In Focus

Oh! By the way

The Sudan Government is conducting ethnic cleansing there
But the vast majority of us - don't seem to care

Refugees International says 350,000 people are about to die
Isn't that the concern of everyone - including you and I

Millions are being chased from their huts and tents
Whilst our lack of interest - gives consent

In Darfur rape and murder is common place
As the Sudan Government attempts to wipe out a race

Think of children being chopped with big knives
Whilst we and our families enjoy our lives

So as you feed the pigeons in the park
Try to imagine a life that's far more stark

If you are one of those that can afford to lose some weight
Just think of those dieing because food is arriving far to late

Of course these problem's aren't our fault
But at the very least - we should give some thought

And if the Peace Chain Group is to do its part -
Heaven knows where they should start


Albert Gazeley © 2004

Sudan

When I began to inquire about Sudan, I was appalled that many sources did not give any information about where the imploding country is located, leaving readers to guess a vague "Africa." This, I believe undermines the seriousness of the issue. So firstly, according to Abacci Atlas, Sudan is located in Northern Africa, between Egypt and Eritrea and bordering the Red Sea. It is roughly just over a quarter of the size of the United States. It's northern portion is primarily arid and the south is dominated by tropics which suffer from a rainy season from April to October. According to UN estimates dating back to 1993, only five percent of Sudan's land is arable and zero percent of Sudanese crops are permanent.

The situation has grown much worse. What the United Nations is now calling "The world's worst humanitarian crisis" began brewing in early 2003, when two rebel groups, the Sudan Liberation Army, (SLA) and the Justice and Equality Movement, (JEM) began attacking government targets to protest neglect from the capital, Khartoum. There has been historical conflict with the people of Darfur, the Fur, Massaleet and Zagawa ethnic groups, who make a living farming the almost sterile land, and,and nomadic Arabs seeking grazing rights. The African Sudanese feel they are ill-treated by the Arab dominated government in Khartoum. In response to these attacks, the The Janjaweed (also known as Janjuweed, Janjawid or Jingaweit) formed. The word Janjaweed is a play on the local, roughly spoken Arabic and translates as "evil men on horseback with guns", sometimes abbreviated to "the evil ones."

Both sides have been accused of grave human rights violations, the Janjaweed gained the upper hand through being better armed, more mobile and being supported by government forces. The Janjaweed have pursued a systematic policy of ethnic cleansing throughout Darfur, burning down non-Arab villages and driving out their inhabitants. By the summer of 2004 an estimated fifty thousand people had been killed and another million, mostly non-Arab Sudanese, had been forced out of their homes. Many women report being abducted by the Janjaweed and held as sex slaves for more than a week before being released. Human rights groups and the US Congress believe the Janjaweed are carrying out a genocide.

The problem worsens. Oxfam has stared that "the rainy season had already contributed to the deterioration of public health in the region, with high levels of waterborne diseases such as hepatitis {are} reported." Also that "cholera or malaria epidemics {are} a critical concern" for those who choose to remain in their homes. However, for the eight-hundred-thousand who have fled to refugee camps within Sudanese borders, food is rare and water is beyond scarce. The BBC reports that "The Janjaweed patrol outside the camps" and Darfurians claim "the men are killed and the women raped if they venture too far in search of firewood or water." The remaining two-hundred-thousand who have escaped to neighboring Chad are welcomed by a cholera epidemic that has killed more than 100 people in the past two months. The Chadians themselves have been brought into the conflict for offering a safe-heaven. The militia has pursued fleeing refugees through Chad borders, whose army has fought a number of actions against Janjaweed incursions. The Chadian President Idriss Déby has stated that "since the start of this war, some three hundred Chadian civilians have been killed and thousands of head of cattle stolen by armed men who crossed over from Darfur."

International aid agencies are attempting to ease the problem, but are not funded enough by the global community. Their attention is divided between the humanitarian crisis and negotiating with the government who, purportedly blocked their access to Darfur by demanding visas and using other bureaucratic obstacles. The Government claims these have been removed. The United Nations Security Council has set an August 30 deadline for the government to improve security for refugees and start disarming Janjaweed militias or face possible sanctions. These sanctions are, as on yet, undisclosed.

Apathetic disregard is becoming inherent within the global community. We are too caught up in the intricacies of our own lives and ignore things that seem to distant, or irrelevant, or even to shocking to think about. The best remedy is to keep as informed as possible. Complacency is no longer acceptable.


Researched and Written by Grazia

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