2008 Woodie Awards
Sudanese Tragedy Demands Action
While the World Watches, US Policy Turns a Blind Eye to Crisis
Michael C. McPhee
Issue date: 9/30/04 Section: Opinion
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The Sudanese government says that they do not and have not supported the Janjaweed, a militia of Arab rebels that seek to cleanse the minority population of non-Arab's residing in Darfur. But one must question the government's claim. The conflict began when the Sudanese Liberation Army (SLA) began attacking government facilities due to what they call "government oppression of black Africans in favor of Arabs." The government, faced with rebel activity and a shortage of forces in the region, activated "self-defense militias," which later became the Janjaweed. They in turn, with government support, began a brutal campaign of genocide and terror.
The results speak for themselves: over one million men, women, and children were forced to leave their homes out of fear for their lives, and became "displaced persons." Over 50,000 have been killed in some of the most barbaric ways imaginable. Women and young girls are abducted in the middle of the night and are gang-raped for days with no end in sight. Some suffer the humility of rape only to turn to their husbands who disown them out of shame. "Five to six men would rape us, one after the other, for hours during six days, every night. My husband could not forgive me after this, he disowned me," said a refugee interviewed by Amnesty International.
There have also been reports of the Janjaweed killing entire village populations. They are well known for being extremely brutal - hacking their victims into pieces with machetes. There is one report of rebels breaking the arms and legs of their rape victims so they couldn't escape, and then kill the victim when they are done gang raping her.
Due to constant fighting there are shortages of food, water, and medicine. If civilians go too far from their camps the Janjaweed patrols kill the men and rape the women. The result has been a "humanitarian catastrophe," according to Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary General. Aid workers have tried to help the civilian refugees but have only been mildly successful. They are short of manpower and money.
The results speak for themselves: over one million men, women, and children were forced to leave their homes out of fear for their lives, and became "displaced persons." Over 50,000 have been killed in some of the most barbaric ways imaginable. Women and young girls are abducted in the middle of the night and are gang-raped for days with no end in sight. Some suffer the humility of rape only to turn to their husbands who disown them out of shame. "Five to six men would rape us, one after the other, for hours during six days, every night. My husband could not forgive me after this, he disowned me," said a refugee interviewed by Amnesty International.
There have also been reports of the Janjaweed killing entire village populations. They are well known for being extremely brutal - hacking their victims into pieces with machetes. There is one report of rebels breaking the arms and legs of their rape victims so they couldn't escape, and then kill the victim when they are done gang raping her.
Due to constant fighting there are shortages of food, water, and medicine. If civilians go too far from their camps the Janjaweed patrols kill the men and rape the women. The result has been a "humanitarian catastrophe," according to Kofi Annan, United Nations Secretary General. Aid workers have tried to help the civilian refugees but have only been mildly successful. They are short of manpower and money.