Africa Vision 33

Africa Vision 33

N’Djamena, January 8, 2008

The greatest Good

My buddies Victoria, Dawn and Ceasar made it back to N Djamena just on time to catch their flight, They had visited the refugee camps in the East run by IMC and it was good to hear their perspective on the medical care in the camps. Eye care is key in their assessment of the camps. There are so many young and old people suffering from eye disease it is hard to see where to start the work. A thing that caught their attention were the young kids hanging around the camp. There is no secundary school in most camps in Chad (11/12) but for the camp of Oure Cassoni near Bahai. And then there was a feeling of loss of hope. Refugees with infected wounds staying in their houses because there was no treatment available. I have not been to these camps but I can imagine that at a certain point in time there is a loss of believe in a solution of the core issues.

Four years now and a whole batch of children has never been to Sudan. Born refugee! While the world is well aware of what happens. Darfur has been a conflict with a lot of media coverage. Political initiatives are also numerous. The root cause of the conflict a murderous regime that has been in power for over 19 years however has never been addressed properly.

While we turn our attention to Iran (not for the first time by the way, thank you George W. Bush and thank you sheepish international media, CNN, FOX, IHT and other newspapers).
When Iran was invaded by Iraq in the nineteen eighties, in a gruesome lethal war the USA supported Iraq.
When Iraq used chemical weapons international eyes were closed.
When the US Vincennes shot down an Iranian civil airplane with 290 passengers without any reason Iran was to blame.
I have been reading Bob Fisk’s book and the parallels of history are uncanny and sad.

Geopolitics before anything.
And so I am trying to understand the value of a regime that has fought in the East, West, Center, North and South of Sudan for nearly 20 years.
A regime that uses rape as a common weapon of war.
A regime that uses malnutrition and starvation of civilians lightly.
A regime that bombs bravely with Antonovs from the skies.
A regime that uses proxy fighters to ravage entire provinces, villages and cities.
A regime that is so forked tongued that it cannot even speak truth anymore.
A regime that abuses religion as a reason for war.
A regime that should have been isolated and changed a long time ago.
A regime helping out only their own tribes.

And yet that same regime receives or has received weapons from members of the Security Council.
It flaunts international human right law.
It laughs at the UN, Ban Ki Moon, George Bush, Gordon Brown, Sarkozy and other puppets.
African Union troops are humiliated and killed.
UN troops are delayed and delayed until further notice.
Refugee camps are shelled and attacked.
Refugees are killed and raped under the eyes of peace keepers
While we sit quiet there will soon be an entire generation of youngster who have grown up in a refugee camp. The Lost boys of Sudan will have a sequel Lost Boys 2.

Why can Omer el Bashir get away with all his bogus?
What is his value in geopolitics?
Is he the bully of the playground that gets away with everything?
Or is there a strategic interest in Sudan? Oil, Uranium, Cobalt, water, trees?
I wish I could explain, but I cannot..

The greatest good would be a peaceful transition to benevolent democratic governments in Chad, Sudan and Central African Republic.
To have no children grow up with lack of a school, eye care or threat of rape and death.

Until the day the world musters the courage to say no to dictators around the world be it Burma, Chad or Sudan kids will suffer.

Peace,

Ashis