“What happened then is one of the world’s biggest regrets. Many members of the international community have apologized to me and stated that they did not know the horrendous atrocities that occurred. I responded, ‘If you know now, then what are you doing in the Congo? Darfur? Somalia? The whole of Africa, which is burning?’”
Does this quote sound familiar? Last year at the Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial auditorium, a man named Paul Rusesabagina said these words as he recalled personal experiences of surviving the Rwanda genocide. Though looking regretfully into the past, he came with the purpose of motivating students to act to change the present, specifically aiming at the genocide that has been occurring for the last three years in Darfur, Sudan.
The Darfur region in Western Sudan is home to one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. Like most African nations, Sudan has been politically, economically, and socially unstable for decades. It was not until February 2003 though, that the violent outbreak of what is now known as the first genocide of the 21st century erupted. The victims are African tribal groups or non-Arabs, and these people have long been discriminated against by the Arab-dominated government.
An uprising against government officials by Africans resulted in the unleashing of a group called the Janjaweed. Meaning “lawless person” in local dialect, the Janjaweed is an Arab militia of around 20,000 men, mainly on horse and camel. The militia was sent to systematically destroy the lives and homes of the Africans. Men and boys are killed first automatically, women and girls are raped and abducted, villages looted and burned, water sources poisoned, and any means of agricultural production is torn up. Cattle are looted, and fruit trees cut down. The Janjaweed will stop at nothing.
Depending on who you talk to, the statistics of this situation vary greatly. Some say only 70,000 have been killed so far, some say 100,000 die every month. The number that seems to be the most accepted is 200,000, though calculating the death toll is almost impossible at this point, with much of Darfur inaccessible to aid workers and researchers. Another controversial figure pertains to the displacement of people, but 2.5 million is the number most commonly accepted. Most of these refugees have fled to Chad, Sudan’s neighboring country. Refugee camps have been set up there and all around Darfur.
It must be understood that these camps are not so much of a safe-haven from the conflict, but rather an even bigger target, or a weaker prey for the brutal predator. Inside, the victims suffer from overcrowding and severe food, water, and shelter shortages. There is always the risk of an outbreak of waterborne diseases such as cholera and dysentery, along with malaria. Outside, the Janjaweed patrol. Men are almost never sent to look for firewood or more water; upon leaving the camps they are either castrated and left to bleed to death, or simply killed. The women have taken it upon themselves to walk for miles every day to find water, knowing that that they will be raped, but at least not killed. This is the daily life and struggle for a Darfurian refugee.
“I was sleeping when the attack on Disa [a village] started. I was taken away by the attackers, they were all in uniforms. They took dozens of other girls and made us walk for three hours. During the day we were beaten and they were telling us, ‘You, the black women, we will exterminate you, you have no god.’ At night we were raped several times. The Arabs guarded us with arms and we were not given food for three days,” a female refugee from Disa recounted.
“When we tried to escape they shot more children. They raped women; I saw many cases of Janjaweed raping women and girls. They are happy when they rape. They sing when they rape and they tell that we are just slaves and that they can do with us how they wish,” another female refugee recounts.
What is being done to help the people of Darfur? The United States has been the most generous contributor of humanitarian assistance, and there are few agencies with aid workers throughout the region, but in general the government of Khartoum, Darfur’s capital, refuses the entry of most agencies, both governmental and non-governmental. It is a difficult situation for the international community, specifically for America. The Bush administration is stuck in their efforts to end Sudan’s north-south war that has been going on since the early 80s, and to secure intelligence on terrorism (Bin Laden has strong connections with the Sudanese government, run by the National Islamic Front). There is a widespread reluctance to push Khartoum too hard on the Darfur issue, while in the final steps of a supposed peace of the on-going conflict between north and south Sudan.
A peace deal between one of the three main African rebel groups and the government was signed in May of this year, but ironically the violence only escalated afterward. In recent months the United States and other members of the international community have been pressuring Khartoum to allow a UN peacekeeping force to take the place of some 7,000 African Union (AU) troops. The AU is known for their inability to secure the situation and to protect the people, due to lack of funds and equipment. Providing a group of 20,000 UN peacekeepers was an idea proposed to assist, if not take the place of the AU troops; however, as previously mentioned, the Sudanese government has repeatedly refused access to areas in dire need of assistance, and the entry of humanitarian aid.
Activism for this issue is on the rise. After over three years, people are realizing that the Darfur genocide is really happening and more importantly, that it is only getting worse. In the last few months alone, there have been several rallies at the local, national, and international level, and the US government seems to be listening. Pressure on Khartoum is rising every day, and members of Congress and the UN are speaking out more on the issue.
By sheer luck, coincidence, and the ever-surprising phenomenon of timing, a few months ago I had the opportunity to speak with President Bush on the matter. I thanked him for his efforts and tried to be positive by mentioning the progress we’ve made. He however, immediately counter-acted my enthusiasm with emotionally crinkled eyebrows and a stern face, and assured me that there is still very much to be done. After stressing the importance of this issue he thanked me for my concern.
Our voices are being heard, on both small and large scales. This is something that’s not going to end on its own. It is our obligation to admit that without humanitarian assistance in the near-future, the people of Darfur will only be subjected to more torture and hatred, and when the time comes that the world discovers the absolute truth of all the atrocities and injustice that is occurring, we will find ourselves lost in the large number of the death toll. Last year at the TBAMA, Rusesabagina recalled his personal experiences of surviving the Rwanda genocide, and was quick to point out another absolute truth. “This is a shame to mankind. And the whole world is standing by observing.” •
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