The New York Inquirer: GENOCIDE IN DARFUR: The Case of Minni Minnawi

by Andrew Bast

In June of 2005, Robert Zoellick, then Deputy Secretary of State, headed for Sudan carrying personal letters signed by President George W. Bush. They were intended for the signers of the Darfur Peace Agreement, and they guaranteed, in return for a cease-fire, an audience in the White House.

The ensuing tale, frightening and frosty, highlights the raging complexity of the Darfur crisis.

Originally the source of the fighting in Western Sudan came from two rebel groups: the Sudanese Liberation Movement (SLM) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM). Since the beginning of conflict in 2003, both groups have fractured, split and transformed. Keeping track of who’s who is like playing a shell game.

In addition to the Sudanese government in Khartoum, only one rebel leader, of the SLM, signed and in turn had the claim on Bush’s promise. That man was Minni Minnawi.

Since signing the agreement, Minnawi has been instrumental in the continuing violence in Darfur, and some believe that his future may entail a political role in Khartoum. A former schoolteacher, Minnawi’s forces continue to operate, unabashed. Called a “Spartan of Darfur,” he’s conquered more territory than any of the rival factions. The Peace Agreement doesn’t seem to have meant any more to him than an open invitation with the leader of the free world.

So then on July 25th, 2006, Bush held to his promise and gave forty minutes of his time to the rebel leader in the White House. Undoubtedly there was some embarrassment. It was a frosty reception; the National Security Council summary of the meeting was curt and cryptic. Also, it was no coincidence that the Minnawi meeting was scheduled for the same day as Bush’s press conference with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Needless to say, the Minnawi meeting didn’t make the headlines.

The US has given more than $1 billion in aid to the crisis in Darfur. Bush has taken a personal stake. Yet, the situation is no better than it was a year ago. Does the shell game move too quickly, and would a UN force do any better?

Read the rest of The Inquirer's reporting on Darfur this week here.

(Photos of Zoellnick with Sudanese President al-Bashir from the State Department and Bush and Minnawi from the White House.)