Reply #1: Sudan

[mia]

Out of time in Darfur

..."Janjaweed" militias, Arabs backed by the Sudanese government, are continuing to conduct mop-up operations against non-Arab villagers in a massive ethnic-cleansing campaign in the region. The current conflict flared early last year when two rebel groups in Darfur attacked government forces. The swelling crisis could leave hundreds of thousands dead in the coming months....

The fighting in southern Sudan, Darfur and northern Uganda is part and parcel of the same problem: an autocratic regime in Khartoum that would rather foster divide-and-rule conflict than share power. Peace in Sudan and the region requires a major international investment focusing on finalizing peace in these three interrelated conflicts. Such a move would save hundreds of thousands of lives and hundreds of millions of dollars in relief assistance. If all three aren't addressed, a peace deal for any one of them won't be sustainable.

Although each situation requires major humanitarian responses, Darfur remains the most pressing emergency in the world today. Breaking the back of this famine will require a surge in airlift and logistical capacity. Huge quantities of food, medical, sanitation and shelter supplies are needed. African Union cease-fire observers and U.N. human-rights monitors must be deployed to stop militia attacks. The European Union and the U.S. are the only entities capable of handling such a massive operation....

The situation in Sudan poses an acid test for the aspirations of the African Union to be a regional force for peace, and for the ability of the U.N. to respond to such horrific crimes. A forceful diplomatic initiative combined with a robust famine-prevention effort would save hundreds of thousands of lives and bring peace to the region. This is the kind of international engagement that could begin to restore credibility to the Bush administration's efforts abroad and have a salutary impact far beyond this war-torn corner of the Horn of Africa.