Clooney urges U.N. action in Darfur

[Lahori paa jee]

Actor George Clooney has warned the U.N.'s most powerful body that if it did not send peacekeepers to Sudan's Darfur region, millions would die in the first genocide of the 21st century.

Clooney and his journalist father Nick Clooney spent five days in Darfur in April, gathering personal stories of the death and suffering that has ravaged the African region. Both have worked since their return to publicize the plight of the people there.

The mandate of African Union peacekeepers in Darfur expires at the end of the month and the Sudanese government has rejected their replacement by a U.N. force.

If U.N. forces are not sent to replace them, George Clooney warned the U.N. Security Council all aid workers would leave and the 2.5 million refugees who depend on them would die.

"After September 30, you won't need the U.N. You will simply need men with shovels and bleached white linen and headstones," the Oscar-winning actor said.

More than 200,000 people have been killed in the Darfur conflict and more than 2 million have fled their homes since 2003 when ethnic African tribes revolted against the Arab-led Khartoum government.

"The United States has called it genocide," Clooney told council members. "For you, it's called ethnic cleansing. But make no mistake — it is the first genocide of the 21st century. And if it continues unchecked it will not be the last."

Clooney was addressing the Security Council at an informal briefing organized by the Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity, which recently set up a Darfur Commission of Nobel laureates.

"You are the last political recourse of Darfur victims and you can stop it," Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor and Nobel Peace Prize winner, said in his own appeal to council members. He echoed Clooney's plea for the council to send peacekeepers.

Source

What is this clown up to. Is he calling for an action in Darfur to protect Christians there. We have seen all this before when Timor was given independence as they were majority christians

 

[glyn]

Why should you call him a clown? He is showing concern and humanity where both are needed. Perhaps we need more concerned clowns. These people are the survivors. Over 200,000 peaceloving rural people were killed, a huge number that qualifies for the word genocide. You should be disgusted with their persecutors, but you wont utter a single word of condemnation against them as they have the same religion as yours. Pathetic cowardice!

 

[Lahori paa jee]

you may be right

 

[Neo]

When it comes to crimes to humanity, there should be no difference between Chritians, Muslims, Jews or whatever religion. They're all humans first and then anything else.

Imho Clooney is doing a great job!

 

[blain2]

Why should you call him a clown? He is showing concern and humanity where both are needed. Perhaps we need more concerned clowns. These people are the survivors. Over 200,000 peaceloving rural people were killed, a huge number that qualifies for the word genocide. You should be disgusted with their persecutors, but you wont utter a single word of condemnation against them as they have the same religion as yours. Pathetic cowardice!

This is not really the entire truth. Half of the stuff has been concealed from the public eye. The case in Darfur is as such that both the perps and the persecuted are mostly Muslims...the only difference is that the former are of arabic origin and the latter are of African origin. This conflict does not have anything to do with the Christian south vs. Muslim North in Sudan.

So the way to resolve this situation is that they need to have talks internally and not allow a similar situation where Sudan is split up on ethnic lines (something that the Christian South and Muslim north have been fighting over for the past many years).

People do not even know the whole deal (as to why the other side is pillaging their own countrymen?). Additionally the international media has mixed up the situation with the other ongoing Christian vs. Muslim conflict and this is one of the major reasons that the many US evangelical organizations and other HR supporters are in on this (essentially pushing for bifurcation of Sudan on the basis of deployment of a UN force).

To be very honest, there are two things at play here which lead to the muted response from the Muslims:

a) Not enough knowledge about this issue on hand. Most Muslims and even Christians think it to be another episode in the long running Muslim-Christian conflict in the Sudan.

b) Muslim's hesitance to support the other side (which may lead to bifurcation of Sudan along the lines of East Timor) and lastly, Muslims frustration that wherever the Christians are suffering, the UN is moving with the threat of force and millions and millions of Muslims in similar situations (Palestine, Chechnya, Kashmir etc.) and have been suffering for ages but there is absolutely no hope in sight.

So While I personally condemn this situation in absolute terms, its a bit more complex for an average Muslim to understand. Not a matter of cowardice to be very honest...mostly ill-informed.

 

[glyn]

This is not really the entire truth. Half of the stuff has been concealed from the public eye. The case in Darfur is as such that both the perps and the persecuted are mostly Muslims...the only difference is that the former are of arabic origin and the latter are of African origin. This conflict does not have anything to do with the Christian south vs. Muslim North in Sudan.

