International responses / Comment
The international response to the Darfur crisis
19/09/2008 By David Lanz
The conflict in Darfur has triggered an international response that eclipses all other conflicts in Africa. Yet the Darfur conflict appears further than ever from resolution.
I. Sanogo/AFP/Getty Images
This comment argues that one reason for the ineffectiveness of international conflict management efforts in Darfur is that different actors contradict each other, despite their good intentions.
It is not possible to simultaneously run a humanitarian operation, deploy peacekeepers, try the Sudanese President in an international court, negotiate a peace agreement, and foster the democratic transition of Sudan.
Conflict managers in Darfur and elsewhere must learn to set priorities and to recognise that their decisions have opportunity costs.
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Keywords
Aid effectiveness Aid management Aid policy Civil society Conflict resolution SudanRelated publications
- The Difficulties of the International Criminal Justice in Darfur
- The international response to Darfur
Bio author: David Lanz
He worked in Khartoum and Darfur as a researcher with the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) and as a trainer for the Swiss Section of Amnesty International. He is currently with the Mediation Support Project at SwissPeace in Bern (Switzerland).
