I am one of the first western journalists to try and bring to the world’s attention the problems in west Sudan/Darfur in 2003. Having lived side by side here in Asmara, Eritrea, with representatives of not only the Darfur, but all the Sudanese resistance, since 2006, my investigation has found no evidence of genocide having been committed in Darfur.
Genocide has and is being committed by the Ethiopian regime of Meles Zenawi against the Somali people of the Ogaden, but there has been no genocide in Darfur.
To start with, my investigation has found that the victims of the Darfur conflict were the beneficiaries of the largest, best-run relief works in history. This is a fact, demonstrated repeatedly by the situation on the ground in Darfur, and every honest, knowledgeable aid worker in the Darfur relief works will tell you that Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir has played a critical role in the relief works success, and that without the leadership and support of Pres. Bashir, the Darfur relief works would not have been possible.
The charges of genocide laid against Pres. Bashir by, amongst others, the International Criminal Court in The Hague, are based on reports of the shakiest provenance, mainly UN “sources” of very questionable backgrounds.
Does it make any sense that Pres. Al Bashir was playing a critical role in saving hundreds of thousands of lives in Darfur all the while he was committing genocide against the Darfur people? The success of the relief works is a fact, while the charges against Pres. Bashir are almost impossible to verify.
The Darfur genocide myth has been promoted by western “human rights” NGO’s that have collected over $100 million under the rubric of “Enough” and “Preventing Genocide”. The claims of genocide are based on estimates of the number of deaths that were rapidly inflated as the dollars started rolling in. First it was 100,000, then 200,000, then 300,000 and finally, in a claim so ludicrous that even the British government media watchdog yanked it off the air, 400,000 people were supposed to have been victims of genocide in Darfur.
None of the Darfur reps I have heard here in Asmara have ever given any credibility to the western figures. In fact, most everyone here in the Horn of Africa, at least those not on the western payroll, all agree the real number of those lost in the violence in west Sudan is about 30,000, a tragic number, but surpassed by what has befallen those suffering in the Ogaden where a real genocide has been taking place.
In the Ogaden, Ethiopian death squads funded by western “aid” have spent the better part of the past decade spreading murder and mayhem across the countryside. With almost everyone from the International Committee of the Red Cross to Doctors Without Borders being expelled, there has been miniscule coverage of this genocide in the western media, let alone the extent of the western role in funding the Ethiopian regime. The Darfur genocide myth has for years been a very useful smokescreen in helping to hide the most terrible crime in the world today, the Ogaden Genocide.
As I mentioned earlier, I first wrote about what I believed was happening in Sudan and Ethiopia back in 2003. Sudan is estimated to have suffered some two million deaths during its decades-long civil war between the north and the south. After many years of hard work, peace has slowly, almost tortuously, been nurtured in Sudan, with the major ground work first laid during negotiations held here in Asmara.
In contrast to this, what is the program of action demanded by the “save Darfur” lot? A western-led military invasion and occupation of Sudan a la Iraq and Afghanistan. With half a million or more dead in Iraq and Afghanistan thanks to western military “intervention”, with NATO bombers slaughtering women and children in their sleep in Libya as I write, who in their right mind could think that sending western soldiers to Sudan will do anything other than destroy the peace so painfully built these past few years and cause even more suffering?
While peace has been slowing taking hold in Darfur, in the Ogaden peace is a long lost memory. War, famine, and disease are spreading across the Ogaden, and it is becoming a situation that is increasingly the norm in growing areas of Ethiopia. While the western hucksters raked in beau coup millions of dollars while peddling their “save Darfur” bunkum, Sudanese have seen real peace on the ground take place in Darfur.
In contrast, Ethiopians, suffering under a regime that is the largest recipient of western aid in Africa, only see a future of growing ethnic and religious conflict, and worse, active programs of genocide. The problems developing in Ethiopia can invariably be traced back to the west, mainly the USA. The west, in particular the USA, is hell bent on keeping Africa in a state of crisis, the better to exploit. And the “save Darfur” lobby is all for bringing more violence to Africa under the guise of “humanitarian intervention”, while little of the over $100 million they collected ever reached the Darfur people it was intended for.
The Darfur genocide myth is long overdue for burial and the world needs to put it to rest once and for all.
Very eloquent Article and worth to pass on Eastern African People generally and Horn of Africa particularly,the truth never be hidden and we will work on that,the future is clear who will find uncomfortable position in Africa soil.
“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?”
