The Rwandan-style genocide / ethnic cleansing in Darfur is entering it’s 4th year and I’m shocked at how uninformed this country is about this crisis. Sadly, I’m also finding a level of ignorance here among the well-meaning and compassionate community that is dKos. I’ve been posting diaries about this genocide for about 2 years now, and I’m amazed (floored even) at the questions I get time and time again from the good people of this community.
Don’t we have enough on our plate without sending our troops into another civil war in Darfur?
Won’t it be just as bloody for our troops as it is in Iraq?
Meanwhile, the Hague will prosecute two Sudanese officals on 54 counts of war crimes. And CNN had this video regarding this matter on their site this morning. Thank fuck - at least someone's trying to do something about this genocide!
Make the jump...
First of all, nobody’s talking about sending US troops into Darfur. This isn’t Somalia. This isn’t Iraq. This is (simply put) the slaughter of innocents being carried out by the Muslim-led government of Sudan upon its African peoples.
Over the last 4 years, four to six hundred thousand people have been slaughtered by the Janjaweed militias on the behalf of the Sudanese government. Think about it - half a million people are slaughtered while the world remains silent and (largely) willfully ignorant for FOUR YEARS.
Approximately 3 million people have been driven from their homes - those who’ve survived the initial attacks on their families, homes & villages have been herded into refugee camps inside Darfur and in Chad.
The Sudanese government reached a peace agreement with one of the rebel groups last spring but that’s gone nowhere.
Then, in September of last year, the United Nations passed a resolution that would put 22,500 UN troops (not US troops) on the ground to help augment the African Union troops already there. This would allow relief workers to aid those in the camps, and put protection between the victims of this ethnic cleansing and those who would rather they just die already.
Last month, Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM) helped to broker another cease-fire in Sudan, but the government broke that cease-fire by attacking a village just 10 days later.
Two shattered peace agreements in 9 months and still the world does nothing about this crisis.
Last week, Reuters reported that the Janjaweed are amassing in Sudan, ready to step up the level of violence to levels we can only imagine in our worst nightmares.
And the latest news... prosecutors at the Hague have announced their intention to go after two of the worst perpetrators of this genocide...
http://news.yahoo.com/...
Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo made the allegations against Ahmed Muhammed Harun, now junior minister for humanitarian affairs and formerly junior interior minister responsible for the western region of Darfur. He also named a janjaweed militia leader, Ali Mohammed Ali Abd-al-Rahman, also known as Ali Kushayb.
A 94-page prosecution document said the two are suspected of a total of 51 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, Moreno-Ocampo said. All but 10 of the 51 counts name both men.
I was sickened when I read that bit in bold - one of these sickos is in charge of humanitarian affairs and he's slaughtering innocent men, women & children! Of course, true to form the Sudanese government is adament in NOT handing over these monsters for trial in an international court of law.
Our leaders need to hear from us - we have to demand that they lead the fight to stop this genocide. Four years and half a million dead is too much. SO I'm asking you (again) to take a few minutes out of your busy day, and call your crongresscritters at 1-800-828-0498 and ask them to do whatever it takes to get those UN boots on the ground.
Then call the White House at 202-456-1111 and ask the president to help make this happen.
And (most importantly) get informed on this issue. I'm posting information below - click on the links and bookmark the sites - espcially those updated with new newslinks on a regular basis.
No more hand wringing / no more excuses dammit!
There's too much information out there - too many ways to contact the powers that be for us to NOT take action on this issue.
Hand wringing is one thing. But it won't save lives! If you people would just take that first step you'll find it's hard to stop walking toward a peaceful solution to this genocide that's gone unchallenged for nearly 4 years.
Once you start you won't be able to stop. The suffering of these innocent people will move you to take further action (especially if you take a look at that CNN video linked above the fold). You might find yourself talking about this with friends ("I can’t believe the genocide in Darfur is entering it's 4th year and the UN STILL doesn't have troops on the ground there").
Next thing you know you'll be writing diaries like this one on this and other sites.
