Ban Ki-moon, the new United Nations secretary-general, has already faced several challenges. It’s too early to judge his probable success. However, Vincent Kavaloski of Edgewood College reported that on Ban’s recently completed six-nation Middle-East Tour he “vigorously (but diplomatically) exerted his immense moral authority — the only real power he possesses — in trying to resolve complex crises in Darfur, Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq, and Iran.” Contact with Darfur is of particular interest because of the genocide.

The civil war in Darfur started in 2003. It quickly took a horrendous toll in human lives and reduced the survivors to panicked refugees. Within two years the death toll was 200,000 with 2 million people displaced. None of the peace initiatives have been effective.
Ban’s recent attention to Darfur has remobilized public opinion regarding governmental abuse. After speaking with Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, Ban reported that he told al-Bashir, “Genocide was unacceptable, and he had to live up to his promise to accept a hybrid African Union-United Nations force for Darfur.” On April 16, Ban Ki-moon obtained a new assurance from the Sudanese government that 3,000 U.N. peacekeepers with attack helicopters will be admitted.

Of course, “moral authority” won’t provide peacekeeping in Darfur by itself. The U.N. peacekeepers have to be provided and funded by U.N. member states. Bush’s budget request is only $500 million for U.N. peacekeeping, and the United States is already $500 million in arrears. Congress should be told to honor our U.N. peacekeeping commitments.

 

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