Voices of Hope Concert for Darfur - We will not fail

Who likes failure? Kids fail exams in school. Sports teams fail in their desire to win championship titles. But should the international community, specifically the United Nations, fail to put together an international peacekeeping force, more importantly, should the UN be allowed to fail in its ability to save the lives of the millions of men, women, and children of Darfur?

On Wednesday, November 14, 2007, the head of the UN peacekeeping department, Mr. Jean-Marie Guehenno, announced the UN-AU Hybrid Force to Darfur will fail, whenever it is deployed, because the force is still in the development stages, with no support from western nations and because there has been no offer of logistical support, primarily aerial logistical support from any country in West.

Now, as a peacekeeping mission, the UN-AU Hybrid Force needs six attack helicopters and eighteen transport helicopters. The Sudanese government has still not given its “approval” to the makeup of the force and most of those countries that it has approved, do not meet the standards for deployment with the UN.

A few questions arise in reference to these points and the first relates to the six attack helicopters. What on earth does a peacekeeping force require SIX attack helicopters for? I am not naïve, but SIX attack helicopters? It shows that the UN is concerned about sending troops to Darfur without the appropriate military hardware because it believes it is going to be very dangerous for any outside troops that are deployed there. If SIX attack helicopters are required, then one can only imagine what type of heavy ground equipment will be required. Tanks, surface to air missiles, air to ground missiles, mortars, Special Forces even. Is this the environment that the UN intends to send peacekeepers into? Is it any wonder that no western nation has volunteered troops for this mission because even the UN envisions it as a highly dangerous mission. The last time the UN got involved in such a mission was in Somalia in the early 90’s. That force had to be rescued by the US military and it turned out to be a disaster for the US. The second question pertains to the explanation that contributing countries may have to give to their citizens when large numbers of their sons and daughters in the military return home in body bags. Why did you (the government of the contributing country) send our troops to Darfur knowing very well that the situation was so volatile? But with all that said and done, the UN-AU Hybrid force is the only solution other than a full scale military assault on Darfur by NATO, the EU or worse, the US.

The last question that springs to mind is why is the UN waiting on the Sudanese government to give its approval to the make up of the hybrid force? Countless resolutions have been passed at the UN that enables it to send a peacekeeping force to Darfur without the Sudanese government’s approval. Is the UN afraid of insulting or worse, alienating the Sudanese government due to its lack of support or movement in reference to the hybrid force? For God’s sake, what the bloody hell are those guys in New York waiting for?

What needs to happen, and happen very quickly, is:

• The UN needs to inform Sudan that the deployment of the UN-AU Hybrid Force is imminent, with or without Sudan’s approval.
• The UN needs to give the force an extended mandate so that offensive action, as well as defensive can be taken to defend the lives of the innocent civilians and the members of the deployed force
• All militias and rebel groups need to be informed that any actions taken against the UN-AU Hybrid Force will be met by swift action against any side that perpetrate such actions.
• This may include:
• The arrest of all rebel and militia commanders
• The initiation of quick or special proceedings at the International Criminal Court in the Hague
• The freezing of all assets held outside the country
• An enforced blanket ban by all countries or businesses doing business with Sudan
• Retaliatory actions against the forces responsible for carrying out such actions

To move on to another issue. In Britain also on Wednesday, November 14, 2007, the Law Lords, the country’s highest court, overturned a court of appeal’s ruling that allowed three asylum seekers from Darfur to stay in Britain. What this new ruling means is that the three asylum seekers will now be returned to Sudan. Previously failed asylum seekers have been tortured and then murdered upon their return to Sudan. How in the name of God could the highest court in Britain return these three innocent victims to a certain death?

The three asylum seekers in question were due to be sent to a refugee camp in Darfur but they escaped Sudan and found their way to Britain, where they filed asylum applications. In Wednesday’s ruling, the Law Lords announced that sending refugees to camps in the Sudanese region of Darfur was not "unduly harsh" resettlement, therefore their applications for asylum were denied and now they will be repatriated to Sudan.

For those of you who read these emails, you will know that the situation in Darfur is very critical. Can you help? More importantly, do you want to help? If you do, shoot me an email and tell me how you want to help.

You will also know that the International Alliance For Human Rights, together with Hope for Humanity is staging a global concert event early in the New Year titled the “Voices of Hope Concert for Darfur.” This event will see the biggest names in music coming together to voice their support and hope for the innocent men, women and children of Darfur. The event will also see some of biggest stars in the fields of sports, movies, general entertainment coming together to voice their concern that we, as a global family, need to do more that talk, if the situation in Darfur is to be resolved. If we come together and put our voices together as one, WE WILL NOT FAIL!

Please forward this email to all your friends, families, and associates because it is important that we act NOW!