Modern Genocide in Darfur, Sudan - Article Example

Darfur [The [The of the Darfur Throughout history, there have been numerous cases of prejudice and hostile intolerance from one group to another on major subjects such as religion, sexuality, and in this case…ethnicity. Ethnicity issues have gone a long way and have been the motive to many cases of irrational violence (“ethnic cleansing”). Many times have politicians and people alike sworn that atrocities such as genocide should never happen again, but thus the madness happens again. And this is where it brings us: modern genocide in Darfur, Sudan. So it starts with how the populace in Darfur mostly consists of two main Muslim ethnicities: non-Arabs blacks such as the Fur, Masalit, and Zaghawa; and Arabic tribes jointly called the Baggara. The Baggara are typically nomadic herdsmen while the non-Arabs are mostly sedentary farmers, so the antagonism for land and water resources has led to violent arguments between each other. It is not only verbal for North Muslim and Southern Christian territories have been feeling the strain of the evident favoritism from the Arabic dictator. Things finally snapped for the two when the Islamic law was put into play in 1983, which had led to the second Sudanese Civil War. It lasted until 2002 when a ceasefire was finally called. Though the fighting had stopped, the government still refused to grant something more rational for the region’s population that resulted in the formation of two rebel groups called the “Justice and Equality Movement” and the “Sudanese Liberation”. They accused the government of being prejudiced against non-Arabs while favoring the Arabs. The tension started to get so severe that things finally came down when the rebel groups launched a surprise attack on government forces early 2003. The government was caught off-guard without enough troops to fight back in the region. [1]In retaliation, the government began a series of air raids that were accompanied by ground attacks from an Arab militia that they endorsed called the Jangaweed. Jangaweed consisted of Arab recruits from local tribes with the government as its backbone, though the Sudanese President Omar Hassen denied any connection between them. The start of this is still debated, but the Janjaweed were said to have been unleashed somewhere around 2003, and since then, over 400,000 have died along with 2.5 millions of others driven from their homes. [2] The refugees are left without food and supplies with the constant threat of attack from the Jangaweed. The women that attempt to go out and collect food for their family are in danger of being raped, beaten, or even killed. [3]A resolution remains indefinite, over the years; the UN has made plenty of unsubstantial threats to the Sudanese government (often ignored or unresponsive) and offered humanitarian efforts to “band-aid” the situation, but so far none has really made too much of an impact. Even so, one major approach right now could make a considerable amount of difference. For a while now, there has been petitions and information regarding divestment from certain Sudanese companies that has any involvement in the company. US companies such as Fidelity invests in higher offending companies such as PetroChina. China, Sudan’s most important trading and political partner, is said to provide the government weapons and supplies that are used to carry on with the genocide. If all these offending companies were to stop doing business with Sudan, it can be assumed that government funding with the genocide will gradually go down so that less and less money will go to the killings and it will eventually have to be called to a stop. While some may argue that the country’s economy is too fragile to interfere, it is harmless to administer and will not effect the good of the general public because the companies that are urged to divest will only be focuses on businesses that do not affect them. Oil revenues (that go to the government) actually cause harm; much less benefit them. Businesses that provide general supplies such as food or medicine will very much be left alone. It’s safe to say that the public will get very little out of the receiving end of the consequences for this targeted divestment. [4] If enough pressure is accumulated to these companies, we can be many steps closer to finally laying the horrors to rest. [5]A small thing anyone could do is to raise awareness of the situation and urge others to urge these companies to do what is right. [6]These companies could only overlook the growing demands for so long, and it’s our job to make sure that they comply as soon as possible. [7] The government of Sudan is responsible for ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity in Darfur, crimes that warrant immediate military intervention on behalf of the suffering people. The Arab "Janjaweed" supported and armed directly by the Sudanese government are responsible for the burning of countless villages, the executions of women, children, and the elderly, and the rape of countless thousands of women. The Janjaweed have driven more than one million civilians into concentration camps in Darfur, the western part of Sudan south of Egypt. There they live completely subject to the cruel caprice of the government. More than 110,000 others have fled to neighboring Chad but the vast majority of war victims remain trapped in Darfur. Estimates vary hugely on the number of fatalities, largely due to the governments uncooperative attitude, and range from 180,000 to up to 400,000. [8] Although the situation yet has not been classified as genocide the U.N. recognizes it as a crime against humanity. Yet despite all this apparent suffering almost nothing has been done. The U.N. have imposed only two related sanctions, one to stop shipments of arms to the area and the second to allow for the prosecution of the committers of war crimes. Despite all that the U.N. and the African Union have done, the situation has not improved and has even deteriorated further. 