We wrote recently about the difficulties facing the International Criminal Court's indictment of Sudanese ruler Omar Hassan al-Bashir. The Christian Science Monitor had a great article Saturday by Heba Aly, detailing continued janjaweed- and government-sponsored violence against civilians in Darfur.
The Sudanese government – and many Western analysts – have asserted moving forward with the al-Bashir indictment will slow moves towards peace and security in the troubled region.
“How will the ICC hamper the peace process? What peace process?” asked one international observer in Darfur. “I don't see anything happening.”
In fact, quite the opposite is true. Last month saw heavy fighting between government troops and rebel factions in North Darfur. Many of the areas targeted by the government were under control of the only rebel group to have made peace with the government in 2006, contrary to the agreement's cease-fire. Tens of thousands of Darfuris are believed to have been displaced, many of them still hiding in the mountains afraid the bomb-dropping Antonov planes will return.
“The government has not even tried to implement the Darfur Peace Agreement. Not one move,” added the observer, who spoke on condition of anonymity. “Disarming Arab militias, for example? Quite the contrary, they started to give them more weapons and send them out again.”
It is now more than four years and two months since the U.S. House of Representatives declared what is happening in Darfur constitutes genocide under international law.
