Report of the International Rescue Committee aborted mission to Darfur, Sudan, December 18th -24th 2006 

- Anthony Udu-Gama, delegation participant 

    Darfur is about the size of Texas or France in land area and is a home to racially mixed tribes of settled peasants who identify as African, and Nomadic herders who identify as Arab. The story of the Darfur conflict is a story of armed conflict between the Janjaweed, a militia group aligned and actively recruited from the Abbala (camel-herding Arabs) by the Sudanese Government and the non-Baggara people (mostly land – tilling tribes) of the region of the Western Sudan. 

     Time line…... This was a region that was incorporated into Sudan by the British after the onslaught by Herbert Kitchener in 1916 – the bulk of the Anglo-Egyptian resources were devoted to the Blue Nile Region and Khartoum, leaving the rest of the country undeveloped. This pattern of neglect continued after the Independence of Sudan in 1956. 

     The Government denies actively supporting the Janjaweed with arms and assistance while it, in reality, participates in joint attacks with the Janjaweed against the Fur, Masseleit and Zaghawa (ethnic groups) in Darfur. Unlike the Second Sudanese Civil War fought primarily between the Muslim north and Animist South, most residents in Darfur are Muslims. 

     The chief combatants are the SLA (Sudanese Liberation Army and remnants of the Darfur Liberation Front), and the Justice and Equality Movement vs. the Janjaweed Government of Sudan, and the Minnawi faction of the SLA. Casualty estimates vary according to the NGO and government sources used but are widely accepted as being over 400,000.The UN concurs with the estimate of over 400,000; the African Union estimatees over 300,000; the Govt. of Sudan estimates 9000, BBC News over 200,000. Dr. Eric Reeves of Smith College in 2006 estimated over 450,000 casualties in “Quantifying Genocide in Darfur”. 

     Government neglect has left the Sudanese people poor and voiceless, causing conflict throughout the country. Frustrated by poverty and neglect two Darfurian rebel groups launched an uprising against the government in Khartoum. Since Feb 2003 the Khartoum Government and government- sponsored Janjaweed militia have used rape, displacement, looting, burning, organized starvation and mass murder to kill more than 400,000 and displace over 2.5 million . Violence, disease, displacement and starvation continue to kill thousands of innocent Darfurians every month. Despite the Internationally sponsored peace deal in May 2006, the violence, human rights violations and forced displacements continue. As of this date, the government in Khartoum has launched another huge air raid killing over 200 villages in the villages of Toma, Tine and Kutum ….the killing continues and Al-Bashir, the President, continues to say that “there is no need for UN troops in Darfur, the Sudanese military and the AU are quite capable of looking after security in the country….” 

The present…………….. 

     To come into Africa again , after so many years ….yes one gets nostalgic for this continent…..so good to be back….. On the night of arrival and flying over North Eastern Darfur, the pilot of BA flight 122 was kind enough to fly low and point out fires burning below us – which he explained “could well be a village that was set on fire” – all we saw was a long swathe of flames. Our delegation of 7, sponsored by the International Crisis Group to the Darfur was preemptively called off 4 days prior to arrival, due to continued attacks on UN and African Union (AU) personnel, N G O’s and aid groups already on the ground, in some cases leading to the withdrawal of much needed assistance and observers in Darfur. However since 4 of us were already booked on the flights we arrived in Khartoum on Dec. 18th and were met by a representative of the IRC in Sudan. 

     Khartoum is just another metropolis – gleaming and “modern” with shopping malls and billboards – almost surreal in the middle of the surrounding desert. Full of UN, AU, African Mission In Sudan, UN Mission In Sudan,various NGO’s, with military and obvious government- backed militia running around the city…. . I

     Early in the morning the day after our arrival, and after a few preliminaries, we were driven to the Ministry of External Affairs in Khartoum to meet with an Assistant Permanent Secretary. We were essentially told that our “presence in The Sudan was only aggravating the situation on the ground as the Government was dividing its attention to providing us security and unable to provide for the security and economic well being of the people of Darfur…….” It would be in our interest that we “leave the country at the earliest, as no personnel could be spared to guarantee our security or accompany us on a mission to the Darfur. We also have sufficient N G O’s and personnel in the region and our presence was only adding to immense difficulties for the government”. He also went on to say that we (our group) do “not understand what was taking place and only contributed to the vile and perfidious reporting carried out by the foreign media….”. 

     We were, however, invited to attend a press conference at the Ministry of Information that afternoon which turned out to be more justification for the attacks carried out by the government on the villages, refugees and refugee camps in the three states (Northern, Central and South Darfur). We were told that the SLM and splinter groups must stop attacks on government outposts, lay down their arms unconditionally, join the SPLA and join the peace accord negotiatied with the Southern People’s Liberation Army….. amid other conditions for a lasting peace. As of this date there are over 1.5 million refugees in Chad and almost a million in the CFR. 

