Class unity is the only answer

Darfur crisis:

Class unity is the only answer

NOTHING COULD more clearly demonstrate the toothless nature of the
United Nations (UN) than its ineffectual posturing over the humanitarian
crisis in the Darfur region of Western Sudan.

Keith Pattenden

Stung by comparisons with the genocide in Rwanda 12 years ago, the
Western powers are desperate to bring about a peace settlement, or even
just a ceasefire.

The US government is also hypocritically using the protests from the
Christian right at home as justification for their actions. In fact the
US, like all the major foreign powers involved, are attempting to
further their own interests. But they can take no effective action for
fear of coming into conflict with Russia and, more crucially China, an
ally of the Sudanese regime.

A 7,000-strong African Union (AU) "peace-keeping" force was due to be
withdrawn at the end of September and the UN Security Council had agreed
to replace it with its own forces of up to 17,300 troops and 3,000
police.

However the Sudanese government in Khartoum said it would regard the
imposition of this force as an invasion. Consequently Russia and China
abstained on the vote and threatened to veto sanctions to enforce the
decision.

At the last minute Khartoum agreed to allow the AU troops to remain,
but these forces are so powerless they are unlikely to cause the
government forces or their militias any headaches. In fact there has
been an increase in fighting since the Darfur Peace Agreement was signed
in May – the truth is there is no peace to keep.

The rebel forces who launched a military campaign for autonomy in
2003 were encouraged by the apparent success of the Sudanese Peoples
Liberation Army in southern Sudan in wresting concessions from the
central government.

The big difference is that southern Sudan is rich in oil and gas
deposits which Khartoum, again backed by China, was eager to exploit.
The rebellion in Darfur was answered by a vicious counter-offensive by
the Sudanese Air Force, augmented by pro-government militias known as
the Janjaweed. As many as 200,000 civilians have been killed and two
million displaced, making it the biggest humanitarian disaster currently
ravaging Africa.

The agreement signed in May was the minimum acceptable to Khartoum,
allowing for a ceasefire by government and rebel forces, an undertaking
to disarm the Janjaweed and the deployment of AU troops to observe the
situation. These troops were to open fire only in self-defence and could
not intervene directly to protect villagers under attack. Little wonder
that the government found these terms palatable.

In any case, three of the four rebel armies refused to sign the deal
and have now formed an umbrella group, the National Redemption Force, to
continue the struggle; the fourth, a breakaway faction of the Sudanese
Liberation Army is now fighting alongside the Janjaweed against its
former allies.

The reluctant agreement by the Sudanese government to allow the AU to
remain is only of symbolic value. Under-funded, ill-equipped and poorly
trained, it’s been suggested the AU only agreed to continue its presence
because they couldn’t afford the cost of airlifting troops out.

The commanding officer of the Nigerian contingent, asked if the
operation had been a failure said: "If someone hasn’t got wings and you
say he has failed to fly – I don’t think you can call that failure".

No solution is to be found under the auspices of either the AU or UN.
To resolve the crisis, the people of the region need to take their fate
into their own hands. In the post-war period, the once powerful Sudanese
Communist Party was able to appeal to all the various peoples on the
basis of class unity, but the CP squandered its opportunity by
acquiescing to Arab nationalism.

A determined struggle by the people of Darfur and throughout Sudan,
behind a programme for utilising the wealth of the region for the
benefit of all its people, could appeal to the workers and poor
peasants, the urban and rural poor, including those currently serving in
the army, to launch a genuine liberation campaign for the overthrow of
the corrupt and repressive regime.

However, none of the existing organisations are capable of playing
this role – new forces of class-based non sectarian struggle have to be
constructed to take the fight forward. The solidarity of the working
class internationally will be crucial to the success of such a fight.