Perhaps these men’s wives and children had been tortured or raped. Or maybe they are in a refugee camp, dying of starvation, malnutrition, disease, and drought. The Darfur region is in the grip of a major world crisis, which must be resolved. We cannot ignore them any longer. Anyone who learns about the history, tragedy, and possible solutions for the region, will realize what a catastrophic problem this is.
There has always been tension in the Darfur region, and recently it exploded. The largest three African tribes in the area are the Masaaleit, Zaghawa, and Fur (Darfur means “land of the Fur”). (Power) The other main ethnic group is the Arabs. There have always been Arabs in Sudan, but in the 1980s, there was an influx from Mauritania, Mali, Niger, and Chad. (Power) The farming Africans became upset with the larger number of nomadic Arabs trampling crops. (Power) Similarly, the Arabs became increasingly annoyed with African forays into grazing lands. (Power) The government ignored complaints by both groups, and the angry Africans and Arabs began to gather weapons. (Power) In 1987, fighting began between the Fur and Arabic herders.
Battles continued for 2 years with a final death toll of 2,500 Fur and 500 Arabs. This doesn’t include the 400 villages burned and 40,000 camels, cattle, and horses slaughtered, leaving little hope for survivors and still rising tempers. (Power) Despite past violence, Darfur’s current situation is even more devastating and shows no signs of abating.
With no government intervention, Darfur remains a volatile area. Fifty-five percent are African and thirty-nine percent of Darfurians are Arabic. Even though the Africans are the majority, all government positions are held by Arabs. (Snyder) The current conflict is very asymmetric. It is a group of Arabs trying to destroy all Africans and the Africans are putting up very little resistance. The Arabs are called Janjaweed, bandits who have stolen livestock and attacked Africans for decades. Their name means “evil horseman” in the language of the Fur. (Power)
Recently, the Janjaweed, under the command of an Arabic sheik, Musa Hillal, have joined with the Sudanese Army and Air Force. They have modernized, receiving orders on satellite phones and riding in jeeps instead of camels. (Power)(Power) There is a single source of African resistance. The Sudanese Liberation Army (SLA) was formed in February 2003. (Power) Their mission is to “create a united, democratic Sudan” with “equality, complete restructuring and devolution of power…cultural and political pluralism and moral and material prosperity for all Sudanese.”(Power) Regretfully, the government has only recently begun to treat them as a serious threat and direct military action against them. This “action” usually consists of increased attacks on citizens, of which there are already plenty.
This conflict has taken a huge toll on Africans who have no power to stop it. The Janjaweed and SAAF murder villagers in mass executions, rape women, and abduct children. (Reeves) The survivors have no chance because wells are poisoned with dead bodies. In arid Sudan, this is nearly a death sentence. Couple this with stolen camels and cattle, killed donkeys, and looted villages and prospects for survival are dim. (Reeves) Consequently, at least 1,500,000 people have fled their ravaged villages and moved to 50 refugee camps in Chad and more than 150 in Sudan. (Reeves)
Getting into a refugee camp, especially those in Sudan, hardly improves their chances. Sudanese refugee camps are eerily similar to Nazi concentration camps. Disease, starvation, and malnutrition run rampant with no hope of humanitarian aid. Camps are under Janjaweed and government control. (Reeves) “The Sudanese government is pursuing a campaign of ethnic cleansing against non-Arabs” (Power)
The current genocide in Darfur has been linked many times to the 1994 murders in Rwanda. (Power) In Rwanda, the 2 major ethnic/political groups are Hutus and Tutsis. The minority of Tutsis have been in power for centuries. Recently, there has been severe discrimination against Tutsis by the now-Hutu-controlled government.
On April 6th, 1994, the Hutu president, Juvena Hapyarmana was killed. (Raper) Almost immediately, “the Rwandan Armed Forces and Hutu militias… went from house to house killing moderate Hutu politicians and Tutsis.” (Raper) After 100 days, it was over. The final cost was 700,000 Tutsis and 50,000 moderate Hutus killed. There are millions more in hiding and refugee camps. (Staub) The first public comparison was by Mukesh Kapila, the UN humanitarian coordinator in March 2004. Since then, the similarities have been referred to many times. Darfur has even been called “Rwanda repeating itself.” (Reeves)
There are potential solutions however. One is to have an intercontinental peacekeeping force intervene, probably through the UN. (Power) Many experts agree, “What is most needed in Darfur is an international peacekeeping and protection presence.” (Power) There has been a large amount of debate on whether Darfur qualifies as genocide by the definitions of the “1948 UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.”
To be classified as genocide, the crisis must be against a definable group with the intent of significantly harming or eliminating it. (Reeves) The general consensus is “yes”, and the term has been used by major figures including Bush and Kofi Annan, recent head of the UN. US Congress has ratified a declaration that it is genocide and should be treated as such. (Reeves) A UN peacekeeping force holds promise, but it has plenty of drawbacks as well.