500 people are dying every day. Up to 8,000 villages, 90 percent Darfurian of course, have been destroyed. [9] The main killers in the theater are janjaweed, who are funded by the government. The janjaweed burn villages, drop bombs, destroy crops and food storage, and poison wells with dead bodies. This is but a short list of what has caused millions to leave their homes and live in under-funded refugee camps. The janjaweed have even been known to drop refrigerators or microwaves in the absence of bombs, just to kill more people. The Darfur genocide is a sign, to countries all across the world, of the consequences of having a cruel and unjust society. Sudan is in great turmoil. Many of the atrocities that are occurring are happening in a region called Darfur. The government of Sudan is watching the people in Darfur. Revolts in Darfur have caused the government to end it by means of killing every native in Darfur. The revolt is over, but the killing continues without any remorse. Many people in Darfur are dying and the reason behind this is because they are not part of the government. Thousands of people suddenly "disappear" and are never seen again. The people behind the atrocious attacks were and are very powerful. Hitler’s plan almost worked had the US not entered the war. Like Hitler, the Sudanese government used their power over the military to eradicate all people from Darfur. The Sudanese government has been killing and continues to kill more and more people in Darfur. The Sudanese government has no remorse for what they are doing and they will continue to kill unless someone stops them. Nothing was done to stop Hitler from creating one of the biggest genocides the world has ever seen until it was too late, and nothing is being done to stop the Sudan government from eradicating all of the natives in Darfur.  If all efforts fail or are thwarted by Sudanese government opposition, a contingency plan for international forces to be deployed to Darfur should be made. This is only if all diplomatic and economic efforts to resolve the problem have failed and the situation worsens. The international community must think creatively to obtain a lasting settlement. Khartoum will seek military victory and defy its duties and obligations until it faces an international community that is willing and able to do whatever it takes to stop the situation from continuing. Without intense international cooperation the crisis will continue ravaging Darfur and destabilizing the entire region. At this point in time, 300 to 500 thousand people are estimated dead and more than 3 million have fled their homes. The conflict has spread to neighboring Chad and Central African Republic, with no end in sight. [10] Today, Darfur faces a "humanitarian catastrophe”. Following a rebel insurgence in 2003 over living conditions in Darfur, the Sudanese government has funded a virtual campaign of ethnic cleansing in the area, through economic support of the Janjaweed militias. [11] This brutal campaign is determined to daunt any opposition within the country. The Darfur crisis took on an international dimension when over 100,000 refugees poured into Chad, hunted by Janjaweed militiamen in 2004. [12] The Janjaweed clashed with Chadian government forces along the border, chasing the refugees. Both sides suffered severe losses. Due to escalating regional tensions, the Chadian government declared hostility toward Sudan, and to call for Chadian citizens to rally against the "common enemy. According to the United Nations, more than four million Sudanese are internally displaced, and four hundred thousand have been killed as a result of the Darfur conflict. The Janjaweed continue to dismember and kill non-combatants, even young children and babies. Tear gas, helicopter gunships, and Antonov bombers are savagely effective against civilians. Sudanese ministers have physically delivered arms to the Janjaweed. Torture and abduction are rampant. The HIV virus which causes AIDS is sometimes transmitted through the vicious rape of women, often in public. Displacement in the harsh physical environment without food, water, transport donkeys or other resources, often is a death sentence. Refugee camps are regularly bombed, in flagrant violation of security agreements. Many People of Darfur die as a result of starvation and disease. Wells are poisoned with corpses or dynamited. There is massive destruction of food stocks, seeds, agricultural implements, livestock, and irrigation systems. Villages are burned, and cattle looted, thus destroying the “food insurance” of these people. [13] Darfur’s remoteness means that hundreds of thousands are effectively cut off from aid. Seasonal rains will make transport immensely more difficult, and trigger water-borne diseases like cholera. Outbreaks of meningitis and measles have also been reported among refugees. So far, diplomatic attempts from the UN and African Union to ceasefire have proven unsuccessful, and scarce funding threatens to destroy peacekeeping missions in Darfur. If operations are discontinued nearly four million Darfurians would be left to the mercy of cruel government troops and militias. However, the imposition of sanctions against Sudan, and a force of African troops with financing and logistical Western support would indubitably force the Sudanese government to cease this violence. The crimes against humanity in Sudan are destroying the lives of millions of defenseless people. An international effort to stop this genocide is urgent, as it is clear that the Sudanese government is corrupt and intent on violating human rights. The longest civil war in the