The Tragedy in Darfur

What did you see on the news today? Sports? Weather? Darfur? Most people have probably heard of Darfur, but few can explain what’s happening there, and with good reason: it’s extremely complex. Experts estimate that over 200,000 people have been killed in the conflict in Darfur since 2003—yet the international community does little about it and the American media barely gives this horrific genocide the coverage it deserves.

So read on for what you need to know about Darfur right now—and what you can do about it:

A Rough History

Sudan is a largely Arab country, but the small western province of Darfur is mostly black. There have been a number of clashes in Darfur between black farmers living in the area and nomadic Arabs. In 2003, two main groups of rebels, the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) began attacking government targets, claiming that the government was neglecting and oppressing their (predominately black) area in favor of the Arabs.

The Problem

Today, that clash between Darfur rebels and the Sudanese government has escalated into a full-scale crisis. This is where it gets complex: the government has admitted to employing “self-defense militias” in retaliation against the SLA and JEM. But, the government denies any connection to the biggest problem of all, which is the Janjaweed-- a group that has been trying to “cleanse” blacks out of Arab Sudan, and has resorted to horrific measures to do so.

The Janjaweed has reportedly invaded numerous villages in Darfur, raping, pillaging, and killing thousands. Countless women have been raped and captured as sex slaves. Over 200,000 Darfurians have fled to neighboring Chad, and an estimated 200,000 have died since 2003. The Sudanese government claims these numbers are exaggerated, but there is no way of getting accurate numbers. Furthermore, an argument has begun between the governments of Sudan and Chad, with each accusing the other of supporting the other’s rebel groups; for all the Sudanese refugees displaced in Chad, this can only spell more trouble.

The International Community’s Response

The African Union has deployed 7,000 troops into Darfur in an attempt to stop the fighting, but says that it does not have the funding to send any more. Western countries have pressured for the UN to take over the peacekeeping mission—and surely they could do it, having the resources and the international backing to do so—but the Sudanese government has strongly resisted this idea and will only allow 3,000 more UN troops into the country. The United States had already placed sanctions on the Sudanese government before because of its ties to Osama bin Laden, but the US government is now threatening more sanctions if the situation gets worse.

What YOU Can Do!

Although it may seem like a problem too big to take action against, there are many things we as college students can do to get involved. First, check out STAND: A Student Anti-Genocide Coalition--this organization is dedicated to stopping genocide in Darfur and has chapters at over 600 campuses around the country—so find your local chapter, or start one! Then what? Find out if your university is divesting its funds from the Sudanese government, and if it isn’t talk to your university’s administrators about doing so. Student activism can be a pivotal part of the movement to bring attention to and help the situation in Darfur—so do something today!

To learn more about the crisis in Sudan, check out BBC Africa at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/default.stm.
To learn more about how you can get involved, check out www.standnow.org and www.sudandivestment.org.

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