Letter to the Editor Re: Cotler

In response to Cotler's OpEd, this letter to the editor questions the Darfur adocacy community's acceptance of a Chapter VII UN intervention:

These requirements necessitate well-armed soldiers who will more than likely have to kill more than a few marauders and militiamen before they get the message. This approach is what is required, but I suspect it will not be embraced by the activist community.

In response, STAND Policy Director, Max Kelly wrote the following:

Re: Mac Savage's letter in response to How Canada can Help Heal Sudan by Irwin Cotler (May 17).

Mr. Savage obviously hasn't being paying attention to what the Darfur advocates he so casually slanders have been saying. We are well aware that a robust, well-armed UN force with a mandate to protect civilians is what's needed for Darfur, and we also know that Western militaries need to be part of that mission. Weeks ago Kofi Annan warned that the developed world couldn’t farm out the mission to the developing world, but despite our spirited rhetoric we’ve yet to ante up.

I've been to Darfur and seen how deficient the African Union force is in terms of numbers, equipment and mandate. I've also been to the Democratic Republic of Congo and seen the difference a well-equipped UN mission can make with a robust mandate and the will, as Mr. Savage puts it, to “kill more than a few militiamen” if necessary. Like most of the Darfur advocacy community, I realize that peace rarely comes without security.

Canada can make a difference, if we choose. Despite Minister
O’Connor’s claims to the contrary, we have military resources we could contribute. Will it be a short-term engagement; an easy engagement? Of course not. Just like Afghanistan, a mission to Darfur will take discipline and dedication in order to yield results. The exit strategy for Canada would be the same as that for the international community - when a sustainale peace is in place, when civilians aren't being slaughtered, the UN can draw down its presence. None of us look back at Rwanda and think it would have been easy, but most of us think it would have been worth the risks to save the innocent. Are the people of Darfur any less deserving?

Max Kelly
Policy Director,
STAND Canada