WHO WINS?

WHO LOSES

We have looked at nations who have engaged in civil wars where mass killings have occurred. We had studied the reasons and consequences for these events. Now we are asking who the winners are and who the losers are.

The city of Sarajevo sustained one of the longest attacks in history, lasting from 1992 1995. This siege received world attention and large humanitarian interventions. Peter Andreas, in his book, Blue Helmets and Black Markets, helps us understand war economies and humanitarian aid. He gives clearly documented examples of how the aide efforts became a black-market for goods. Sarajevo had easy access for the military and for humanitarian aid. However, Srebrenica was an area that was trapped and had little access to aide. This situation led to massive amounts of smuggling of aide items from Sarajevo to Srebrenica. The selling of these items was very profitable to the smugglers as the need was so great. The profiteers included the military, the UNPROFOR soldiers and local profiteers. Andreas suggests that this siege was prolonged due to the profits that were being made. He states, Smuggling and black marketing helped to sustain Srebrenica under dire conditions, but as in Sarajevo it was also a source of abuse, corruption and profiteering that increasingly alienated the local population. (p 142) The local population who suffered from this misuse of needed recourses come to mistrust all of the military and political leaders. When asking who wins and who loses, it is important to look at the oil producing countries. Peter Maass does this in his book, Crude World. He takes us to a small African country, Equatorial Guinea, which has one of the worst human rights records in the world. Equatorial Guinea gained its independence from Spain in 1968. It is now ruled by a harsh dictator, Obiang, and may be the most brutalized country on earth (p 31) In 1994 the United States had closed its embassy in that country due to threats of violence. Shortly after this, oil was discovered in this small country. American companies soon moved in and bought the rights for exploration of this resource. The money paid by these companies in royalties goes directly to the government. Even the workers in the oil fields are from foreign countries. The people of this country have seen no personal gains. Maass reports that in Independence Day celebrations dignitaries from around the world helped the leader celebrate. He states, It might seem odd that dignitaries from the worlds largest countries and executives from the largest companies would attend a dismal parade in a scorching corner of an oppressive nation...this was testimony to the reach of oil. The winners in Bosnia were those in authority at the time of the on-going conflict. Those people, politicians, aid workers and military personnel. When this conflict ended the citizens were eventually able to re-establish their lives. Maass also shows that those who are in power

are the winners. However, in Equatorial Guinea population has never seen improvements in their lives. The people continue to live impoverished lives complicated by the cruel nature of their dictatorial leader. The world took notice in Bosnia but no one took notice in Equatorial Guinea until oil was discovered. The women in Bosnia have a voice to tell the world of the atrocities that were suffered. In Equatorial Guinea, the entire population is without a voice as they live in continual fear, unnoticed by the world. Today the world is watching a civil war in Libya where the population has risen to try to get rid of their dictatorial leader, Gaddafi. Gaddafis army is fighting fiercely to keep the people of Libya under control. The world debates what intervention would be acceptable to assist the people. History shows that Gaddafi has been accepted by the world even with his record of brutality. The world is now concerned because Libya is an oil producing nation and oil prices are reflecting that countrys instability. (Nat. Post) In conflicts within nations, the winners are those with power. The losers are the people of these nations who have no power or voice. The power of the winners is accomplished by exercising complete control of the countrys population and resources.

WORKS CITED Andreas, Peter, Blue Helmets and Black Markets Maass, Peter, Crude World: The Violent Twilight of Oil Wordsworth, Araminta, We Will Stand and Fight. The National Post, February 25, 2011