Peacekeeping: Too Damn Dangerous

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January17, 2007: The UN took a look at the fighting in western Sudan (Darfur), that is spreading into Chad and the Central African Republic (CAR). The UN decided that it was too dangerous for UN peacekeepers. The problem is that, in these border areas, it has become so dangerous (with various armed gangs wandering around), that UN aid workers could not go into many areas where there were refugees in need of help. Demands for protection led to the UN study, and conclusion that the region was too chaotic for even peacekeepers. This all the result of the Sudanese tactic of subsidizing tribal militias to do the dirty work (chasing away tribes that support rebel movements, now being extended to dissident groups in Chad and CAR. The problem is, the Sudanese government has little control over these gangs. If UN peacekeepers were sent in, they would be at war with the border gangs from Chad and CAR, with no government to appeal to. In Chad and CAR, Sudan has created monsters over which it has no control. But many UN members find this unacceptable, and demand that something be done. However, the same nations that are risk-averse, or unwilling to criticize a fellow Arab government, are blocking any action.

 

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