The Darfur issue and its connection with China
Abstract
Name:Mu Shaojuan Student ID:s07466
Research paper supervisor:Dr.Seku Conde
Minzu University of China
2007-2008 Academic Year
Darfur area is located in the west of Sudan, in 2003, Darfur issue was broken out. The Arabs who lived on nomadism and from the north of Darfur conflicted with the Negro who lived on farming and from the middle and south of this area. The collision caused lots of people dead or lost their homes. Since then, the Darfur issue became a focus problem in the international relationships. Normally speaking, the Darfur issue is an in-house problem of Sudan, however, because China and Sudan has traditional and close relationships in politics and economy, some international organizations and individuals using this issue to attack China. On the contrary, the Darfur issue that flyblow Chinese factor takes up international media high-sounding. Well then, what is the Darfur issue on earth? And what is its root? Why some western country connect this issue with China and bring to bear stress to China in diplomatic? And what is china’s standpoint on Darfur issue? I will analyze these problems amply in this paper.
Key words: Darfur, China, conflict, connection.
What is Darfur issue?
The area of Darfur is more than 500,000 square kilometers. It located in the western of Sudan and can divided into north Darfur, west Darfur, south Darfur these three parts。 “The environment here is very bad; most of the land is desert because of the increase of population and graze in excess, so Darfur’s economy level is the most laggard in Sudan.”[1]
The population here is about 600,000, and about 80 tribes live there, dividing into Arab and Negro these two tribes mainly. Arab tribe is nomadic which engage on browse camels, and Negro tribes live on farming. In the history, the Arab herdsmen were related in harmonization with Negro farmers. They even intermarried with each other. The situation was changed at the end of 70s in the 20 century. Because of the attack by drought and desertification, the water source and fertile land were degenerated sharply; however, those most important factors were Arab and Negro tribes’ lifeline in this place. Moreover, “there were some other nomadic tribes which from the north of this area, even Chad, Mauritania migrated to the middle and the south to find riverhead and grassplot.”[2] The migration caused the bulge of population directly, from 3000,000 people in the 20 years ago to 6000,000 people at the present time. The farmers roped the land and refused the herdsman entry because they worried the browse could destroy their land. Because of the lack of land, water, and food, different tribes and villages broke out rub and collision to scrabble for these lack resources. In the Feb of 2003, the Negro in the Darfur organized the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) and the Justice for Equality Movement (JEM) .These two armed forces combated with the government and asked for self-government just because the government didn’t protect them with the attack by the Arabs. The collision caused lots of casualty and since then, the Darfur issue broke out.
The real roots of Darfur
There are so many standpoints about the roots of Darfur, a few scholars think the ethnic hatred is the cause of Darfur[3], and some scholars and politicians deem the environmental degradation as the real root of Darfur issue. Such as Stephan Faris , in his article “The Real Roots of Darfur ”, he said, “the violence in Darfur is usually attributed to ethnic hatred. But global warming may be primarily to blame.”[4] As we have said in the above paragraphs, until the rains began to fail, the sheikh’s people lived amicably with the settled farmers. The nomads were welcome passers-through, grazing their camels on the rocky hillsides that separated the fertile plots. The farmers would share their wells, and the herders would feed their stock on the leavings from the harvest. But with the drought, the farmers began to fence off their land—even fallow land—for fear it would be ruined by passing herds. A few tribes drifted elsewhere or took up farming, but the Arab herders stuck to their fraying livelihoods—nomadic herding was central to their cultural identity. (The distinction between “Arab” and “African” in Darfur is defined more by lifestyle than any physical difference: Arabs are generally herders, Africans typically farmers. The two groups are not racially distinct.) In the article “A Climate Culprit in Darfur” which was written by Ban Ki Moon, the Secretary General of the United Nations, it was said, “we discuss Darfur in convenient military and political shorthand --- an ethnic conflict pitting Arab militias against black rebels and farmers. Look to its roots, though, and you discover a more complex dynamic. Amid the diverse social and political causes, the Darfur conflict began as an ecological crisis, arising at least in part from climate change.” [5] To analyze this problem in an external aspect, I agree those two people’s standpoints.
