Vol. 73/No. 5      February 9, 2009

Sudan is the third largest oil-producing country in Africa. The U.S. government wants to pressure the government in Khartoum, which has long been at odds with Washington, to get in line with U.S. dictates. Khartoum’s bloody repression of non-Arabic-speaking and non-Muslim peoples in the Darfur region has been used to justify imperialist intervention there, under the guise of “peacekeepers” from the African Union and United Nations.

On January 6 then-president George Bush authorized sending 150 tons of military equipment to the Darfur region. He waived a requirement that he notify Congress 15 days in advance before such a mission. The delivery of heavy equipment, trucks, water purification systems, and several thousand pounds of spare parts for vehicles was carried out by Africom.

Originally the mission called for delivering 75 tons of oversized trucks and heavy equipment. But according to an Africom spokesperson on the ground in Rwanda, Eric Elliott, “Since they’re flying the missions anyway, they loaded the aircraft with anything else that they [the UN-African Union forces] needed.”

U.S. Air Force C-17 planes flew from the United States to Djibouti, where Africom has a base at Camp Lemonier. From Djibouti the aircraft went to Kigali International Airport in Rwanda to load the equipment and then to Darfur. The mission consisted of five flights.

U.S. troops are not supposed to be involved in direct military action in the Darfur region, only “support” for the “peacekeepers.” However, another Africom spokesperson, Vince Crawley, said that a small number of U.S. troops would provide protection aboard the two C-17 cargo planes the Pentagon is sending and would remain in Darfur only long enough to unload the aircraft.

To make the point that U.S. military forces were prepared to engage in combat, Maj. Sean Pierce, the commander of the second C-17, said, “There’s no specific concern, but we’re prepared to react to anything that comes our way.” The Rwandan government and military made clear their support for the U.S. role in a statement by Rwandan Defense Force spokesperson Maj. Jill Rutaremara. Rwanda maintains a contingent in the African Union forces in Darfur. “The demands are many,” said Rutaremara. “We hope that this cooperation with Africa Command is going to continue.” As part of transforming the U.S. military on a world scale, Africom was established in February 2007 by Bush shortly after Ethiopian troops and U.S. Special Forces invaded Somalia and overthrew the government ruling the capital, Mogadishu.

President Barack Obama has vowed more aggressive action in Darfur, including imposition of a no-flight zone. His nominee for ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, told the Senate panel at her confirmation hearing that she will push for the United Nations to speed up sending additional “peacekeeping” troops to Darfur. She said the Obama administration is considering more “robust action,” including economic sanctions against the Sudanese government.
 
 
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