MEDIA REACTION: AFRICA: DARFUR, UN PEACEKEEPER FORCE; SCO

UNCLAS SAO PAULO 000652 SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE INR/R/MR; IIP/R/MR; WHA/PD DEPT PASS USTR USDOC 4322/MAC/OLAC/JAFEE E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: KMDR OPRC OIIP ETRD BR SUBJECT: MEDIA REACTION: AFRICA: DARFUR, UN PEACEKEEPER FORCE; SCO PAULO "Unacceptable Delay" Liberal, largest national circulation daily Folha de Sco Paulo (8/2) editorialized: "After four years and at least 180,000 deaths, the UN has finally taken a concrete step to end the genocide in Darfur.... What is impressive in the case is the UN's delay in taking an action. Despite news reporting the bloodshed, UN diplomats were involved in an endless discussion whether the definition of genocide included in the 1948 Genocide Convention would apply or not to the situation in Darfur. Such inaction concealed other interests. China buys Sudanese oil. Russia, with its Chechen problem, is allergic to the word 'genocide' to justify interventions and embargos. In the beginning, the US preferred not to question Khartoum because of its support for anti-terrorism efforts. More recently however, in one of his few correct foreign policy decisions, President Bush increased pressures and imposed an embargo on Sudan. But the situation only changed with the election of a new British prime minister, Gordon Brown, and a new French president, Nicolas Sarkozy. Both need to show that although members of the same party, they are different from their predecessors." Helling