A new book says Mia Farrow, George Clooney and other Hollywood celebrities may have done more to prolong the suffering of Darfur than resolve the crisis in Sudan's war-torn region.
 
The problem is not the publicity they bring, but their agenda, says Rob Crilly, author of Saving Darfur, Everyone's Favourite African War.
 
"My concern is when they get too involved in proposing solutions and they become too wedded to one way of doing things,” said Crilly, now on a book tour.
 
He blames the Save Darfur Coalition in part for the failure of the 2006 Darfur peace agreement, which only one of the many rebel factions signed up to.
 
"If you understand it as a black and white war between rebels and the government then all these other players are left out of the negotiations and you can't really have peace in Darfur."
 
"I think [it] is wonderful that people want to have concerts to raise awareness, raise money - but I think they shouldn't get too bogged down in policy prescriptions because they can run into trouble."
 
The book has been praised by actress Farrow. 'While I disagree with much of Mr Crilly's analysis, he provides us with a solid journalistic account of his first-hand experiences in Darfur.'
 
A British/Irish freelance journalist, Crilly spent four years reporting on Sudan and traveled extensively through the region. Published by Reportage Press in the UK, the book can be obtained online from the Reportage website.

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