     We determined, despite the government warning, to visit the conflict region. We were able to get there thanks to Osman (last name withheld at his request), who arranged for us to be driven to Nyala, the Capital of South Darfur (instead of El Fashir, the capital of Darfur, which was under attack by the military and Janjaweed). So, Briaun Van Nassert of Belgium, a veteran of The Congo and Rwandan genocide and massacres, and I left for Darfur, while Christian and Michele from France, other members of delegation, decided not to risk it and stayed at the hotel. We left Khartoum on Dec. 21st. The trip itself took over 13 hours –road blocks, check points, diversions, as the driver Abdul (a veteran driver who had had done this journey dozens of times before) informed us time and again “that way is too dangerous”. The road scenes were from history books – images of destroyed villages- burnt skeletal remnants of houses and outposts – Osman said it was “much worse in the North”. It was desolate dry and hot. The driver was not too keen on the drive and took the risk only because of the money - $400.00 for a return trip. The journey crosses desert, the arid Marrah Mountains (volcanic peaks rising up to 3000 meters in the center of the region, and sparsely forested terrain. This contrasts with the forbidding and vast desert interspersed with acacia trees and bushes in the Central areas closer to the border with Chad. Continuous mid-day sandstorms reduce visibility to about 100 feet – it is blinding and unless one protects oneself, harmful. One could discern possibly Chinese oil rigs in the distance, as Abdul explained. The few people we met said that the presence of a few internationals were insufficient to ‘hold the government accountable’. They “knew it was the Janjaweed and the government as no one else had aircraft that could bomb these villages, such as Antonov Russian-made jet fighters now obviously made and maintained under license in China. The air attacks were always followed by a ground attack with men on camel and horseback, ‘it had to be coordinated and well planned", according to Osman. 

     We were stopped several times by roadblocks and accosted within 7 KM of Nyala by the Sudanese Military. Briaun’s camera was confiscated and after a lengthy and heated discussion with the Colonel in charge we were told to turn back and given an escort by a 3 man military jeep unit and returned to the Khartoum Nile Hotel on the 22nd, late evening. We were requested to meet at the Ministry of External Affairs the next morning where the Press Attache was due to conduct a conference for the African media. Most press corp members were pressing Khartoum on their stand about the proposed deployment of UN personnel and strengthening of AU forces already deployed. 

     There was a general sense that Khartoum continues a deliberate policy of vagueness in order to avoid confrontation with the international community. It was also obvious that Khartoum realizes that the US is stifled, frozen and incapable of providing leadership due to its continuing engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan. Also, the US wants to avoid “offending” (my quotes) Arab Governments. If the US does not put some muscle into its resolutions, no amount of talk and resolutions will bring any resolution on the ground in Darfur. 

     We were taken to the Office of the Deputy Minister – Briaun and I were ‘requested’ to leave the country in 24 hours due to our uninvited (and obviously unwelcome) attempt to visit Darfur. I left that evening to S. Africa on my way to Mauritius while Briaun left for Accra, Ghana. We had not accomplished anything and so much needed to be done. The least we can do for now is raise awareness and publicize what is going on in Darfur. On the last night at dinner with Osman he indicated that Gosh, the Security Chief, had been in the US late last year. So what role could we expect the US to play, if this were the case? 

     At the same time, other N G O’s were being expelled or attacked throughout the region - two UN personnel and 7 AU troops were killed and two women volunteers with a French NGO were attacked and raped and the Sudanese Government Air Force had stepped up raids on North Darfur while claiming to bomb rebel positions. World Vision, Mercy Corps, Doctors without Borders (MSF), Refugee International and dozens of other humanitarian organizations have withdrawn many personnel and yet continue to struggle to give humanitarian assistance and deliver much needed aid to the refugees in the camps. 

     Entering the 4th year, peace keeping forces find themselves unable to protect innocent families. Access to remote locations is harder putting women and children especially, at risk. Due to security concerns and incidents against humanitarian agencies most projects have been closed or run by skeletal teams. MSF (Doctors without Borders) in particular is fighting a race against time in trying to provide basic medical needs in camps bordering Chad and the Central African Republic. Their mobile teams provide vaccinations, surgical procedures, distribute plastic sheeting and food rations, staff trauma centers and provide rations of water. 

     It is up to us to tell the world the role of the Chinese – their interests in heavy industries, their investments in minerals and oil, and the US’s need for the “intelligence value of Sudan”. Should we then consider the role of the Russians, the French, British and the Germans ? We must consider their economic interests despite the public posture at world forums……. 

     What can I do???? We have to be kept informed……we must get involved…..write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper or other outlets…….communicate with your representatives/ congressman….express your views and concerns about Darfur……support relief efforts….check out the various websites….talk about Darfur to your friends, family, co-workers, organizations you belong to……schools, churches, synagogues, mosques, temples and groups across the country…..join in demonstrations and demand government action……..spread the word…. We cannot continue to count the number of deaths, the internally displaced, the stories of atrocities, the millions of refugees….. the number of people needing medical assistance, food and other much needed supplies…. Our President said, “not on my watch” on reading a report on Darfur early in 2003 and someone said it was because an aide placed a report on Darfur on his watch. He will probably echo the words of President Clinton that the biggest regret he has is that he could not respond effectively to the Ruwandan genocide…...