Al-Bashir's Revenge

Yesterday the International Criminal Court charged Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir with war crimes and crimes against humanity for his 'essential role' in the murder, rape, torture, pillaging and displacement of millions in the Darfur region of Sudan.

It is less widely known that within hours of the ICC's call for his arrest, al-Bashir expelled 13 key humanitarian agencies from Sudan. They include Oxfam, Solidarities, Mercy Corps, Doctors Without Borders, CARE, Save the Children and the International Rescue Committee. Armed men have forcibly shut down aid compounds, seizing computers, cameras, personal phones and vehicles.

These agencies provided life saving food, water, health care and sanitation to more than two million displaced people. Humanitarian operations in Darfur are now facing total collapse.

Since 2003 the world watched hundreds of thousands die in Darfur. Are we now prepared to watch millions of innocent men, women and children perish of hunger and disease?

(photo by Mia Farrow)

Comments

[Raye Howard]

I admire Mia for all the work she has done in Darfur. She knows more about this subject than most. Having embraced and spoken to so many families there. Hopefully, the monumental changes we are experiencing in 2009 will extend as far as Darfur. It would be great if Obama would join Mia on her next trip to see first hand what is going on over there.

http://globalartblog.com/

[magicwanz]

Though charged by this important sounding "International Criminal Court", I gather Omar's not actually in any immedeate danger of arrest? And many thousands of innocent people will suffer greatly though indirectly because of these charges? So why have these courts at all? Which countries support this court? Can they back up their charges or is it just lip service and window dressing?

[felsen stark]

Thank you for posting this, my understanding is this charge of war crimes, really genocide in the true defintion, in this case it is not religious genocide but racial or ethnic since all tribes are Islamic, Arab tribes against native African tribes due to overpopulation issues. Am I correct in my admittedly limited understanding or does the notion of Arabic sumpremacy itself have a greater role?

[winningticket]

Mia, I like you and I believe your heart is in the right place. However having said that, I think it's hypocritical for the ICC to issue a warrant on Bashir, but not on Bush or Israel's leaders.

[fbr79]

Who cares, hypocritical or not Bashir needs to be stopped, It's good that the world media is momentarily diverting some attention from the never ending ME debacle to this area of th world, let it have its moment in the spotlight.

[zukervati]

Typical apologist for Israeli atrocities - aren't you forgetting the massacre at Sabra and Shatila? What's good for Goose is good for the Gander!

http://www.countercurrents.org/pa-fisk180903.htm

Read, weep and hopefully change your ways!

[steamboat]

Everbody and Mia, yes he's a monster...­...But organizations like the ones I donate too have been screaming since 1994 about this guy. But back the NONE OF YOU said a word----Why? The Clinton Administration and the Congressional Black Caucas said and did nothing. Even squashed any news coming out. people like Louis Farrakhan defended the Sudanese. So where was everybody then? This all just didn't happen lately.

[iblogleft]

In my eyes, situations like this are the main reason for having a strong NATO army and invading a country. Failure of a countries leadership to provide basic human needs should be reason for removal, peacefully or otherwise.

[steamboat]

So are you for 'cherry-picking'? .... Now why do I say that. First of all, I was against the Iraq War. But the fact is, Sadam Hussein killed as many people as Al-Bashir has. Yet, nobody on this blog wanted to interfere in Iraq but do want to intefere now in Sudan. Maybe, just maybe, we shouldn't be the world's policeman.

[iblogleft]

What I should have said is UN. The United nations should make these decisions together. There should be world police, but they should represent the world, not a national interest.

[AContrario]

I believe there is an international instance with all the capacity to conduct an action under
an international mandate. It is called the UN.

The problem is that since WWII, the most powerful UN members have been too busy
stripping this organization of any bit of military or political authority to furether their own
nationalist or economic agendas.

And the US has always been one the most active in this process.

[Clairvaux]

Ms Farrow, what can we do??

Your recommendations.

[arvay]

This un-enforceable "warrant" is an example of egoistic posturing that has little regard for the victims in Darfur.

These criminals will respond to force, not a piece of paper.

France should supply the rebels with advanced weapons and training, including shoulder-fired antiaircraft missiles, land mines, light artillery and fast, machine-gun equipped Toyota trucks, and then after a year the Sudanese would be willing to talk.

These would be defensive weapons, able to protect refugees but not sufficient to tip the balance in the civil war. Ring refugee camps with land mines, shoot down attacking helicopters and jets, provide enough force to repel infantry and cavalry attacks. No attacks should be made by non-African forces.

The first time the Janjaweed rode over land mines, they'd be some re-thinking in Khartoum.

Why France? France gets enough energy from nuclear power that it doesn't need to prostrate itself in front of the Sudanese. The African Union troops are understaffed and useless, they're on a public relations mission, not a peacekeeping mission.

[3dogman]

Our forays into Iraq and Afghanistan were a joke and only about enriching the Bush loyalists. Many countries rightfully criticized us for our stupidity and arrogance. Now is the time for those countries, i.e., France, Venezuela, Iran, and many others to step forward and help a nation (Sudan) during its time of need. Let's see where the hypocrisy begins and the BS ends.

[RoseMerry]

The thing is, are we ready to give some sovereignty to the ICC or the UN and let them organize a World Peace to serve a warrant like this? I dunno. It is a terrible situation but I favor bring all American troops home and a re-evaluation of the role of our military in the world. I am sick of foreign entanglements.

[cobobs]

The indictment is a very important step, because his followers would be less apt to obey bad orders, and follow him into a cliff and other presidents tempted to do very bad things to people would think again.

[Realization]

Really? Not without some teeth in it. Like Teddy R said, "Speak softly and carry a big stick." Where's the stick? To put some pressure on Sudan, people should think of pressuring its backers, like China.

[nycwerewolf]

Mia...We love you!

Not only are you an INCREDIBLE actress (my favorite of your many brilliant performances is in Purple Rose) but you are an INSPIRING human being.

[upstander18]

This is really scary to know that now the goverment will shut down NGO's whom are providing food and medicine to the millions of refugees in Darfur :-( Thank you, Ms. Farrow for your continuing coverage on Darfur. Stay safe.

P.S. I'm glad you liked my essay for the U.S. Holocaust Museum's essay contest.