Included by exclusion implies that nations are part of one unified World, being members of the International Games(Olympics), United Nations, World Bank, and IMF, however, some of the needy nations seem to have been excluded when it comes to pressing issues. The exclusions in its essence explain the kind of partner a nation is in the Global arena and perhaps it is an ingredient of the ‘joyous freedoms’ enjoyed by those on top of the hierarchy. In the city of Omelas, Ursula Le Guin narrates a story about a city of abundance where people live in happiness. Their happiness he says depends on “the knowledge that one unlucky child has been locked in a cage under the city and allowed to live in filth. From his suffering, they understand how important happiness is and how cruel justice can be”. Global politics rests on this principle: the knowledge of the existence of poverty, starvation and civil war in a small country with a lot of resources. The misery itself ensures fluidity of resources through loot to sustain their individual life of abundance. Darfur is haunted by the evil of ‘inclusion by exclusion’ .
In this cult of Inclusion by Exclusion as in the city of Omelas, we have been forced to heed exceptionalism, that is, if it is not me or us, then we don’t have to worry about the actions of the state at the systems level. We have buried our heads in the sand, while we blindly give the green light through tax and elections to those who endorse murder and exploitation. The man has mistakenly deviated from the state of nature and the principle of sharing in plenty and in less and has created a city of Omelas through global power politics and the assumption of Anarchy. Like in the city of Omelas, my argument rests on two important subjects: knowledge and fanning of the flames.
I seek to introduce the case of ‘knowing ‘by illuminating on the fact that it is public knowledge that there has been a crisis in DARFUR, however like the girl on in the City of Omelas, its misery seems to accords us the freedom and the security of a great summer vacation. I have set to demonstrate our understanding of the need to walk away from these cities because justice supersedes individual happiness. Walking away from the city is the basis for getting back to the universal principle of humanity- give unto the needy and be with them in times of sorrow. The living conditions of the people of Darfur has been well assessed and documented by the United Nations humanitarian crisis and other credible organizations i.e. Amnesty international and Christian aid showing how the situations have developed and metastasized.
First, on September 2004, the Secretary of State Colin Powell testified to the US congress that in fact “… genocide has been committed in Darfur and the Government of Sudan and the Janjaweed bear responsibility”. Twenty-two years ago there was a genocide, I am only interested in the ‘knowing’ it does explain more on the inaction of my proposition. The existence of knowledge was later affirmed by Tony Blair’s visit to Darfur, Blair declared that “we can’t have a situation where thousands of people are dying and nothing is done”. In June of 2005, European Council concerning the situation in Darfur declared that “The council continues to be deeply concerned at the serious infringement of human rights and of international humanitarian law committed against the civilian population in Darfur. It is clear that it is well known that the problem exists and that Children and families continue to be displaced and others killed.
Secondly, Charles Chinweizu (2009) article titled Imperialism and Sudan: same oil story cites a report from Human Rights Watch indicating the indiscriminate bombing of the civilians, the destruction of villages, ethnic cleansing, rape, and abduction. This is another despicable form of ‘knowing’ that crimes had escalated to extreme ends and that action was required immediately. In September 2016, Foreign Policy Journal published an article by David Kowalski, South Sudan’s American-Made Robber Barons. Kowalski alludes to the claims made by Enough Project and Not on Our Watch that the country’s leadership was, in fact, receiving Billions of money and instead of salvaging the crumbling economy stashed funds in countries like Kenya, Uganda, and Australia. There are thousands of pages of reports that indicate human suffering, however, the response has been business as usual, sanctions and more sanctions. The sanctions have proven to affect the masses, consider the case of Iraq and Oil embargo. The outcome was that many people died of starvation because Oil was the only form of the commodity for trade to import goods.
According to United States Government Accountability Office (Nov 2007), GAO Report to Congressional Requesters DARFUR CRISIS estimates that “The crisis {had} affected an estimated 3.76 million people in Darfur, including approximately 1.85 million— “internally displaced persons” (IDPs)—who now live in camps …The U.S. Department of State (State) reported that a total of 98,000 to 181,000 people died between March 2003 and January 2005”. Whether we will categorize this case as genocide or civil wars, the attention it has been accorded signals human arrogance and neglect or rather one of the many cases of Hegelian doctrine which equates Africans as ‘mere things’. Perhaps it also puts Darfur on the list of none ‘Holocaust’ related atrocities which include extermination of the Tasmanians or Aboriginals in Australia or the putting of African people in concentrations camps to die and rot while imperial Britain extort resources. Who knows?
