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UN officials stunned to find refugee camp emptied in Sudan
Looks like the relief effort is off to a great start.
Sudanese government officials emptied a camp of thousands of refugees hours before UN Secretary General Kofi Annan was to arrive here Thursday, preventing him from meeting some of the hardest-hit victims of the humanitarian crisis in the province of Darfur.
Well, Kofi, it looks like you’ve just been pissed on.
"There may have been 3,000 to 4,000 people here as of 5 p.m. yesterday," UN spokesman Fred Eckhard said as he gazed upon the empty camp at Mashtel. "Now, as you can see, no one is here. I can’t imagine they spontaneously moved."
Shocked! Shocked!! Stern reprimand in 5...4...3...
The forced removal came a day after Sudanese officials promised Secretary of State Colin Powell that humanitarian aid workers would have unrestricted access to Darfur and agreed to other U.S. demands to avoid possible UN sanctions.
Oh. You mean now???
Sudanese officials acknowledged they had moved the refugees, but said it was for their own good. "We didn’t move them because of the secretary general’s visit," said Anwar Ibrahim, the state minister for Darfur. "It is because we were trying our best to help them."
We can’t do enough for them. Everybody knows that.
As many as 30,000 people have died and 1 million more have been driven from their homes by a scorched-earth campaign carried out by pro-government Arab militias. The militias, called the Janjaweed, were recruited to wipe out a rebel insurrection that began 16 months ago, but they have unleashed their fury on civilians who belong to the same tribes as the rebels.
Hey, them rebels got guns and shit. We might get hurt.
On Wednesday, Powell warned the government to rein in the militias and to create a safe environment so that refugees can return to their homes. The United States is circulating a draft resolution at the United Nations calling for an arms embargo and travel restrictions on Janjaweed leaders, and possibly Sudanese officials, if the government does not fulfill its promises to end the crisis.
Yes, yes. Working very hard on this. Very hard indeed. Promise.
On Thursday, Annan, along with UN and Sudanese officials, arrived in the province to get a firsthand look at the plight of the displaced. At the Zam Zam refugee camp, Annan talked with tribal elders. Senior Sudanese officials listened to every word.
...and took down every name. Don’t worry. Kofi will protect you.
Ahmed Noor Mohammed, one of the elders, was asked if women were being abused in the camp. He rattled off a long sentence in Arabic. "Some women face some difficulties. Masked men, even soldiers ..." Annan’s translator began. Before he could finish the sentence, Sudanese government minders and officials cut him off, saying he had translated it wrong.
And you let it slide, right, Kofi?
"They are afraid, but they don’t have any problems," said Ibrahim Hamid, the minister of humanitarian affairs, who was seated next to UN leader.
The minister of humanitarian affairs. Bet that’s a tough, heavy lifting job in the Sudan.
After Annan’s entourage left, Mohammed said women were scared to leave the camp because of the Janjaweed.
Wonder if Mohammed’s still breathing?
Posted by: tu3031 2004-07-02
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=37032