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Escalation in Sudan and Chad |
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The Janjaweed/Sudanese government genocide in Darfur has been destabilizing Sudan and its neighbors from the outset. But now it looks like things are getting a lot worse.
Over the weekend, journalists reported that government planes were bombing rebel strongholds in Darfur. This follows on the heels of government attacks on UN personnel in the area, and increasing doubts about the government’s commitment to peace.
Worse still, the Sudanese government isn’t the only group bombing Darfur. Sudan has accused its neighbor, Chad, of bombing rebels in Darfur itself. In the last few weeks, Chad has stepped up its rhetoric against Sudan, threatening to cross the border and pursue anti-Chad rebels who hide in Sudanese territory. With both sides lashing out, serious military conflict looks increasingly likely. If that happens, the people of Darfur will be caught in the middle once again - this time in an international war.
Meanwhile, the fragile truce between northern and southern Sudan may fall to pieces, in part because of conflict over oil. With local conflicts reigniting in southern Sudan, Al Jazeera sees the possibility for escalation here as well:
The recent fighting between the SPLA and the Misairiya tribes around the southern Abeyei district remains a stark manifestation of the potential danger of sparking a wider conflict in this oil-rich region.
If such a scenario materialised, it could drag Sudan’s neighbours into a war over control of the country’s natural resources.
Should the whole region brace itself for war? No one can say for sure, but the longer the overlapping conflicts in Sudan continue to fester, the greater the risk of escalation becomes.
This caught in the middle phenomenon seems to be likely. Really, if international war breaks out, there is no reason to believe anything will really get solved. The conflict seems so nebulous already.
It’s also the very fact that there are overlapping conflicts that will make this so difficult to resolve - the tensions with neighbouring countries, as well as foreign interests in Sudan’s oil. VBS.tv did an interesting documentary on China’s involvement in the scramble for natural resources, as well as displacing obstructions.
Thurston,
Just watched the documentary “the devil came on horseback” wondering if you’ve seen it and what are your thoughts? I’m fairly naive to the conflict there and the movie was shocking to me. Disgustingly brutal.
I think part of this new world order is that China is allowed to do what it likes in the ex-French colonies and America has free reign over the ex-British colonies. This way, China and America don’t actually have to fight each other over resources.
Of course, splitting the world up into colonial spheres of influence is what laid the foundation for WW1…