INDEPENDENT NEWS

Cablegate: Media Reaction: Africa: Darfur, Un Peacekeeper Force; Sco

Published: Thu 2 Aug 2007 01:41 PM
VZCZCXYZ0010
OO RUEHWEB
DE RUEHSO #0652 2141341
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 021341Z AUG 07
FM AMCONSUL SAO PAULO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7307
INFO RHEHNSC/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 8410
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO PRIORITY 8238
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC 2864
UNCLAS SAO PAULO 000652
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
STATE INR/R/MR; IIP/R/MR; WHA/PD
DEPT PASS USTR
USDOC 4322/MAC/OLAC/JAFEE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: KMDR OPRC OIIP ETRD BR
SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: AFRICA: DARFUR, UN PEACEKEEPER FORCE; SCO
PAULO
"Unacceptable Delay"
Liberal, largest national circulation daily Folha de Sco Paulo (8/2)
editorialized: "After four years and at least 180,000 deaths, the UN
has finally taken a concrete step to end the genocide in Darfur....
What is impressive in the case is the UN's delay in taking an
action. Despite news reporting the bloodshed, UN diplomats were
involved in an endless discussion whether the definition of genocide
included in the 1948 Genocide Convention would apply or not to the
situation in Darfur. Such inaction concealed other interests. China
buys Sudanese oil. Russia, with its Chechen problem, is allergic to
the word 'genocide' to justify interventions and embargos. In the
beginning, the US preferred not to question Khartoum because of its
support for anti-terrorism efforts. More recently however, in one of
his few correct foreign policy decisions, President Bush increased
pressures and imposed an embargo on Sudan. But the situation only
changed with the election of a new British prime minister, Gordon
Brown, and a new French president, Nicolas Sarkozy. Both need to
show that although members of the same party, they are different
from their predecessors."
Helling
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