As massive human suffering continues to engulf the Darfur region of Sudan, the crisis has garnered a rhetorical circus of saber-rattling and hand wringing from Western politicians, media, and activists. Yet such bluster has not halted the violence.

In a careful yet scathing indictment of this constellation of holier-than-thou government leaders, corporate media outlets, and spoon-fed NGOs, Steven Fake and Kevin Funk reveal the myriad ways in which the West has failed Darfur in The Scramble for Africa: Darfur—Intervention and the USA.

Eschewing liberal fantasies of Western benevolence, Fake and Funk unmask the hard reality behind “humanitarian intervention” advocacy, painting a disturbing portrait of Washington’s past and present relations with some of the worst elements in power in Khartoum.

Fake and Funk offer an opportunity to take a fresh, uncorrupted perspective on the crisis and the hope that an international response can play a role in alleviating it. Just such a vantage point is necessary if the West is to offer any true aid to the people of Darfur.

About the Authors

Kevin Funk and Steven Fake are Foreign Policy In Focus contributors and active writers for the “Youth and Activism” section of FPIF. They are activists and political commentators whose writings have been published in such media as Common Dreams, CounterPunch, ZNet, and Black Commentator; they have been interviewed on Sirius Radio and other outlets. They have been researching and writing about Sudan since 2006.

What others are saying about Scramble for Africa

“Kevin Funk and Steven Fake have written a devastating critique of the ‘humanitarian’ response of the United States to the Darfur crisis, while offering a genuine humane alternative that would lessen the ordeal, if not bring it to an end. Well-researched, easy to read, and utterly convincing, a crucial book for anyone concerned about achieving a morally and politically acceptable U.S. foreign policy.”
–Richard Falk, Milbank Professor of Law Emeritus, Princeton University

“Sudan has been a nightmare for many. It still is. The outside world is responsible as well. This book shows why. The authors avoid easy answers, and provide a quality analysis with compelling arguments to revise Western policies.”
–Jan Pronk, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of Mission for the United Nations Mission in Sudan, 2004-2006

“At a time when everyone from George Clooney to George Bush is an instant expert on Darfur, Kevin Funk and Steven Fake have given us what we so urgently need: a clear, sober assessment of the conflict and how it fits into the foreign policy of the United States. With neither fear nor favour, they take us back stage, show us our blind spots, and come up with some troubling conclusions. Explosive, masterful, and impeccably fair. Consider it the thinking person’s guide to Darfur.”
–John Ghazvinian, author of Untapped: The Scramble for Africa’s Oil

“A commanding exposé of the duplicitous and damaging role played by US leaders and others in a dark drama. Well-written, well focused, deeply informed—an excellent corrective for the many who cannot tell the difference between humanitarian assistance and imperial aggrandizement.”
–Michael Parenti, author of Contrary Notions and Against Empire

“Elegantly written, erudite without being academic, and with a forceful yet sensible political argument, Scramble for Africa is a must read for anyone concerned with making sense of one of the most haunting crises of our time.”
–Stephen Eric Bronner, Rutgers University