world has not been happening in one of the major countries, but in a small region in Africa called Sudan. Two million are dead, four million are displaced, and half a million are refugees. The rest of the world has turned a blind eye to the things happening in Sudan. The conflict in Sudan will catch up with the genocide if nothing is done. At this time, we have a set of international laws that set out what is legal and illegal in this world and yet, we have imperialist nations going to war against world opinion for its national interest. On the other hand, we have thousands suffering in Sudans Darfur region which is a single territory as big the size of France and for some reason the world community is allowing African nations to try solving the problem on its own. If this is the case, they should have told the Americans to let the Arab League solve the problem of Iraq. It is unrealistic to think that the limited African forces can cover an immense area like the Darfur region alone. On the 13th December 2004, a senior US General Scott Gration urged the west to give more military assistance to Africa to solve its own conflicts. What he said was that he wanted "them to have the capability to solve their own problems". If only that philosophy was accepted world wide. The tragedy of Sudan is ongoing and again the international community has done little to help, even though the international community this time recognizes that genocide has taken place. In the Darfur region of Sudan, Arab militiamen called the Janjaweed mounted with machine guns have destroyed villages, killed over 50,000 and displaced more than 1.4 million people. [14] According to the UN only half of the Darfur population have sufficient for the Healthcare and not even half have adequate sanitation. These are just a few of the many conflicts in the world today. This is a glimpse of the aftermath of war and the suffering it brings to humanity as a whole. No religion, faith, race, or humane person can deny that the effects that these conflicts create are immoral. As the United Nations maintains nations’ right to sovereignty, fostering common political principles among its members is made highly impractical. As demonstrated by Rwanda and more recently Darfur, one of the most primitive dictatorships is acknowledged equally alongside a social democracy among its membership. Sovereignty is used as a scapegoat as such to legitimatize actions against human rights. Just as sovereignty cannot be characterized as a theoretic monolith, neither are states’ claims to sovereignty absolute. Suggesting that state sovereignty, is an adjusted to suit context. In the case of Sudan, political leaders have refused to allow a UN peacekeeping operation for Darfur. International law does not need to be ratified into domestic law given the sovereignty of the nation, so all external influence in void. Lyndon suggests that the UN cannot promote human development or build a legitimate international political system based on its current principle of state sovereignty. History dictates that the United States and Europe have been detrimental to Africa’s political stability and economic prosperity, but in current times, China is the one guilty of extending instead of ending the genocide in Darfur. Being Sudan’s largest economic, military, and diplomatic partner, China has the most prospective ability to pressure the Sudanese government to stop the atrocious killings resulting from Sudan’s drawn-out war, and as a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, China also has the responsibility to end this so called genocide. In terms of money, China is greatly profiting from being Sudan’s leading trade partner and oil customer, and China does not want to lose this lucrative partnership by criticizing Sudan’s government for displacing millions and killing hundreds of thousands of its own people. Moreover, China is not only indifferent of but also indirectly aiding the Darfur genocide; for more than a decade, China has been providing military support and is Sudan’s number one supplier of small arms. Also, much of Sudan’s weapons production is developed with Chinese technical assistance. In addition to helping Sudan in the arms department, China has also been defending Sudan in the United Nations. Endnotes [1] "The Conflict in Sudan." Operation Sudan. 8 May 2007 . [2]Montesquiou, Alfred D. "African Union Force Ineffective, Complain Refugees in Darfur." The Washington Post. 16 Oct.-Nov. 2006. 28 May 2007 . [3] Oboyle, Sarah. "Strength, Survival and Resilience: the Women of Darfur." Concern USA. 7 Mar.-Apr. 2005. 8 May 2007 . [4] "Key Divestment Information." Sudan Divestment Task Force. 8 May 2007 . [5]"FAQ." Divest for Darfur. 2007. 28 May 2007 . [6] Cheadle, Don, and John Prendergast. Not on Our Watch: the Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond. 1st ed. NY: Hyperion, 2007. [7] "Sudan 101." Sudan 101. 8 May 2007 . [8] Flint, Julie and Alex de Waal, Darfur : a short history of a long war. London : Zed, in association with International African Institute. 2005. p. 115 [9] Daly, M.W. Darfurs sorrow: a history of destruction and genocide. Cambridge; New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007. p 368 [10] Romeo A. Dallaire, "Looking at Darfur, Seeing Rwanda," New York Times, 4 October 2004. [11] Paul D. Williams and Alex J. Bellamy, "The Responsibility to Protect and the Crisis in Darfur," Security Dialogue 36 (March 2005): 44. [12] Alex de Waal, "Darfurs Deep Grievances Defy All Hopes for an Easy Solution," The Observer, 25 July 2004. [13] Alex de Waal, "Briefing: Darfur, Sudan: Prospects for Peace, African Affairs 104, no. 414 (2005), p. 129. [14] Paul D. Williams and Alex J. Bellamy, "The Responsibility to Protect and the Crisis in Darfur," Security Dialogue 36, no. 1 (2005), p. 41. Read More