Monday, February 11, 2008

It just doesn't stop...

The Sudanese government has resumed airstrikes in the Darfur region, forcing more survivors to flee the area. This after the UN-African Union joint mission took over in Darfur and the SOFA (Status of Forces Agreement) was signed, clearing the way for the peacekeepers to begin operating.
This may mean that Khartoum is trying to do what damage they can to the rebels (and the rebels' families, and anyone they happen to know, or who happens to be within a 50-mile radius or so) before the peacekeepers get in, while they still have the chance. More disturbingly, the airstrikes could signal that Khartoum does not intend to let these peacekeepers affect its policies any more than the African Union mission did.

If Khartoum continues its abuses in Darfur much longer, it will be interesting to see how the next US president responds. McCain, Clinton, and Obama have all vocally supported action in Darfur in the past, but without any action from the Bush Administration and limited cooperation in Congress, the editorials and letters haven't accomplished much. Regardless of which one of them is in the White House a year from now, it appears that they may well have the opportunity to back up their rhetoric.