Thirdly, there is a question of Oil, the denominator of all modern day crisis in the Sahara and the Middle East. G. Dunkel in the article What imperialists don’t say: Oil is behind struggle in Darfur, alludes to nature of politics played by Western allies and the effects of Chinese influence in Sudan. Noam Chomsky (2006) Failed States mentions on push and pull factors within the UN and the nature of political theatrics that surrounds the United Nations. The Global political giants practice delay or abandon the discussions aimed at ending Genocide. Chomsky cites a quote from an editor of Boston Globe saying “history will not forgive the powerful people who could have ended yet another genocide but preferred to play their pitiless games”. The delay is always expressed in terms of bureaucracy or unwillingness by parties to end or provide a resolution. Delay in itself supports injustice or aid Genocide or the Hegelian doctrine- Africa is a ‘thing’. The African Union has demonstrated some ability to act on the problem, however, the mammal is beyond its proxy and they all seem to be overwhelmed by personal wounds inflicted by Imperial acts of the days gone.
The Sudan question is part of proxy wars and the balance of power theory. Charles Chinweizu (2015): US and British Imperialism cites two claims indicating that Sudan is caught up in the middle of proxy wars. Chinweizu argues that in 1982 Sudan was part of the play during the Cold war and that it received top Aid from the US in order to limit soviet influence and to severe the ties with Gadhafi. It is also indicated in the writing that President Barack Obama extension of the Sanctions in October 2015 was rather strategic and not a meaningful cause for action. The sanction was meant to politically and economically isolate Sudan and break it up” into smaller bite size- chunks so as to deny vital energy resource to strategic rival China”. Into ‘Sizeable chunks’ makes more sense on intention and not reason especially when one objectively views the tartars and pieces of current Sudan. It does explain the hidden meaning on the tenacity at which the Kiir’s and the Machars hold power in the rivers of flowing human blood.
What really fans the flames of discontent? Could it be the Economic sanctions? It is my presumption that Economic sanctions necessitate acquisition of arms instead of otherwise. Sudan receives thousands of sophisticated weapons, where and how is the question I do not know. What I would propose to consider containing the proliferation of weapons and when the fighters resort to Machetes and stones the fight will have reduced to a minimum. Allow me to use the layman’s thinking, Sudan does not make weapons, therefore, it buys from outside. The question therefore is why is this pipe left open? Is someone making happiness out of this misery? The discontent has been further fueled by the current regime by refusing to receive refugees from the same country on the grounds of the myth of terror. General Wesley Lewis in early 2000’s attempted to open our eyes to the nature of the battles conspired to be undertaken by the Neo-cons whose intentions were to take down seven countries which included the ever suffering child ‘Darfur’. Noam Chomsky (2003), cites a case in which the Clinton administration in 1998 covertly bombed a Pharmaceutical company in Sudan claiming Weapons of Mass destruction, facts state otherwise. Instead, Clinton actions have been label by others to have been diversionary war. The consequence of the bombing affected the people economically and socially because the medical cost went up. The UN did not mention whether there were weapons of mass destruction or that it was, in fact, a Pharmaceutical Company.
The Knowledge of the existence of misery in Darfur and the business -as -usual attitude speaks louder. It seemingly concludes that the Misery is a necessary evil for the sustainability of hegemonic politics. If the case was otherwise, there could have been no way more than 200 countries equipped militarily and with other forms of arsenals spend decades trying to act on two greedy leaders. Knowing and acknowledging that there is a problem paves way for an action plan that matches the urgency of the case at hand. I intend not to deny attempts that have been put forward previously to correct the instability however it has not resolved the problem. Is Darfur the Child in the City of Omelas?
Reference
Chomsky, Noam. Failed States: Abuse of Power and the Assault on Democracy. NY, Metropolitan books, 2006, pp. 229-30
Chomsky, Noam. Hegemony or Survival: Americas Quest for Global Dominance. NY, Henry Holt and Company, 2003, pp. 206-07.
Kowalski, David. “South Sudan’s American-Made Robber Barons.” Foreign Policy Journal, 19 Sept. 2016. Accessed 2 Mar. 2017.
http://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2016/09/19/south-sudans-american-made-robber-barons/
http://www.revolutionarycommunist.org/africa/sudan/4217-uab211215
http://www.revolutionarycommunist.org/africa/sudan/884-imperialism-and-sudan-same-oil-story-frfi-181-oct-nov-2004
http://engl210-deykute.wikispaces.umb.edu/file/view/omelas.pdf
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/MCD261331.htm (accessed March 31, 2007).
http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d0724.pdf
http://hugoslim.com/Pdfs/Dithering%20Over%20Darfur.pdf
https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/01/13/obamas-premature-easing-sanctions-sudan
http://www.workers.org/2006/world/darfur-0504/
Mshamba Abroad 