So the way to resolve this situation is that they need to have talks internally and not allow a similar situation where Sudan is split up on ethnic lines (something that the Christian South and Muslim north have been fighting over for the past many years).

People do not even know the whole deal (as to why the other side is pillaging their own countrymen?). Additionally the international media has mixed up the situation with the other ongoing Christian vs. Muslim conflict and this is one of the major reasons that the many US evangelical organizations and other HR supporters are in on this (essentially pushing for bifurcation of Sudan on the basis of deployment of a UN force).

To be very honest, there are two things at play here which lead to the muted response from the Muslims:

a) Not enough knowledge about this issue on hand. Most Muslims and even Christians think it to be another episode in the long running Muslim-Christian conflict in the Sudan.

b) Muslim's hesitance to support the other side (which may lead to bifurcation of Sudan along the lines of East Timor) and lastly, Muslims frustration that wherever the Christians are suffering, the UN is moving with the threat of force and millions and millions of Muslims in similar situations (Palestine, Chechnya, Kashmir etc.) and have been suffering for ages but there is absolutely no hope in sight.

So While I personally condemn this situation in absolute terms, its a bit more complex for an average Muslim to understand. Not a matter of cowardice to be very honest...mostly ill-informed.

Thank you Blain2 for your reasoned reply. You are of course quite right. The conflict is a complex issue, and the media doesn't always get all the pertinent facts. As ever, we know only what we are told. If you remember my concern during the Lebanon war was the safety of Lebanese civilians. I didn't support Israel for invading, not did I support Hizbollah. My concern was for the people. Their religion was of no importance to me. They were innocent civilians, old and young, men and women. It is the same in Darfur. The displaced people are my concern, whether of Arab or African stock. Dark forces are at work, and despicable deeds have been done. My humanitarian instincts are outraged by the lack of positive action which worstens the peoples suffering. The Organization of African Unity does nothing. The government of Sudan are screaming stupid statements about the west wanting to re-colonise and are providing no relief for the refugees - in fact quite the opposite they are helping the aggressors. When someone tries to help his fellow man in a constructive way and gets called a clown for his pains, then I can only despair. This once again re-inforces my views on religion - and I think they are fairly well known by now.
However, I must say the forum has been very tolerant with me, and I do enjoy reading the posts from the goodly number of balanced and informed members. I have learnt much from them. Thank you.

 

[Bull]

What is this clown up to. Is he calling for an action in Darfur to protect Christians there. We have seen all this before when Timor was given independence as they were majority christians

lahori, why are you calling him a clown,there are a lot more people from diff spectrum calling for same actions from UN.

He never asked for darfur independence or saving the chrisitians there!!!

 

[sigatoka]

The displaced people are my concern, whether of Arab or African stock. Dark forces are at work, and despicable deeds have been done. The government of Sudan are screaming stupid statements about the west wanting to re-colonise and are providing no relief for the refugees - in fact quite the opposite they are helping the aggressors.

Actually, if you take a close look at the Sudanese troops, it doesnt immediately appear as they are "arab" or "african". What we have in Sudan is a melting pot. There has been a lot of intermarriage between "african" and "arabs". It was a terrible mistake for the govt. of Sudan to arm militias to fight the rebels because such groups are not as well tied to the rules of war.

However on Glyn's comment on re-colonisation, why doesnt India invite the U.N. and international observers into Kashmir?

Thirdly, it appears that the govt. of Sudan is taking action against the janjaweed to reduce their influence and rein them in but at the same time it is massing govt. troops near Darfur for a new round of fighting.

As a last comment, millions live in hunger in africa and thousands die every week from hunger, dirty water and lack of medicine. The west doesnt really care about the people of Darfur, it is just politics as usual. If they really cared about Africa, instead of pouring billions into fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan they would have given life and hope to millions in Africa.

 

[glyn]

Thirdly, it appears that the govt. of Sudan is taking action against the janjaweed to reduce their influence and rein them in but at the same time it is massing govt. troops near Darfur for a new round of fighting.

As a last comment, millions live in hunger in africa and thousands die every week from hunger, dirty water and lack of medicine. The west doesnt really care about the people of Darfur, it is just politics as usual. If they really cared about Africa, instead of pouring billions into fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan they would have given life and hope to millions in Africa.

The west is by far the greatest provider of aid to Africa and elsewhere.Or are you going to suggest others? I would be interested to learn. The ones who profit are usually not the ones needing help, but corrupt politicians, warlords, religious 'leaders' and other criminal meddlers.
Of course money is wasted in fighting wars. We are ALL guilty of that, are we not?