persuade Sudan to arrest and surrender two officials indicted for war crimes in Darfur. Luis Moreno-Ocampo added that one of the wanted officials, Ahmad Haround, the Sudanese humanitarian affairs minister, may be orchestrating continued violence against civilians and suggested Sudanese authorities were protecting him. Ocampo noted the irony of naming a war crimes suspect to the post of humanitarian affairs minister – a post charged with overseeing human rights complaints from victims in Darfur and the joint African Union – United Nations peacekeeping force that deploys in Darfur in January.

(more…)

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon addresses the International Criminal Court Monday, opening its annual two-week meeting which many see as chance to examine the credibility of the first permanent international war crimes tribunal. Ban addresses the 105-nation ICC as the court faces international criticism for its failure to prosecute Sudanese war crimes suspects. Analysts say that without a strong message from Ban emphasizing the need to bring suspects before the scrutiny of the international community, the Sudanese and other governments may walk away with the impression they can defy the world bodies without consequence.

The U.N. Security council referred the Darfur case to the International Criminal Court, charging a Sudanese cabinet minister and a Janjaweed military chief with war crimes and crimes against humanity. The 2005 resolution requires the Sudanese government to cooperate with the court by handing the suspects over to face prosecution. The Sudanese made moderate gestures of cooperation by agreeing to establish its own special court to examine the atrocities, but has so far refused to submit to international inquiry.

(more…)

A Sudanese minister said the government there launched legal challenge against a French charity accused of flying over a hundred children from Chad to families in Europe. Interior Minister Zubair Bashir Taha said Sudan planned to sue Zoe’s Ark charitable organization for violating international laws by allegedly abducting children from villages and refugee camps in Chad and the Darfur region of Sudan.

“This is not abduction or the luring of children but a war crime,” the minister said. He also said Sudan planned to sue representatives in Chad for allowing Zoe’s Ark to use its airport to shuttle the children out of the country. Six people affiliated with Zoe’s Ark are being held in Chad for trying to solicit children to host families in Europe on the premise they were orphans from the war-torn Darfur region of Sudan. The Zoe’s Ark personnel face 20 years in prison with hard labor if convicted.

Officials believe most of the children involved are not orphaned and have immediate family in the region. Representatives from Zoe’s Ark said its mission was humanitarian.

AP

The U.S. State Department sent a leader to leaders in the U.S. Senate declaring opposition by the Bush administration to a proposed bill that would punish U.S. foreign investors in Sudan. The bill would require U.S. states to divest from their investment portfolios any interests linked to foreign investment in Sudan. The bill punishes entities from investing in Sudan while the Sudanese government failed to take action in what the Bush administration has termed ‘genocide’ in Darfur.

Assistant Secretary of State Jeffery T. Bergner in his letter to Democratic Sen. Harry Reid and Republican Sen. Mitch McConnel said the Bush administration opposed the bill because it infringed on the presidential authority to establish and executive U.S. foreign policy. Bergner said the bill “would impose unilateral measures targeted at U.S. allies and diplomatic powers and would thus shift focus away from (Sudan’s) behavior.” The letter continues that this shift is a direct interference in the presidential authority to regulate U.S. foreign policy.

The Sudanese Accountability and Divestment Act would punish Sudan by forcing investors to unload their investments in Sudanese interests. Article II Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution grants Congress with the authority “to regulate commerce with foreign nations.” Executive powers, however, dictate the ability of the president to control U.S. foreign policy.

AP

Lam Akol, the Sudanese foreign minister, announced in a press statement this past weekend that Ali Mohamed Abdel-Rahman, known as Ali Kushayb, was released from detention due to lack of evidence.  Sudanese officials detained him in November for “suspicion of violation Sudanese laws.”  Kushayb was the subject of the first ever arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court.  Sudan, however, is not a party to the ICC and arrested him of their own volition.

The ICC issued its arrest warrant for Kushayb on April 27 for war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed in 2003 and 2004.  As the former minister of the interior, the ICC claims that Mr. Haroun was responsible for organizing and funding the Janjaweed paramilitary force, the principle actors in the atrocities in Darfur.  Kushayb supplied arms to the janjaweed and was seen to be “involved in the execution of prisoners [and] in the rape of women.” Kushayb earned the nickname The Butcher of Darfur by refugees from the region.  (more…)