China’s connect with Darfur issue.
The resuscitation of Sudan’s economy has connected closely with China[6]. The relationship between Sudan and china is mutualism, “oil cooperation” impel both sides’ economy. However, some personals and organizations that don’t very satisfy with china have connected Darfur issue with china, they clamed China must take responsibility on Darfur issue because they think China only attach importance to her own benefit but ignore the progress of Africa’s human rights and politics[7]. Moreover, with the in sight of Beijing Olympics on the August of 2008, some international organizations and individuals who were malcontent with china connected Darfur with Olympics in Beijing[8]. Those including the Save Darfur Coalition and some famous people in the movie Dom and gym field such as George Clooney and Mia Farrow in Hollywood, also Newble in the NBA and so on. They claimed that they would reject Olympics if China continued conniving Sudan’s present regime. Those dangerous and stupid saying above made pervasion irrationally in the hoi polloi and also caused very negative influence on china’s nation visualize and Beijing Olympics[9]. In the political circle of American, some congressmen and the president candidate of Democratic Party joined the troop to reject Beijing Olympics. In the May of 2007, 108 representatives wrote a letter to President Hu Jingtao and signed jointly. They warned if china government didn’t adopt a effective way to deal with Darfur issue, Beijing Olympics will be affected[10]. In addition, some Europe countries interposed this storm too. Scott, the vice-chairman of Europe parliament once appealed publicly, it must stop to hold Beijing Olympics because of china’s human rights[11]. Those felonious consensuses connected a political problem with gym competition but ignore basic facts; it’s really droll and absurd.
China’s stand and effort on Darfur
China always played a mediate role and claims that using dialogue and negotiation, development and cooperation to solve Darfur issue[12]. Since the emergence of Darfur issue, china utilized many ways to reduce bifurcation with other countries, such as accessing between leaders, delegating ambassador-at-large, calling, writing with other counties and so on. In Feb of 2007, President Hu Jintao put forward four principles for resolving the Darfur crisis during his visit to Sudan[13]. The first one was respecting Sudan's sovereignty and territorial integrity. The second one was sticking to dialogue and consultation on an equal footing in a bid to resolve disputes peacefully. The next one was international bodies such as the AU and UN should play a constructive role in the issue of peacekeeping in Darfur. The last one was pushing for regional stability and improving local living conditions. These principles above were recognized prevalently by international societies. In order to mitigate the humanitarianism crisis in Sudan, China government had endowed humane material which valued 80,000,000 Yuan hitherto. And endowed 18 million dollars to the mission whose duty was maintain peace in Darfur area and was delegated by AN. Because of China’s active effect on Darfur issue, some western media considered that China has long views on Darfur issue. The American Olympic committee claimed that Olympic was gym, but not politics.
My recommendations
Darfur issue is a humanitarianism crisis; the real roots of this issue are the climate change and environment degradation in local place. In my opinion, the most important thing we should do now is not to go behind whose duty it is, but help the local people to rebuild their homes, mediate the conflict between Darfur residents and the Sudan government. All the virtuous countries in the world should connect together, try our best to help these people who are in tribulation, others’ money and material is not only their necessary things on life, but also represent the whole world’s humanism and goodness. As a cell in the world, China’s effect was eyeballed universally, we hope China, American and other developed Europe counties hand in hand, don’t make the simple problem complicated, and don’t figure for self-interest but for the displaced person. Please sympathize with the displaced person, and please understand China, this is our aspiration to American, some Europe countries and the whole world.
References
1. He Wenping, “Darfur issue and china’s effort, ”Africa and Western Asia, 2007-11.
2. Nelson Kasfir, “Sudan’s Darfur: Is [...]
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