The hypocrite Mr. Mountain resides in the failed state of Eritrea, and has become a self-appointed spokesperson to the government of his adoptive nation. Very recent UN investigation has determined that “Eritrea is run by a paranoid dictator who has obtained support from Iran against all his real or imagined enemies. This has made Eritrea a base area for Islamic terror groups throughout the region.” The Eritrean government even refuses to acknowledge the current drought, and rather let it’s people suffer in silence.
Mr. Mountain takes a roundabout route via Darfur just to say some hateful words about the west, USA and Ethiopia. Mr. Mountain cannot say a word about the woes of Eritreans, because he knows what the consequences would be.
Werner, attributing comments from some anonymous author at http://www.strategypage.com/htmw/htterr/articles/20110809.aspx to the UN is absolutely dishonest.
who would publish a bunch of reeking crap such as Mountain’s denial of the charges against Bashir?
are the people running this rag endorsing this shit?
Jeremy, as you have rightly pointed out, my posting has given the impression that the quote was from the UN investigation. Sorry for the mix up. Anyway, the actual UN report is not less dramatic: It says that Eritrea is a country “… possessing the most highly centralized,
militarized and authoritarian system of government on the African continent.” Further, the report points out similarities between Somalia and Eritrea: “From a sanctions monitoring perspective, however, the two countries present very similar challenges: in both cases, power is concentrated in the hands of individuals rather than institutions and is exercised through largely informal and often illicit networks
of political and financial control. Leaders in both countries often depend more heavily on political and economic support from foreign Governments and diaspora networks than from the populations within their own borders. And both countries — in very different ways — serve as platforms for foreign armed groups that represent a
grave and increasingly urgent threat to peace and security in the Horn and East Africa region.”
http://daccess-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N11/380/08/PDF/N1138008.pdf?OpenElement
Okay, honest mistake. Thanks for the link.
there are two things that stand out in this email. one is Mr Thomas’ manipulation of truth relying solely on the partial truth about the myth about the genocide. second is trying to get credibility about that fact. there is no way you can get credibility for what you’re saying and i’ll bet you’ll say anything to get an audience where it matters so you can matter. i really am disappointed in how desperate people have become to uphold a once reputable career of journalism. i guess now you just settle for salary and not integrity. good luck on your endeavor to find power and hope it doesn’t cost you any more morale points but as for this article i know it warrants you be put on some sort of watchdog list.
“…partial truth about the myth about the genocide.”
???
I think that remark requires some elaboration.
Thomas must be Esayas Afewerki’s servant yet
the truth is the reverse.
As a longtime Darfur activist (& 30 years of other activist work), first, thank you for raising up the situation in Ogaden. However, rather than rail against people mounting a successful campaign, why not tell them about Ogaden & see if they can help? If you have read Bec Hamilton’s book, you will know some of them have learned from their mistakes. I would be most interested in the response of GINet (www.genocideintervention.net), Aegis Trust, & GenocideWatch (www.genocidewatch.org).
Secondly I have found moral, thoughtful people coming down on both sides of the genocide question regarding Darfur (& bracketing out those with manipulative motives). That said, you are the first to make “Bashir gives aid” as the linchpin of your argument. For sure in a short piece you simply may not be showing how some dots connect, but to me it comes out looking like you don’t understand the Genocide Convention very well (& please don’t presume I categorically call Darfur genocide). Perhaps you were just trying to emphasize the contrast with Ogaden, but that’s no reason to overplay your hand.
Specifically the key point with Bashir and aid is not that he has allowed it (at times) but that he controls the tap and has turned it on and off as suits his purpose, with terrible consequences at times. Your implicit point that someone can’t possibly do something “nice” like allow aid sometimes and at the same time have devious intentions, seems astounding.
Again, if your focus is Ogaden, contact the above orgs. While far from sure, I have seen many surprising alliances formed.
Dear Thomas Mountain , the story of Genocide in Darfur so malicously authored by beneficiary aids organizations is practically already buried by the facts on the ground which none of these organizations choose to mention. We are now in a situation where the only military action going on in Darfur is limited to the Sudanese army chasing away armed rebels who are constantly targeting aid convoys bound for needy Darfurians . These disarrayed rebel groups now depend on such raids to feed the insurgency. One has to be really nuts to believe that such army is fighting to wipe out Darfurians.
I know for a fact that if it were not for the lies propagated by Save Darfur , people of Darfur would be leading a totally peaceful life by now.
Mohammed: I cannot let your final sentence stand as is, it is so misleading, as generally is your whole post.
First, I have already indicated SavedDarfur made early mistakes & many learned from them; but “malicious” is a completely misguided term. [and for transparency: I do not work for any of these orgs].
