(Contributed by UWR Partner: STAND Canada)

Darfur, Sudan (2003-Present)

Background:

The region of Darfur in Sudan has faced systemic acts of genocide, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity initially sparking in 2003 and continuously escalating. The insurgency began virtually unnoticed in February 2003, participating in the first great episode of genocidal destruction in the 21st century. The victims are the African tribal groups of Darfur, primarily the Fur, the Massaleit, and the Zaghawa, but also the Tunjur, the Birgid, the Dajo, and others.

The Act:

In 2003, rebel groups in Darfur declared their existence and carried out their first attacks on the Sudanese army.  In response, the Sudanese government organized a brutal campaign of violence in Darfur using planes, government troops, and a proxy militia called the Janjaweed.  Over 2,000 villages have been completely destroyed and countless thousands of civilians have been killed.  More than a third of the population of Darfur has been displaced.

Why it Matters Today:

More than eight years into the crisis in Darfur, insecurity continues to displace people, humanitarian operations are coming under attack, and a political settlement appears distant. Over 4.5 million people are now affected by the crisis, many of which depend on humanitarian assistance to survive. As the crisis continues, internally displaced persons (IDP) camps are reaching capacity. Furthermore, despite the presence of large-scale humanitarian efforts throughout Darfur, the UN announced that malnutrition rates among children rose throughout 2007, reaching the World Health Organization’s “emergency threshold” for the first time since 2004.The situation may be growing more complex by the day, but it is not improving. According to an August 2007, report by the UN Secretary General, the number of internally displaced persons has now surpassed 2.2 million and the number of conflict-affected people has increased by 500,000 over the summer alone, topping out at 4.2 million people. With the expulsion of the humanitarian aid groups after Bashir’s indictment by the International Criminal Court, increased conflict in South Sudan, and internally displaced persons camps that grow every year, the situation remains dire.

What Can You Do:

Education and action are contingent. Learning about the conflict and being willing to take action are the necessary steps required to contribute to a peaceful settlement in Sudan. At STAND, our mandate is to ‘make it easy to fight against genocide’ by providing Canadians with the tools required to take a stance and advocate on behalf of Sudan. Whether you have five minutes a day or five hours a week, STAND makes it easy for you to act against genocide with our campaigns, tools and resources. At STAND, we want to make fighting genocide a cornerstone of Canadian foreign policy so that one day the concept of genocide will solely be in history textbooks and not a reoccurring regret for the international community. Our government’s responsibility is to reflect the citizen’s desires through policy. By letting your Member of Parliament know you want Sudan on the agenda, Canada can assist by taking an international stance in the fight against genocide.

Learn More:

www.standcanada.org

www.standforthedead.com

http://www.genocideintervention.net/

Learn More:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USLDoIiFzzg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-IJ28QR8vU

References:

Adam Jones, Genocide: A Comprehensive Introduction, 2^nd ed. (New York: Routledge, 2010)

Samuel Totten and William S. Parsons, eds., A Century of Genocide: Eyewitness Accounts and Critical Views, 3^rd ed. (New York: Routledge, 2009)

• < Prev
• Next >