Sudan, Off With the Head!
The ICC conviction, symbolism aside, is meaningless. What we'll need in order to get rid of Bashir is money. And by money, I mean arms. And by arms, I mean air support we supply to our friends in southern Sudan—and they are our friends, as any oppressed people should be—and supplies. Guns. Radios. Computers. Wells. The basic necessities so that they can fight for themselves. Not a single American or non-African boot need ever step foot in the Sudan. It's not going to be about deposing Bashir—regime change doesn't work when imposed from without—it's going to be about rendering him impotent as a merchant of fear.
China won't bow to international pressure, or boycotts or Don Cheadle, but it's doubtful they'd actively get involved in military support for Bashir's regime if we backed up our frilly warrants with precision-guided missiles. Bashir can barely hold the capital, Khartoum, and once that falls, so does his reign. It could be accomplished in a weekend. It won't be pretty, but with a large U.N. presence in the region and an African Union willing to do what it was designed for, some measure of order could be maintained.
It's worth a shot.
Imagine that: the United States supporting an oppressed population in their fight against Islamic fundamentalism? How novel. It's something we've never actually done before, only lied about via Iraq.
The kicker: the South Sudanese actually want to sell us their oil.
Now's our chance to put our money with our mouths are. Personally, I'm tired of the catchphrase "never again" being applied to everywhere but Africa. Bashir's only the beginning.
Next stop: Mugabe.
David Matthews is the author of the memoir 'Ace of Spades' (Picador Press) and the upcoming biography 'Brother Superior,' to be published by Penguin Press in 2009.
Also on The Root:
Charlayne Hunter-Gault watches Mugabe run for his life and David Matthews sets the record straight on Sudan.
Discuss:
Sudan, Off With the Head!
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View All Comments »andys30 at 07/22/2008 11:38:19 PM
Comment:
This is an internal conflict between black Arab Muslims and black Christians. It is somewhat of an internal struggle within a black nation state that should be solved by Africans (Muslim, Christian and Animist) only. Let us not be like the British of the late 19th and early 20th century that used similar kinds of pretexts of wrong doing during by some key African leader as a pretext for neocolonial intervention. Key white figures in the UK and the US have been on the ground in Sudan making the situation worse. It is hypocritical to use economic warfare (sanctions, freezing bank accounts, restricting travel) and then support opposition leader directly and then stand back and blame and demonize a Mugabe or Omar Bashir. I am not saying that these leaders are saints but they are being used as pawns. Know the history of Sudan and Zimbabwe. These countries have always had an anti-colonial history and have never been forgiven by the West. Be careful before jumping on the popular media bandwagon. Please research Cecil Rhodes and ???Chinese??? Gordon???s methods of colonialism and invention.
chezcrisden at 07/21/2008 2:53:33 PM
Comment:
the sudan has to do what the sudan has to do to get rid of him.
if moses can part the seas, ramses and his army can drown?
then....
wantok at 07/20/2008 2:55:47 AM
Comment:
The article is a great synopsis of the human disaster known as Sudan. I just finished reading ???What is What??? So true Dufar was the media staging ground for opening up the awareness to the world what atrocities have/are occurring in Sudan, but in the south Dinka and other tribes have gone through a holocaust.
The question I ask whenever the query is made about what is the West, (U.S. mostly) going to do to solve an ???African??? problem. So where is Africa? Why must it always look to the West to pull it back on board the ship called earth? It has earthly wealth, minerals, oil, gas . . .; Lord knows it has human wealth, highly educated people. Until the countries of Africa begin to use them wisely, all the help from the great ???Western Plantation??? is not going solve their problems. They need to get off that plantation and truly begin to work with each other. Until then they will remain pawns in their own land being used and abused by outsiders.
It would be better if they looked toward the successes in Asia and Latin America. They have their problems like all other parts of the world. But when the cow manure hits the fan they take care of it, it may be sloppy, but it???s done on their own accord without crying out to the West.
Lastly, this is an age old belittling of black Africans by cultural Arabs (black or white). The Islamic north and Middle-east have never been real friends to the black south, never.