Darfur: On Divestment

A lot of happenings this week on the Darfur front.  I have a roundup at my World News site which you can read there. 

My takeaway?  I love how the entire Bush administration is mobilizing to "Save Darfur" even as it has worked to bury proposed legislation that is the centerpiece of a divestment campaign that would force American investors to pull money out of any company doing business in Sudan. 

I suppose words are cheaper than turning one's back to one's oil buddies.

The less cynical voice in my head wonders if U.S. divestment would be enough to push the Khartoum's hand and agree to allow UN peacekeepers into the country.  (I don't have all the figures so I cannot even begin to guess, although apparently the equity at stake is reportedly in the tens of billions.)  Maybe the Bush administration is just waiting and seeing if it can convince the Chinese to use their "moral suasion" (i.e., soaring oil demand) to get the Sudanese government on board, and divestment might only piss the Chinese off. 

Oil companies that would be affected by  American divestment include: PetroChina, Sinopec, ABB, Alstom, Siemens, Schlumberger, Tatneft of Russia, Italy's Finmeccanica, Weir Group of the UK, and Shell. 

Yup...on second thought, my vote is on the oil vote.

Comments

[imnakoya]

One of the things I find frustrating about Africa is the lack of initiative and the political will to resolve internal issues.

If America is contemplating diverstment, what is stopping the African nations that are currently exchanging their resources for sino-dollars to suspend these deals and until China can get Sudan to behave? While this is a painful move, it does carry a lot of weight, morally and economically. Oh, I forgot, Africa is poor, but would Africans rather take sino$$$ over the raping and killings of their fellow brethren in Darfur?

Then what about the north Africans, none has contributed to the peacekeeping troops. To have just 7,000 peacekeepers in Darfur is a huge joke and a big shame to Africa. American diverstment is fine, but Africans must also sit up and do the right things.

[Jennifer Brea]

Imnakoya, thanks for your comment. I completely agree that African governments also have a responsibility and that it is either patronizing or foolish to think that what happens in Africa is simply a matter of the choices foreign governments make to help or not help, to cause harm or to not cause harm.

That said, because I am American I am especially concerned about my own government's role in all of this and for me it's disturbing when politicians pat themselves on the back for paying lip service to crises like Darfur.

There is a major movement here in the West to make governments accountable for their role in causing misery abroad. (Putting aside, of course, the whole issue of Iraq.)

But why do you think you don't see much organized political action in Africa?

[Black River Eagle]

Ooohhh... I see that you have been very busy on the Darfur Crisis lately and the China in Africa controversy. Very encouraging.

"...There is a major movement here in the West to make governments accountable for their role in causing misery abroad. (Putting aside, of course, the whole issue of Iraq.)

But why do you think you don't see much organized political action in Africa?"

One reason that you don't see widespread political action in sub-Saharan African capitals against Sudan is that some of these governments are no better than the regime in Khartoum, if not worse. The AU has been involved in peace negotiations and in supplying much needed security monitors for Darfur, but to be honest President Obasanjo of Nigeria and a few key AU officials have been more effective in helping to resolve the crisis than all other AU heads of state combined. Where is the strength and leadership of South Africa's Mbeki, or Egypt's Mubarak, or many other leaders from relatively stable countries on the continent?

In addition what is particularly noticeable throughout sub-Saharan African media and press and the business and religious communities is the lack of organized, concerted efforts to ostracize and isolate the government of Omar al-Bahsir. This is especially true of Sudan's east African neighbors such as Kenya and Tanzania and Uganda and Ethiopia.

When I think about the lack of worldwide outrage and action against such a murderous government as that of the GoS in Khartoum, I am perfectly O.K. with the U.S. and the U.K. government efforts to resolve this crisis over the past 3 years. Where is the rest of the world when the people of Darfur (and the DR Congo etc. etc.) are pleading for security and food and shelter? The Europeans, the Asian nations, the Middle East, and yes the nations of Mother Africa?

Will they be there with us when there is no other alternative left but to send in peacekeepers and humanitarian workers by force, by attacking the Sudanese political and military apparatus that has been subjecting millions of people in Darfur and in southern Sudan to so much torture and misery and death for decades? I doubt it, seriously.

[imnakoya]

In addition to what BRE mentioned, the African press and media haven't done enough to bring the shame of Darfur to their readers: Just over one-third of Africans interviewed (36%) say they have heard or read a great deal or a fair amount about the conflict in the Sudan region called Darfur, according to a recent survey.

[Black River Eagle]

What survey was that Imnakoya? I'd like to get my hands on that survey. Provide us with a link if the info is available online, please. How many Africans surveyed were aware of the crisis in the DR Congo?

BTW: I was directed to this post today via a link provided by Reuters new BlogWatch service. Reuters has been really stepping up to the plate in support of bloggers lately. Also, Andrew Ströhlein of the International Crisis Group is guest blogging at Reuters AlertNet blog. See his October 2nd post on why the MSM is so hot-and-cold on their coverage of crisis and conflicts in Africa such as Darfur.

AlertNet News blog - 10/02/06
On-and-off coverage of Darfur
http://www.alertnet.org/db/blogs/3159/2006/09/2-082337-1.htm

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