Sudan Roundup

When is genocide not genocide? Probably when thecountry isn't politically important, like Sudan. Here, the EU will not label the deaths (estimated at 30,000) genocide. The potential exists for many more to lose their lives in the resulting chaos due to starvation and, presumably, disease as the population seeks shelter in refugee camps.

More than 1 million people were displaced after the pro-government militias, known as janjaweed, attacked villages, burning, raping and killing. Human rights groups say the government is using the janjaweed to drive villagers from the land and give it to tribes loyal to Khartoum.

Despite the fact that the Sudanese government cannot control the state-backed Arab militias, the Arab League rejected any kind of military intervention, in support of the government's position that only Sudan's military will handle the situation. A rather short sighted decision. Earlier, the U.N. blamed the Sudanese government for the situation, although Sudan blames the rebels.

the U.N. investigator on executions, said there was "overwhelming evidence" that killings in Darfur were carried out "in a coordinated manner by the armed forces of the government and government-backed militias."

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"This war was started by the rebels, not by the government. So the rebels should be held responsible," Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail told the BBC.

We are, apparently, seeing a repeat of the Balkans. It is doubtful that the U.N. or any other interested party simply cannot or will not move quickly enough to halt the looming disaster. As Rwanda unfolded, the lack of concern, public outcry and government policy confused me. For that same matter, there was a similar feeling about the events in the country that was once called Yugoslavia. If 30,000 Palestinians were massacred or 1,000,000 Jews displaced, the spotlight would be blinding and action would be swift. It is, regrettably, the result that Africa is not a region with the political importance or influence as the Middle East.