Ethiopian Peacekeepers to Darfur

Slightly over 100 Ethiopian peacekeepers arrived in Darfur Tuesday. Another 400 are said to be arriving from now until Friday.

Under a 2007 UN Security Council Resolution, Ethiopia vowed to send 5,000 troops to the devastated Sudanese region. Until now, only 340 Ethiopian peacekeepers had deployed in Darfur due to a “lack of equipment and preparations on the ground”.

One should not blame Ethiopia for the inadequate peacekeeping force. In reality, the international community at large has not lived up to its promises regarding deployment to Darfur.

The aforementioned Resolution authorized the deployment of nearly 20,000 military personnel. To date, more than one year later, deployment amounts to an inexcusable 10,700 – a tad over 50%.

Do the people of Darfur only deserve 50% of peace? Should we seek to only alleviate 50% of their suffering?

I am 100% certain that these people deserve more.