Second, peace for Darfur rests firstly on a combination of security, restitution and the even thornier but more fundamental, issue of land tenure (in which, I suggest as a starting point, taking seriously the Small Arms Survey group’s notion that there must be some give-and-take of the old hakura-based system to give neglected sub-groups of pastoralists some basic land security (http://www.smallarmssurveysudan.org/pdfs/HSBA-SWP-22-The-Other-War-Inter-Arab-Conflict-in-Darfur.pdf).
That said, the primary security issue – IDPs who fear going back home – is continually raised in news accounts (Radio Dabanga, Sudan Tribune, etc.) Even some who try, can’t (http://www.radiodabanga.org/node/16735) – They know the government-backed militias have not been disarmed (& Bashir can turn that tap on or off, though in this case some Arab tribes have recognized how they have been used and have switched sides. As well, there is just plain lawless banditry).
More problematic is that Bashir has encouraged Arabs to inhabit many of the empty villages. Warehousing the IDPs where the women remain vulnerable to rape by hovering militias, or resettling them on non-arable land – what a repugnant notion of peace.
And secondly, real peace rests on good governance & the possibility of education and development, the lack of which, due to neglect and inflamed ethnic and other tensions caused by the government, helped ignite the rebellion in the first place.
I must comment that this article is one of very few honest and truthful written by a western journalist.
I am no great lover of the ruling party in Sudan but surely peace can not be achieved by denying the facts and encouraging mayhum and armed marauding rebellions.
It is time for the West to start a constructive dialogue with the government in Khartoum and press for peaceful resolution of disputes and also to stop punishing ordinary poor sudanese by crippling sanctions etc which will not force regime change.
No surprise at all to hear such rhetoric and manipulative ideas these days form what so called Thomas Mountain and his supporters whom seems to be clan of Al-bashir and beneficiaries of the most notorious dictator of the 21st century.
Mountain and like minded Mohammed Hassan and Abdelmageed have nothing to do with honesty or Integrity or truth. Simply because they have no heart or dignity to tell the truth. If someone denying the sunshine, how he could be trusted. I completely agree that so much going on in Africa as usual. But that’s will never justify your denial to Darfur genocide. I’m from Darfur and I lost more than 21 members of my family and very close relatives after al-bashir’s Army and it’s Janjaweed Allies burnt to the ashes my entire village. My family massacre alone could determine the case of genocide and bring Al-bashir to the justice. So what a bout the rest of 450.000 killed. Thousands victims of rape, 90% Darfuri villages wiped out. What’s a bout the 3.6 millions displaced from their land the size of France and even bigger, and replaced with Janjawwed Arab families? It’s clear that you are part of the lobby that hired by al-bashir to spread poisons around the world. You are pretending to be the first Western journalist to bring Darfur Issue to the attention of the world. When the truth was that myself and my group were the first to bring Darfur conflict to the attention of the world. That time you and your enablers sink your heads in the sand and have no idea what’s going on anywhere. Please stop your lies and go read the first report ever written a bout Darfur genocide..the title: ” An open letter to the International Community a bout the hidden slaughter and ethnic cleansing in western Sudan”. http://www.damanga.org. Before you spread your fake claims there are dozens of honest, transparent Western Journalist have written extensively a bout Darfur and African conflicts before you even know anything a bout the continent. Sadly, people like you enjoy living in the darkness under fascist regimes to continue sucking the blood of their victims and humiliate them ..But remember..the time will come sooner or later. Then you will see how justice will be served. Don’t fool yourself. There’s no peace without justice.
Mr.Thomas c. Mountain you can called Africa with out tears like the division Genocide in Africa between communist ( Terroism Islamic Gourp ), and unti- Nationalists (Europe unclude China ), now are trying to broker peace between the Nationalists and communists make a chiangs Thomas.
@Mohamed Yahya
your totally wrong mr Mohamed. I am from al DEAIN you know it well. it’s a region in Darfur nothing like these happened but the reality is that the France Christian Missionary was Walking around there before the year 2003 there was real cooked agenda was there they were preparing for something. That time I was in 2nd year of the high secondary school I met people around Jabbal Marra(hill)they was distributing a Marlboro cigarettes and thy will give you sex magazine as well. all these to change the Thoughts of the young people and change their minds. Really we need all the efforts of the people, governments and civil organizations to build our country and all of us we have to agree there is some one watching us. needs something from this land. there are real evidence to the speech. in 2006 in Khartoum airport a member of African union had been caught during inspecting his luges they found a 2 letters bottle of soil in his bags what do you really think he wants to do by soil. that’s what really going on. may be the government of Sudan playing the major role of spreading the justice and real information but in the same time also we should be a one hand against the outer eyes that watching our resources.