The Crisis in Darfur

Chase Kosterlitz

The message to Save Darfur is everywhere, online, on television, in

magazines and newspapers. People from the President of the United States, to

famous figures, speak out and call for action. Many people do not even

understand exactly what is going on in Darfur. In order to help, it is important

to know the whole picture.

Background

The Darfur region is located in the western area of Sudan. Darfur has an estimated population of approximately 4 million. Sudan is the largest country in

Africa, and was colonized by both England and Egypt from 1899, until its independence as a republic in 1955. Since its independence in 1955, Sudan has been

involved in the longest civil war in the world. For 38 years a complicated crisis has been dividing the Arab-Muslims in the north and the African-Christians to the

south. There are close to 600 ethnic groups and over 100 languages spoken in the South. The extreme diversity in the Darfur region make Sudans’ conflict even

more complicated there.

The major ethnic group in Darfur is the Fur. Darfur translates to, abode of the Fur. The Fur make up about 60% of the population and are largely peasant

farmers. The rest of the population is made up of nomadic or semi-nomadic herders. The Fur live in the central part of the Darfur region, while the nomads occupy

every other region in Darfur.

Over the years Darfur has suffered many droughts. The crop yields have been low and unpredictable. Livestock has also disappeared because of water and

pasture scarcity. This has forced the labor forces to migrate in search of employment. These migrations have helped to diminish the coping capacities of the many

communities in Darfur. Meanwhile, Darfur has not received any aid from the government in Khartoum.

Khartoum is the capital of Sudan and of the Khartoum state. Regional resentment for Khartoum is very strong in Darfur. The perceptions among the Fur

that Khartoum encouraged and even armed militia among their enemies greatly angered the Fur. This lead to Fur guerrilla attacks on central government facilities and

forces in Darfur. This general sense of hatred toward Khartoum was exacerbated by the drought and famine conditions that were affecting Darfur since 1984.

Khartoum did not help with the social and economic consequences of the droughts. Antagonism toward the central government further increased because of

Khartoums’ lack of help. By the beginning of the 1990's Darfur was in a state of anarchy.

The Crisis Now

In early 2003, the perception that the government encouraged and even armed militia enemies of the Fur inspired an increase in attacks on central

government forces and facilities in Darfur. Two main opposition groups have since been fighting against the Government of Sudan. The Sudanese Liberation Army

(SLA) and The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), are the two main rebel groups.

The SLA is led by Mini Arkoi Minawi and says it would like to "create a united, democratic Sudan." The JEM is believed to be backed by Chad. It is lead

by a Sudanese opposition leader named, Hassan al-Turabi. Turabi is the former speaker of Sudan’s parliament. He was removed from office in May 2000 and

imprisoned by Sudan’s military.

In early 2003 the SLA continued to mount attacks in Darfur. In response, the Government of Sudan (GOS) stepped up its military presence in the region.

According to some reports, they began to attack local villages in an effort to destroy the insurgency.

The SLA issued statements claiming that it does not seek independence, but demands more political autonomy and a larger share of resources from the central

Sudanese authorities. The GOS disputed these SLA claims to be a political organization, and labeled the rebels "bandits and armed gangs."

The SLA soon began fighting with an Arab militia called the Janjawid as well as government troops in the Darfur region. The Janjawid have been moving

local farmers off their land in order to have access to resources. Many critics have accused the Sudanese government of manipulating the traditional ethnic tensions

in favor of Arabs, in order to maintain a support base there. The Sudanese government denies backing the Janjawid and says it wants to bring them under control.

The fighting between the two rebel groups and the Sudanese government has continued off and on since 2003.

Human Rights Violations

Millions have left their decimated villages. Around 2 million people are in refugee camps around Darfur’s main towns. These camps are hugely

overpopulated with insufficient amounts of food, water, and medicine. The Janjaweed patrol outside of these camps, and Darfuris say the men are killed and the

women are raped if they go too far in search of food and water. The refugees are also threatened by the diplomatic deterioration between Chad and Sudan as they

accuse each other of supporting one another’s rebel groups.

Much of Darfur is inaccessible to aid workers, making it impossible to know the total extent of the destruction. Estimates have put the death toll at no less

than 200,000. However, with so many people in such perilous conditions in the refugee camps, this number is thought to be much higher.

What is Being Done?

The leader of the SLA, Minni Minawi, signed a peace deal in 2006 after talks in Nigeria. He was given a large budget, but his fighters have already been

accused of abuses against people in areas opposed to the peace deal. The first round of scheduled peace talks between the rebel groups and the Sudanese

government was delayed in October because the talks were boycotted by key rebel leaders. Negotiators are hoping to make some progress with the groups before

a 26,000- member U.N. peacekeeping force deploys to Darfur around the start of 2008. There are currently about 7,000 African Union troops deployed in Darfur.

