Tuesday, September 05, 2006

When Darfur rebels do not want to be saved

According to a Reuters piece dated July 14, Eritrea opposes UN intervention in Darfur. They're not a disinterested party, as they back the Sudanese Liberation Army, one of two major Darfur rebel groups. Furthermore, in May, Human Rights Watch documented an pattern of increasing attacks by rebels upon humanitarian convoys and aid workers, apparently with the intent of converting vehicles into battlefield platforms.

Given this confluence, it would seem that a major Darfur rebel group would rather that the genocidal conflict continue in Sudan, and that they perceive some gains to be had in the future given the absence of UN intervention. If so, resolving the Darfur conflict will take more than getting the Sudanese government to disarm the Arab Janjawid, many of whom appear to have been incorporated into Sudanese armed forces.

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