ME and Ophelia

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PETITION TO ASK KOFI ANNAN TO RESIGN -
AFTER HIS FAILURE OVER DARFUR SUDAN
Letter to President Bush
China's Africa policy, oil, and Darfur Sudan

Regular readers here will know I've blogged almost daily for the past six months about the catastrophic situation in Darfur. The situation is as dire as ever. And getting worse. Terrible news: Darfur is sliding into a state of anarchy and emergency.

Government of Sudan forces are out of control. It's taken up until a few weeks ago for 500 African Union soldiers to be on the ground in Darfur, despite months of negotiations and promises of 3,000 AU soldiers several weeks ago.

The AU troops are forced by the Government of Sudan to act as observers and watch refugee camps being bulldozed by government forces. A few days ago government forces attacked innocent civilians, threw tear gas into refugee camps, took refugees against their will, drove away with them in vehicles (against international law) and shot at a BBC reporter ... I'm lost for words ... and cannot repeat what is happening. Please read posts over at Sudan Watch and especially the most recent ones on the front page at Passion of the Present. Here are links to today's posts:

(1) HERE'S CALLING FOR THE RESIGNATION OF KOFI ANNAN (my post)

(2) Petition to ask Kofi Annan to resign, after his failure to stop the genocide in Darfur Sudan (Jim's)

(3) Petition to UN Security Council asking Kofi Annan to resign, after his failure to stop the genocide in Darfur Sudan (my post)

(4) Dear President Bush (another great post by Jim)

(5) China's Africa policy, oil, and Darfur Sudan (Jim - great links, thanks)

Note, Nick's buddy, Dr Jonathan Spector, who recently returned home to Boston after working in Darfur with MSF Doctors Without Borders is, at long last, featured in a post at the Passsion (authored by Jim or his wife, I think). Seems the hold up getting Jonathan's photos online is to do with them being on CD. Click on the photo of Jonathan's screen. Pity the photo is too large for flickr to size and post here.