The U.S. Government is the largest international donor to Sudan. It has contributed more than 2.7 billion for humanitarian programs in Sudan and Chad

since 2004. There are also many non-profit organizations that work to bring awareness of the crisis in Darfur. In the fall of 2006, a USF student helped start a

chapter of STAND. Ashley Showalter was concerned with what she saw in the news about the situation in Darfur. She said, "I refused to sit by and watch what is

going on. I wanted to be a part of the movement to stop it." STAND (Students Taking Action Now: Darfur), helps to spread awareness about Darfur and to make

a change. There are over 600 high school and college chapters across the nation.

USF members push for legislation related to the conflict and work with local refugee agencies. They also distribute information on campus. STAND has

helped raise awareness with U.S. Senator Mel Martinez. In late September it had a conference call with the Senator to ask him to help push the Darfur

Accountability and Divestment Act. The act requires a list of all companies whose business directly or indirectly supports genocide in Sudan. It also bans federal

contracts with such companies, and requires the Government Accountability Office to investigate all investments. The bill passed in the House and is awaiting action

in the Senate.

Members meet once a week in the USF Marshall Center. At the meetings they watch documentaries, plan events, and listen to speakers. Students in

STAND also work with the Florida Center for Survivors of Torture. The center provides support services to victims of torture and state-sponsored genocide.

STAND is working with the organization to help local refugees. Members will act as tutors and mentors.

Conclusion

Although Sudan has made progress toward reaching agreements to end a bloody civil war that has claimed the lives of over two million people, much work

lies ahead. The crisis in Darfur must become a major issue with foreign nations in order to prevent another full outbreak of war. Over the last decade hundreds of

thousands of people have died while the rest of the world has offered solutions, but little action. Recently some very positive steps toward action have taken place.

As I read through various articles about the situation in Darfur, I noticed a central them and came to a realization. It is said that peacekeepers cannot do much unless

there is a peace to keep. It is said that fighting can only end through a deal agreed by on all sides. With so many different groups involved, this is a difficult prospect.

I realized that it is through organizations such as STAND that we can most effectively help work toward peace, by creating pressures to demand less talk and more

mobilization of ideas here at home.

Bibliography

1.) Amnesty International USA

2007 Our Issues: Eyes On Darfur. http://www.amnestyusa.org/By_Country/Sudan/page.do?id=1011244&n1=3&n2=30&n3 =994, accessed October 28, 2007.

2.) Darfur Genocide

2007 Darfur: A Genocide We Can Stop. http://www.darfurgenocide.org/, accessed November 3, 2007

3.) Human Rights Watch

2007 Africa: Crisis in Darfur. http://hrw.org/doc?t=africa&c=darfur, accessed November 3, 2007.

4.) Cheadle, Don. Prendergast, John. Not On Our Watch: The Mission to end Genocide in Darfur and Beyond. Hyperion, 2007

5.) Tampa Tribune

2007 Taking A Stand on Darfur, Tampa Tribune, October 17: 2D

Webpages

1.) www.amnestyusa.org

Amnesty International's vision is of a world in which every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards.

In pursuit of this vision, AI's mission is to undertake research and action focused on preventing and ending grave abuses of the rights to physical and mental integrity, freedom of conscience and expression, and freedom from discrimination, within the context of its work to promote all human rights.

2.) www.darfurgenocide.org

Your voice can help end this genocide. Using a webcam, camcorder, digital camera, or cell phone, you can easily record a personal appeal and upload it to our website. All videos will be displayed on our site and sent directly to your political representatives

3.) www.hrw.org

Human Rights Watch is dedicated to protecting the human rights of people around the world. We stand with victims and activists to prevent discrimination, to uphold political freedom, to protect people from inhumane conduct in wartime, and to bring offenders to justice. We investigate and expose human rights violations and hold abusers accountable. We challenge governments and those who hold power to end abusive practices and respect international human rights law. We enlist the public and the international community to support the cause of human rights for all.

4.) www.unicef.org

Current UNICEF Chad activities to assist both Sudanese refugees and local Chadian communities include: distribution of blankets; measles vaccination and Vitamin A campaigns; delivery of school-in-a-box kits; supply of Arabic school books from UNICEF Sudan to support education activities; provision of basic school materials; distribution of family water kits; delivery of mid-wife kits; supply of therapeutic milk; hygiene education; monitoring of separated children; water and sanitation activities; and, the supply of recreational materials for play.