Monday, April 13, 2009

Somalia over the Sudan and Darfur?

I don't know if the media is aware of what they are doing or not. But, they are side-stepping larger issues, to deal with minor issues in relation to the big picture.

For the last week and even before that, talks of Somali pirates, which prompted talks about the collapsed government in Somalia, has been taking centre stage.

It's all because these pirates disrupt commercial and shipping activity to Africa and South East Asia.

The latest ship, the Alabama, was captured for a short while on its way to Kenya. The ship hands' fought off their attackers and at one time captured on of the pirates, but the pirates took the captain hostage in a swap. He was later rescued by the US Navy, who shot and killed 3 of the four pirates. The ship made its way to Kenya, without their captain--only to be reunited a few days later.

All fine and good. However, this issue, an issue that has not just started, is no where near as important as the genocide in the Sudan or the teetering democracy in Zimbabwe.

While Somalia is a failed state. There is no mass genocide or rampant, urgent issue, on the scale of the Sudan, or, its most recent equivalent--Rwanda.

So, before we talk US officials into going into Somalia, again, I must say that we have, in fact, MUST go into the Sudan and watch Zimbabwe more carefully.

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