Comments on: Lethal Violence in Darfur: May http://blogs.ssrc.org/sudan/2009/06/24/lethal-violence-in-darfur-may/ Thu, 18 Mar 2010 20:56:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Paulo Silva http://blogs.ssrc.org/sudan/2009/06/24/lethal-violence-in-darfur-may/comment-page-1/#comment-4094 Paulo Silva Thu, 02 Jul 2009 15:54:01 +0000 http://blogs.ssrc.org/sudan/?p=911#comment-4094 It is true that focusing on the number of deaths is misleading and drives attention away from the real issues. before South Sudan took arms against the north in the +2 million casualty war, there were comparatively low death tolls. Waving the 300.000 or 500.000 death toll in Darfur suggests that if the real death toll had been 35.000 we could all go home and relax. In the same way, accepting an 150 monthly violent death toll is not a synonym of things working out in Darfur, and it would be great if one day we could stop using them as an index of troubles to come... It is true that focusing on the number of deaths is misleading and drives attention away from the real issues. before South Sudan took arms against the north in the +2 million casualty war, there were comparatively low death tolls.

Waving the 300.000 or 500.000 death toll in Darfur suggests that if the real death toll had been 35.000 we could all go home and relax.

In the same way, accepting an 150 monthly violent death toll is not a synonym of things working out in Darfur, and it would be great if one day we could stop using them as an index of troubles to come…

]]> By: Alex de Waal http://blogs.ssrc.org/sudan/2009/06/24/lethal-violence-in-darfur-may/comment-page-1/#comment-4036 Alex de Waal Fri, 26 Jun 2009 06:39:48 +0000 http://blogs.ssrc.org/sudan/?p=911#comment-4036 Dear Tahir You are absolutely correct. We need to move the focus on from the sterile and misleadingly-framed question of "how many are dying" to the political challenge of resolving the reasons why the Darfur conflict erupted, and why it took on such a devastating form with enormous social, demographic, humanitarian and above all, political consequences. As you know, the AU Panel had planned to travel to meet with the JEM leadership in the field on Wednesday, but was unable to do so on account of military activities in the area. The visit has been postponed, not cancelled. In his press conference yesterday, Pres. Mbeki made it clear that he intends to continue his engagement with the JEM leadership on the key political issues of peace, justice, reconciliation and the role of Darfur in Sudanese national political life, prior to formulating the recommendations of the AU Panel. Dear Tahir

You are absolutely correct. We need to move the focus on from the sterile and misleadingly-framed question of “how many are dying” to the political challenge of resolving the reasons why the Darfur conflict erupted, and why it took on such a devastating form with enormous social, demographic, humanitarian and above all, political consequences.

As you know, the AU Panel had planned to travel to meet with the JEM leadership in the field on Wednesday, but was unable to do so on account of military activities in the area. The visit has been postponed, not cancelled. In his press conference yesterday, Pres. Mbeki made it clear that he intends to continue his engagement with the JEM leadership on the key political issues of peace, justice, reconciliation and the role of Darfur in Sudanese national political life, prior to formulating the recommendations of the AU Panel.

]]> By: Ruben http://blogs.ssrc.org/sudan/2009/06/24/lethal-violence-in-darfur-may/comment-page-1/#comment-4030 Ruben Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:38:51 +0000 http://blogs.ssrc.org/sudan/?p=911#comment-4030 Derrida in Khartoum – Is the Disintegration of the Sudan Imminent? My latest contribution to Konkret (7/09) deals with the intensification of the many conflicts in Africa’s biggest country. Some analysts even go so far as to predict a Somalia scenario any time soon. The warrant of arrest of the ICC for President Omar al-Bashir was supposed to raise the pressure on the Islamists, but some observers doubt that this strategy in fact succeeded. Read some excerpts of that article here. http://rubeneberlein.wordpress.com Derrida in Khartoum – Is the Disintegration of the Sudan Imminent?

My latest contribution to Konkret (7/09) deals with the intensification of the many conflicts in Africa’s biggest country. Some analysts even go so far as to predict a Somalia scenario any time soon. The warrant of arrest of the ICC for President Omar al-Bashir was supposed to raise the pressure on the Islamists, but some observers doubt that this strategy in fact succeeded. Read some excerpts of that article here.

http://rubeneberlein.wordpress.com

]]> By: Dr. El-tahir El-Faki http://blogs.ssrc.org/sudan/2009/06/24/lethal-violence-in-darfur-may/comment-page-1/#comment-4025 Dr. El-tahir El-Faki Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:51:40 +0000 http://blogs.ssrc.org/sudan/?p=911#comment-4025 Dear Alex Five hundred twenty seven deaths are too many. Comparative statistical analysis with the earlier incidents in 2003/4 will certainly show massive reduction of fatalities in the region. Your statistic proves the fact that blood is still spilt in the sands of Darfur as a result of the conflict. I note that those who have been displaced subsequent to the conflict during the same period are not included. We are not here to argue quantitative reduction of violence but we are trying to make a case for acknowledging that there is an ongoing problem in Darfur. There are no villages for the militias to attack and burn down simply because the job has been properly done in the early course of the conflict. The new settlers do not need to fight among themselves because they have managed to displace the original inhabitants. The fighting is left for the movements to battle for their cause and that is why most of the deaths are among combatants. Those in the IDP camps are the same villagers who have been displaced by the militias. It is not in the interest of the government or its militias to attack them in their new place of dwelling. The camps are what the militias want the villagers to be in for the rest of their lives. They do not want to push them further or to corner them lest they turn and fight back. The ongoing issue is the political question not the numbers of people killed in Darfur. Al-Bashir admitted the killing of ten thousands and the displacement of over two millions. He is happier with the outcome and in no mood to push it further. The change in demography of the region makes it impossible for new events to equate what happened during the early periods of the conflict. The job has been successfully accomplished nearly two years ago. The Sudanese air forces find no civilian targets to bomb and the militias have already secured land, which they no longer need to expel their original owners from. That is why the numbers of deaths are few. Dear Alex
Five hundred twenty seven deaths are too many. Comparative statistical analysis with the earlier incidents in 2003/4 will certainly show massive reduction of fatalities in the region. Your statistic proves the fact that blood is still spilt in the sands of Darfur as a result of the conflict. I note that those who have been displaced subsequent to the conflict during the same period are not included. We are not here to argue quantitative reduction of violence but we are trying to make a case for acknowledging that there is an ongoing problem in Darfur. There are no villages for the militias to attack and burn down simply because the job has been properly done in the early course of the conflict. The new settlers do not need to fight among themselves because they have managed to displace the original inhabitants. The fighting is left for the movements to battle for their cause and that is why most of the deaths are among combatants.
Those in the IDP camps are the same villagers who have been displaced by the militias. It is not in the interest of the government or its militias to attack them in their new place of dwelling. The camps are what the militias want the villagers to be in for the rest of their lives. They do not want to push them further or to corner them lest they turn and fight back.
The ongoing issue is the political question not the numbers of people killed in Darfur. Al-Bashir admitted the killing of ten thousands and the displacement of over two millions. He is happier with the outcome and in no mood to push it further.
The change in demography of the region makes it impossible for new events to equate what happened during the early periods of the conflict. The job has been successfully accomplished nearly two years ago. The Sudanese air forces find no civilian targets to bomb and the militias have already secured land, which they no longer need to expel their original owners from. That is why the numbers of deaths are few.

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