Back to Dafur

This is a cruel joke. The UN can't do a single thing on its own except issue these damnable statements.

"The situation in Darfur now is disturbing, violence is spreading, and the displaced don't trust the Sudanese police or the Sudanese judiciary system," Juan Mendez told reporters Monday after his second assessment visit to Darfur. His first visit was a year ago.

Mendez also lashed out at the Sudanese national courts for not doing enough to punish those suspected of involvement in the violence in Darfur. He urged Sudan to cooperate with the international court.

"It's in the interest of the Sudanese government to cooperate with the International Criminal Court, by allowing its international interrogators to have access to the country and to have access to documents," he said.

Sudan has refused to turn over any Darfur suspects to the ICC despite U.N. demands.

Dafur has been a killing field for more than a year. The UN has issued periodic statements but taken no actual action to stop the violence. No one, not the US, EU, or anyone else for that matter has put their foot down and issued an ultimatum to cease and desist or action would be taken. Despite no real action, the US has been aiding the African Union in providing logisitcal support for a group of peacekeepers, although they've served only to tally the count of the dead, not actually enforced a peace on the region.

What is notable about this particular statement is that more than a year after the genocide in Dafur started, the UN still can't use the word 'genocide' in their statements. It's just spreading violence. No word on who the victims are, why they're being persecuted, or that it is a government policy.