Today, the UN Security Council voted unanimously to authorize 26,000 troops and police to Darfur to stop attacks on civilians.
"The plan for Darfur from now on is to achieve a cease-fire, including anend to aerial bombings of civilians; drive forward peace talks ... and, as peace is established, offer to begin to invest in recovery and reconstruction," he [British Prime minister Gordon Brown] said on a visit to the United Nations.
Since 2003, over 2 million people have become refugees in this area.
Rape, looting, murder and government bombardment drove millions from their homes in Darfur, where mostly non-Arab rebels took up arms in early 2003, accusing Khartoum of neglecting their arid region.
In many ways, I am glad that something more is going to be done about the situation in Darfur by the United Nations. Often, I have thought that it is "none of our business" to interfere with civil wars in other countries. However, when this many civilians are being attacked and driven from their homes (genocide?), it seems necessary for the other more powerful countries in the world to step in and stop the killing and displacement.
However, I do think it is ironic that we have maybe 100,0000 (more?) American troops deployed in Iraq at the moment, and we are still unsure of what to do next in that area...
Strangely I say "we" when I am referring to the U.S. although I have really no control whatsoever over our foreign policies or what "our country" does. Still, I live here, so somehow I feel in some way responsible for "our" actions as a country....
2 comments:
I've heard about this article before. The situation in Darfur has gotten worse and I hope it will cease with the help of UN, because otherwise this country of Darfur will remain violent and unable to develop well.
Darfur is such a horrible situation that I think there is no easy solution. I can only hope that the UN troops will save *some* lives.
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