Victims of Sudanese conflict out of sight and out of mind

Perhaps it’s the presidential election in the United States, the economic turmoil around the world or simply emotional exhaustion, but whatever the reason, the 2.8 million victims of the ethnic conflict in the Sudan are quickly becoming the world’s forgotten people.

But for an occasional news story detailing the problems of deploying peacekeepers under the auspices of the United Nations, one of history’s greatest humanitarian disasters has disappeared from the front pages and network news programs.

The effect of the downgrading of the story can be seen in Wednesday’s announcement by Alain Le Roy, the U.N.’s peacekeeping chief, that only half of the 26,000 peacekeepers authorized for Darfur province will be deployed by year’s end. That’s far below the 80 percent target.

One of the reasons for the delay: The refusal by Sudanese authorities to clearly state what the status of troops from Thailand and Nepal will be.

It isn’t the first time that the government of President Omar al-Bashir in Khartoum has put up roadblocks to the peacekeeping efforts of the African Union and the United Nations — and it won’t be the last. Given that the cleansing of ethnic Africans in Darfur by the janjaweed Arab militants was sanctioned by the Arab dominated central government, it is not surprising that the effort to bring the conflict to an end is being undermined.

The death toll from the five-year conflict has passed 300,000, while 2.5 million residents of Darfur have been forced to flee their homes. Despite living in conditions not fit for humans and facing death because of disease and starvation, these victims of the conflict are too afraid to return home.

Without the protection of the peacekeepers, they will be killed.

Criminal charges

President al-Bashir has been charged by the international criminal court with genocide and war crimes, but no country has been willing to force his appearance to answer to the charges.

The West’s preoccupation with tumbling stock markets, Russia’s invasion of Georgia and the presidential election in the United States have meant that the 2.5 million victims have lost their voices on the world stage.

Adding to the problems of deploying the peacekeepers is the absence of “firm commitments” for attack helicopters, surveillance aircraft and transport helicopters, which are essential to make the Darfur mission fully operational, according to the U.N.’s Le Roy.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, in his report on Sudan in late August, cited other problems in deploying the force, including growing insecurity, logistical difficulties and increasing banditry in Sudan’s vast western province. He added that engineering and construction work in camps for peacekeepers “have not advanced as anticipated.”

Each deadline missed means another day of suffering for the millions of Sudanese.

The sense of urgency expressed by President Bush and leaders of various European countries not so long ago appears to have disappeared.

Only pressure from the industrialized nations on President al-Bashir will bring about a change in attitude in Khartoum.

Perhaps a discussion about Sudan by the two presidential candidates, Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain, and their running mates will put the story back on the front pages and on network television.