So - as promised, here's a recap of all the resources I've pulled together in the last 2 years. News links, contact information, books and photos, white papers. You name it, it's here.
Reports
Physicians for Human Rights Report (Jan., 2006) http://www.phrusa.org/...
Groups
Save Darfur Coalition
Human Rights Watch
Sudan Watch (Timeline & other info)
Genocide Intervention Network
Amnesty International
Students Taking Action Now - Darfur STAND - Divestment Campaign
Africa Action
Organizations Providing Aid In Darfur
UN World Food Program
UNICEF (Canada)
OXFAM International
Medicins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders)
Genocide Intervention Network
Partners In Health
UNHCR UN High Commission for Refugees.
Videos -
Darfur Diaries
Sudan - The Quick & The Terrible (PBS Frontline)
Peace Under Fire (the UN)
Video Testimonials (Amnesty International)
Photos
Darfur Eyewitness
Pysicians for Human Rights Photos
A Promise Unkept (NYT Photos)
Darfur - A Challenge for Us All (Center for American Progress)
Other Info
Africa Action Talking Points
Sudan By the Numbers (Center for American Progress - Feb 2005)
Darfur Scores (find out how your CongressCritters are doing)
Campaign to Send in UN Peacekeepers (Darfur Scores effort)
Info with Google Images of Darfur (burned out countryside & all)
Get the Latest News
Save Darfur Coalition Newsroom
International Crisis Group A great conflict analysis group that has put out many conflict reports (30-50 pages each) on the war in Darfur, as well as many policy recommendations.
Online African Newspaper Sources from around the continent, in English and French
Strategic Analysis some of their Darfur stuff is decent
Reuters’ News Network for Humanitarian Orgs
United Nations Integrated Regional Information Networks
Relief Web (looks like an amazing site)
CBC News In Depth - Crisis Zone, Darfur Sudan
BBC News Timeline
BBC News in Depth - Sudan, A Nation Divided
Contacts
Andrew Natsios - Special Envoy to Sudan -
Try Undersecretary for Political Affairs, Nicholas Burns (202-647-2471) or the Special Assistant for African Affairs, Economic Affairs, Environment and Science Affairs, Democracy and Human Rights, Counterterrorism Affairs -- Kara McDonald (202-647-4315). Either one will put you through to Natsios's office.
White House Comments Line - 202-456-1111
Capitol Switchboard (they’ll connect you to your CongressCritters) - 202-224-3121
Sudanese Embassy in DC -
<http://www.sudanembassy.org>
2210 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20008
Tel: (202) 338-8565
Fax: (202) 667-2406
info@sudanembassy.org <mailto:info@sudanembassy.org>.
Chinese Embassy in DC -
2201 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., Suite 110,
Washington D.C. 20007
Tel : (202) 338-6688
Fax: (202) 588-9760
(Believe it or not - they’re playing a part in preventing action to stop this genocide
I know this is a lot of information to digest but go to these sites, bookmark them and get informed. Then make a few calls, write an email or two and send a letter to the editor of your local paper(s).
So there ya go. I've done the leg work for you and now it's up to you to actually read some of what I've pulled together, make some calls, write a letter or three and get involved.
Get started - your homework assignment today is to go to the news page at savedarfur.org's site and see what's happening. Then make one call. Once you start to give a shit about genocide, you won't be able to stop.
Update
Hat tip to Georgia10 for the link to this op-ed by Angelina Jolie in today's Washington Post. As a representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, she's seen it all...
Until the killers and their sponsors are prosecuted and punished, violence will continue on a massive scale. Ending it may well require military action. But accountability can also come from international tribunals, measuring the perpetrators against international standards of justice.
Accountability is a powerful force. It has the potential to change behavior -- to check aggression by those who are used to acting with impunity. Luis Moreno-Ocampo, chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), has said that genocide is not a crime of passion; it is a calculated offense. He's right. When crimes against humanity are punished consistently and severely, the killers' calculus will change.
snip
What the worst people in the world fear most is justice. That's what we should deliver.
You heard the lady - it's time we delivered justice to those carrying out this genocide against the people of Darfur.