Today, the actress Mia Farrow will begin a 3-week-long water-only fast to show her solidarity with the people of Darfur and to express her outrage at the lack of action the world’s leaders have taken to halt the bloodshed in that devastated region of Sudan.

While I admire Ms. Farrow’s courage at taking such a stand for something she believes in, I can’t help but wonder if it will make a difference. Will anyone care?

It has been 5 years since the Government of Sudan unleashed the janjaweed militiamen on the mostly non-Arab farmers of the Darfur region. In that time, an estimated 400,000 people have been killed and another 2.5 million have been displaced due to the violence. As this has gone on, the world that said “never again” after the Holocaust and then again after Rwanda has watched and done nothing. When even two of the biggest celebrities in the world — Angelina Jolie and George Clooney  — talk about Darfur and fail to ignite any real interest from the American (or European) people, then I don’t hold out much hope for Mia Farrow.

The already dire situation in Darfur was worsened last month when the International Criminal Court indicted Sudan’s President al-Bashir on war crimes. While this was good news, it is unlikely he will actually be arrested anytime in the near future, and Bashir responded to this indictment by expelling 13 foreign aid agencies from the country. These agencies provided a lifeline to the more than 1 million men, women and children living in refugee camps in and around Darfur, and their departure has now sentenced them to a slow death of disease and starvation.

It was this move by Bashir that inspired Farrow to embark on a potentially life-threatening protest. She is hoping that the world will finally act and that our leaders will call upon the Government of Sudan to re-admit the expelled agencies immediately. 

I wish her luck as she begins her fast today, and for the people of Darfur, I wish her success.

Tweet  Print This Post

Tags: politics & government, terror & war // Add Comment »