Re: "Senator Dallaire slams Harper gov't for ignoring Africa: Liberals unveil four-point plan to bring peace to Darfur," The Journal, Dec. 11

It's encouraging to read that the Liberals have a realistic plan for Canada ending the Darfur crisis. What remains to be seen is what the Conservatives are going to do in response. Will they continue to drag their feet on this man-made humanitarian disaster in progress?

The same day the Liberals unveiled their Darfur policy, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in Parliament that Canada is "heavily engaged in Darfur." Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier said Canada is taking action to protect human rights worldwide.

If only their words matched their actions. There was no mention of Darfur in last October's throne speech, or in Canada's address to the UN General Assembly, also in October.

It's embarrassing that Canada's ambitions are so limited. Given the atrocities in progress, Canada should be screaming from the rooftops.

While Canada has contributed $441 million in aid to the humanitarian situation, it does nothing to stop the state-sponsored rapes and murders of Darfur's civilians by Sudan's Janjaweed militia, or by Darfur's rebels themselves.

Canada should make an effort to bring peace by assisting the 26,000-strong UN-African Union peacekeeping mission. Many African troops in the mission, set to deploy Jan. 1, don't have the proper equipment. Canada can provide expert help, training, and equipment in areas like communications, logistics and command to ensure the effectiveness of the mission.

Canada also needs to rescue the North-South peace process, which was supposed to end 20 years of fighting in South Sudan. If there's no peace in the South, there's no chance of peace in Darfur.

Fifty years ago, Lester B. Pearson was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Harper should honour his legacy by presenting to the world how Canada will stop the genocide. Darfur deserves better from us.

Scott Fenwick,
policy co-ordinator,
Walk for Darfur, University of Alberta