Darfur: Frist on the Humanitarian Crisis, Government Denial

A post from former Senator Bill Frist on FOXNews.com [previous posts here, here, here, and here]

The most significant new and somewhat unexpected thing we learned on this trip to Darfur was that the humanitarian situation remains on the brink of crisis.The position of the nongovernmental organization, or NGO, workers in Darfur is becoming untenable. The fundamental change is the targeting of humanitarian workers with violence.Two examples: In Nyala, South Darfur, last month five U.N. staff members were badly beaten by police, and one female staff member was sexually assaulted.

According to the U.N. report, this indicated "that those allocated to protect humanitarian workers, the government, were unable or unwilling to do so.”On Dec. 18 in Gereida, South Darfur, targeted attacks were directed against six humanitarian compounds. All staff members were forced to withdraw and one was sexually assaulted.

This withdrawal compromised the delivery of aid to over 130,000 displaced persons.We were told that morale against humanitarian workers is at an all-time low. Humanitarian workers are becoming the objects of attacks, both from the rebel factions and the government.Unless things improve and the government becomes pro-active in supporting the humanitarian operations, NGOs will have no choice but to withdraw.

The humanitarian crisis would then rapidly escalate.We discovered deterioration in access for humanitarian operations and increased Sudan government-imposed bureaucratic barriers to the operations.Access is diminished because of continued violence (increase in vehicle theft and ambushes) against civilians; fragmentation of the rebel factions; and fluctuating control of territory.

Access to humanitarian relief has deteriorated to a new low (the worst had been in April 2004), though numbers of potential beneficiaries have doubled over the past three years.Worse access and increased numbers needing the care — that is a formula for destruction, if not reversed.

A post from yesterday

I was to go back into Sudan the next week to visit rebel (SPLA) leader (and friend) Dr. John Garang (which I did, joining him and his wife, Rebecca, at their home called New Site in southeastern Sudan). I was waiting for the Sudanese government in Khartoum to grant me a visa (On all my previous trips I just entered the south directly on medical mission airplanes without a visa from the Government of Sudan).

They denied me the visa (by delaying consideration of it), I’m sure because of my action on the Senate floor and my numerous statements that “genocide” was being perpetuated by the GOS. So instead I went to Chad, just adjacent the Darfur border and visited several refugee camps there. And then on into southern Sudan.

I mention all this because on this current trip, I am making my very first journey to Khartoum in the north, requesting a meeting with President Bashir to explain why the U.S. calls the atrocities genocide and to encourage peace in Darfur. I got the visa and approval to spend time in Darfur, but was denied the meeting with Bashir. Franklin Graham, who has been outspoken in condemning Darfur activities, held the meeting with Bashir — sans Frist. In the meeting he received permission to operate Samaritan’s Purse in the north.I had other meetings in Khartoum, and most of the spin was that Darfur is simply not a very big deal in the large scheme of things.

The government party line is to diminish the atrocities there, to blame everyone except the government, and to adamantly criticize the national media for “overstating” and “exaggerating” the human suffering, numbers of deaths, and numbers displaced from their homes. All U.N.-gathered statistics are said to be overblown.A 500-mile flight southwest in the DC-3 took us to Nyala, Darfur (the capital of South Darfur) where we met with the deputy wali (or governor) of South Darfur. The meeting was cordial but I was dumbfounded by what I was hearing from this government official.

I share with you a few of his statements just to give you a feel of the denial that is so obvious to the international community and independent observers.He said about a million people in Darfur have been affected by the conflict; the U.N. tells us it is 4 million. His estimate of internally displaced people is 450,000; the actual figure is 2 million.We were told the “humanitarian situation is stable,” although we had just been told by the U.N. that several weeks ago, 18 humanitarian workers in Nyala had been arrested, some beaten and one sexually assaulted, and that overall the humanitarian efforts because of insecurity are on the “brink of crisis” (more on this tomorrow).

The killing today is due to “tribal disputes,” the wali said. Adding that “we do not want the U.N. peacekeepers to come in.” If the U.N. comes in, “we will see increased suffering of my people. Our tribes have a lot of arms, and if the U.N. comes in, these arms will be directed against the U.N. The U.N. will complicate matters.” All this, when we know the 7,000 African Union troops simply are not and can not adequately accomplish the task; we were told that again and again by refugees and by humanitarian workers at Otash camp today.The international media is “making great exaggeration” of the conflict in Darfur and there is “over-reporting” of IDPs and attacks, he said. It is “media imagination.”Well, you can see he was carrying the party line … consistent with what you hear in Khartoum. This is a far cry from what the reality is, according to what the NGOs, the international community, the UN, and people on the ground in the camps tell us.