West-end of the Border is a book documenting the lives of refugees taking shelter at camps along the Chad-Sudan border, all the way from Abeche to Bahai. The stories were documented on the immediate aftermath of the height of violence in Darfur during 2003-2004. The reason why this book is out today is because these stories still linger on the flimsy line in the desert between the two countries, with the situation worsening for the families in camps. Peace negotiations often mention IDP presence, however the refugees are hardly represented.
It is a complicated matter, refugees. How should the central government deal with them? Faced with the question, it is best left unanswered for the common bureaucrat. No one in their right mind would push at an answer either with so much on one’s plate in terms of the unrest still going on in Darfur, the uncertainty in Sudan ever continuous. Repatriation and resettlement are complicated matters. Not to be tackled unless absolutely necessary.
West-end of the Border is an attempt to keep a promise to those who shared their stories in their makeshift shelters. Sad as it is the stories are still there five years later.
Apart from commending this book, I want to make one comment: watch Turkey. The rise of Turkey as a strategically minded, middle-ranking power, its influence extending throughout the eastern Mediterranean, central Asia, the Middle East and north-east Africa is not to be missed. Turkey is a new aid donor. It was co-sponsor of the recent Cairo OIC conference on Darfur. It has punched above its weight at the Security Council (in the 14 June session on Sudan, the two highest quality contributions were from Brazil and Turkey). And, as Bikem’s book shows, it is not just a governmental affair: Turkish civil society, writers and activists are making their mark too.
Where to find the book? Is there a soft copy of it any where?
Thanks
Dear Hiwaar, the book is available online if you follow the link in the first line of the posting, Alex