Justice in Darfur

To whom it may concern,

As the UN Tribunal on Darfur unfolds, the primary issue of concern is not the court’s ability to prove whether government sponsored attacks on its own population occurred, or to even prosecute and convict those that are found guilty. The primary concern is the issuance of justice. If Sudan or any other government that may one day provide these people with sanctuary will not release those convicted, then the tribunal’s core objectives are faulty. In this situation and others, the United Nations' best principal is perhaps the harbinger of its own demise; national autonomy. Sure several countries can collectively apply diplomatic or economic pressure to another, but the UN cannot force one nation to do anything it does not want to. Maybe Bashir and the others who are responsible for these crimes against humanity will one day be extradited to the Hague, but until these individuals are held accountable, a UN tribunal remains relatively ineffective. With this is mind, how will this administration seek to bring justice to the people of Sudan and in particular Darfur? Since your administration would be providing its input late in the game, so to speak, will you then focus more on reconciliation and providing humanitarian support?

GUNNAR HAND, AICP