Who will protect the peacekeepers?

The International Criminal Court in the Netherlands has issued a warrant for the arrest of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir while at the same time the UN is withdrawing its troop of 200 Blue Helmets from the war-torn province of Darfur. This inconsistent approach only strengthens the position of al-Bashir and Sudan's protector, China, writes the daily Die Presse: "Darfur urgently needs each and every UN worker it has, if not for protection then at least to keep a record of the war crimes. ... This is undoubtedly crushing proof of powerlessness. ... Encouraged by its 'success', Sudan's protector China is banking on the UN withdrawing the Criminal Court's charges. ... However, if Bashir carries through on his threat to escalate the violence perhaps the Western states will soften their stance. It would be the last piece in the puzzle called 'The failure of the international community in Darfur'."

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