Ambassador
Darfur: Continuing the Hard Work of Peace
By U.S. Ambassador to Denmark, James P. Cain
Op-Ed in Jyllands-Posten
June 6, 2006
The plight of the people of Darfur in western Sudan has stirred the conscience of the whole world. The fighting between the government-backed Arab militia and rebel groups has cost roughly 200,000 innocent people their lives and many more their livelihood, as armed government forces murdered men, raped women, beat children to death, burned homes and poisoned wells. President Bush has described this violence on a mass scale as an act of genocide. And he is right. No other word captures the extent of this tragedy.
Earlier this month, foreign ministers of the world's major powers met in the U.N. Security Council at the request of the United States to discuss the future of Darfur. In her address, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice called on the Security Council to quickly approve a U.S.-sponsored resolution that would accelerate arrangements for a more robust Darfur peacekeeping force under U.N. command. Danish Minister for Development, Ulla Tørnæs, similarly urged the council to support implementation of the Darfur peace agreement.
This happened on May 17 when the Security Council unanimously adopted Resolution 1679 urging speedy implementation of the Darfur peace accord in Sudan and threatening "strong and effective measures" against those standing in the way.
There is now new hope for this troubled region. Troops from the African Union (AU) have so far done an admirable job, but the situation demanded more of them than their mandate, equipment and numbers would allow. The AU mission will now be transformed into a stronger U.N. mission that can keep the peace.
No country understands the need for this better than the United States. In the past weeks, my government has helped chart a way out of the humanitarian crisis facing Darfur by supporting refugees, creating conditions for U.N. agencies to do their work, and making it clear to the Sudanese government in Khartoum that we expect them to uphold the terms of the ceasefire. As always, we have worked closely with our strong Danish partner to provide the political and humanitarian support needed to alleviate this dire situation.
The ceasefire and the Security Council decision are good news, but we must not underestimate the amount of work remaining to be done. America wants civilians to be able return safely to their villages and rebuild their lives. That work has begun, but completing it will require even greater efforts by many nations. America is taking the lead in providing humanitarian aid, as the largest single donor of assistance. We contributed 85 percent of the food distributed by the World Food Program in Sudan this year alone.
America's help goes well beyond food aid. It is directed towards the neediest victims. In late 2004 in Darfur, the government-backed militia attacked the village of a woman named Zahara. They raped her, murdered her husband, and set fire to her home. To help victims like Zahara and their children, the U.S. has provided millions of dollars to fund rape crisis centers, improve maternal and child health, and build vocational skills that allow women to earn income without leaving refugee camps and exposing themselves to risks.
Great advances have been made, but America cannot keep people healthy, safe and fed without other countries doing their part as well. Nations like Denmark, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Japan are leaders on humanitarian issues and the people of Darfur are looking for their help. The Netherlands has offered to hold an international donors' conference for development and reconstruction later this year. The United States will attend and we will urge other nations to do so as well. Donors need to be generous, and they need to start right now. We cannot afford to lose a single day.
As we prepare for this effort, it is worth remembering that the U.N. Security Council already in February prepared to replace the peacekeeping soldiers from the African Union with U.N. forces. But when the Sudanese government objected, the planning for a peacekeeping force stopped. Sudan's government has now changed its mind and the door is open to the deployment of a U.N. force. The United States government has acted resolutely on this. We now look to our friends to do the same. We all need to seize this opportunity to build a peaceful, democratic and secure future for the suffering people of Darfur.