Sudan's President a War Criminal?

Sudan's President, Omar al-Bashir is set to become the first sitting head of state to be indicted for genocide and crimes against humanity for his campaign of violence against thousands in the country's Darfur region.  (Read more:  Sudan President Charged for Darfur Violence)

About 400,000 people have been murdered by the government backed "Janjaweed" militia since 2003.

The timing is interesting.  This arrest warrant for al-Bashir follows an attack made earlier this week on United Nations peacekeepers (blue helmets).  Seven were killed and many wounded in that attack.

THREE YEARS after the Darfur issue was referred to the International Criminal Court, justice seems on its way to being served.   Even with the prospect of complicating the peace process in Darfur, at least something is finally being done to try and put an end to the violence.  More on that in another post...

In recent years, Hollywood actors and Olympic medalists have used their stardom to draw attention to a conflict that-let's face it-no one would in America would ever have known or cared about.  

The fact the I.C.C. is finally moving against al-Bashir shows what those actors and thousands of voices around the world crying out against the violence can accomplish.  

If only the world's great actors could have raised awareness of the horrible civil war that-up until recent years-raged in Sudan for about two decades.  The Muslim government of the North pounded away on the Christians and animists in the South.  The world stayed largely silent. 

No rallies held on the National Mall in Washington, DC. 

No television spots with big name actors raising awareness. 

Few 'Save Sudan!' t-shirts and wrist bands that I can recall. 

Only a relatively small band of human rights advocates and Christian groups.

Nearly two million South Sudanese were wiped out in the civil war.

Four million men, women and children were forced from their homes.

Now there are rumblings that the North and South may return to war soon.   Will anyone know or care? 

How about the mind blowing violence occurring in the Democratic Republic of Congo?  It almost makes Darfur seem tame in comparison.  Yet, I doubt if many in the world even know what's happening there.  (Read more on DRC:  Unspeakable Horror)

What can be said for these conflicts is that it takes thousands of voices coming together to denounce the violence...strength in numbers...to get the U.N.'s attention.

What do you think?  Can this new charge against al-Bashir change anything in Darfur?  Write me an e-mail.