If a peacekeeping force is even formed, will it be allowed in? “This is what the Sudanese government most wants to avoid.” (Power) Surprisingly few countries will describe it as genocide or believe it deserves international attention. France, Russia, Germany and more have refused to make donations to the UN humanitarian aid fund for Darfur. (Power) The process of convincing them isn’t made any easier by the fact that the UN body counts are unrealistically low. All other estimates have been 10,000-100,000 bodies higher. (Reeves)
Will an international force even help? Sudanese government officials, though they have a biased view, say, “It will make things worse. Sudanese do not like foreigners to control them. They would love to fight them.” (Power) It seems unlikely that there could even be an international force. Most of the debate “has focused not on how to stop the crisis, but on whether or not it should be called genocide.” If this does not seem likely to work, there are other options.
Another possibility is to have African Union Peacekeeping troops. (Power) The AU is willing to send several thousand troops to Darfur, and Rwanda and Nigeria have each offered a couple hundred also. (Power) (Power) And unlike UN troops, Sudanese government officials have allowed a small amount of AU troops. They are told to negotiate and enforce ceasefires, but are not allowed to protect citizens from the Janjaweed. (Power) Currently there are 7000 AU troops and an offering for more. (Jones)
Many other African countries are having financial or military problems though, and AU troops are “hampered by lack of equipment and funds.” (Jones) The US and other first world countries refused to do their part by equipping or transporting AU troops. (Power) Will African troops even help? Darfurians, who know them best, say that the Africans are too likely to take bribes. (Power) All agree that the safest option is to wait in the refugee camps. Abdum Shogar Adem, a refugee, sums up the group’s thoughts: “We will not return to our homes until the white people come and make us safe.” (Power)
It’s also possible to let Sudan work it out themselves. If there is no genocide, no crisis, no ethnic cleansing, why are peacekeeping forces needed at all? (Power) Simply let Khartoum (government) work it out. Officials assure the world that they will solve their own problems. The government is attempting ceasefires, even if they aren’t successful. (Reeves) Kofi Annan claimed in 2004 that the killings and purgings are “only bordering on ethnic cleansing.”(Power) Why are we searching for solutions if there is no problem?
It’s hard to deny, though, that there is a problem, and Sudan needs help. This is “the first great episode of genocidal destruction in the twenty-first century.” (Reeves) It can’t be ignored. The government, who we expect to fix the problem, has destroyed ½ of Darfur’s African villages in combination with the Janjaweed. (Power) The SLA, the other major negotiating faction, has given up hope in the government. Says a spokesman, “This regime has failed to implement a single other previous agreement.” And, it is Khartoum’s fault there is no relief for victims. They are “deliberately obstructing aid.” (Reeves) How can we expect the government who started this crisis to solve it?
Darfur cannot be dealt with without care and consideration. A single solution cannot solve their problems. The UN and most foreign countries refuse to provide enough assistance in the forms necessary. Darfurians do not believe African troops can help enough, and Khartoum cannot be trusted. What Darfur needs is a mixture of AU and UN peacekeeping forces. AU troops can be supplied and the citizens trust UN troops. Khartoum can be left to govern the rest of Sudan. Stopping the bleeding, bandaging the cuts, and allowing the wounds to heal may be a long process, but it can be done.
Darfur is a monumental crisis, a genocide that cannot be ignored. Hundreds of thousands of Darfurians are being murdered daily, by and with the support of the government. International help is needed, whether through the AU, UN, or both. Still, the problem is being minimized or ignored. Encourage action yourself. Write to the president, your senators and congress people, the UN; maybe even Khartoum. Inform people about this tragedy and eventually it will be solved.
Works Cited
Jones, Ed. “AU says Sudan bombs Darfur rebel areas.” Kenya-London News, Khartoum, 2 Jan 2007.
Power, Samantha. “Dying in Darfur.” New Yorker. New York. Conde Nast Publications, Inc., 30 Aug 2004. 56-73. Rpt. In Global Issues. Ed. Eleanor Goldstein. Boca Raton, Fl. SIRS, 2005. Art. 78.
Raper, Mark. “Remembering Rwanda”. America. America Press, 19 April 2004. 14-17. Rpt. in Global Issues. Ed. Eleanor Goldstein. Boca Raton, Fl. SIRS, 2005. Art. 78.
Reeves, Eric. “Darfur: Ongoing Genocide.” Dissent. Fall 2004. Ebsco. Online. Firefox. 3 Jan, 2007.
Snyder, Gail. Sudan. Philadelphia; Mason Crest Publishers, 2004.
Staub, Ervin. “Preventing Violence and Generating Humane Values”. International Review of the Red Cross. Geneva, Switzerland. Dec 2003. 791-806. Rpt. in Global Issues. Ed. Eleanor Goldstein. Boca Raton, Fl. SIRS, 2005. Art. 61.
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