Posted on 05/12/2005 6:54:56 AM PDT by netmilsmom
Violence and Suffering in Sudan's Darfur Region
The Crisis in Darfur
A preventable humanitarian crisis, affecting more than two million people, is raging in the Darfur region of western Sudan. Not since the Rwanda genocide of 1994 has the world seen such a calculated campaign of slaughter, rape, starvation and displacement. Government-backed militias, known collectively as the Janjaweed, are systematically eliminating entire communities of African tribal farmers. Villages are being razed, women and girls raped and branded, men and boys murdered, and food and water supplies targeted and destroyed. Victims report that government air strikes frequently precede militia raids.
(Excerpt) Read more at savedarfur.org ...
I'll I can think of are the stories about the Congo. The referenced website is about the Sudan. Does anyone know if all of these stories in Africa are connected somehow.
Thanks ahead of time
bump
The Sudanese and Congolese situations are quite different. In a nutshell the Sudan scenarios can be divided into two. The oppression/suppression/repression/enslavement/maiming and murder of Christian/animalist southerners by the Muslim northerners; and the massacre of black muslims by Arab muslims.
The Congo situation is more intricate (and quite convoluted). It is also the greatest massacre to have gone unreported since the Rwanda situation (to which it is related). While the Sudan situation is outrightly ignored, the Congo situation is outrightly unknown.
In a nutshell what happened is after the Rwanda massacres ended (where Tutsis were being slaughtered by Hutus), a number of Hutus fled into the Congo (then known as Zaire) to save their lives. These Hutu were the 'Interhamwe,' the same people who were behind the mass killings seen in the movie Hotel Rwanda.
Ok, at the same time a person called Kabila attacked Congo with the help of the (new) Rwandese army, the Burundi army, as well as the Ugandan army. And managed to gain the presidency, but then immediately turned against his Rwandese/Burundi/Ugandan backers. Now, under the pretense of 'chasing the Interhamwe' the 3 countries moved in to attack. And here is where it starts to get itneresting. The 3 nations had the backing of the US, UK and South Africa (monetary and logistics), while Kabila had the assistance of the Sudan, Chad, Namibia, Angola and Zimbabwe. It was a freaking cold/proxy war that just took place in the shadows. And several companies even got involved (primarily French, Belgian, South African and Anglo-American firms that delved into mineral resources ....even though the Congolese people - ex-Zaireans - are dirt poor their nation has considerable mineral wealth. The president before Kabila - a monstrosity called Mobutu Seseseko - was a billionaire several times over). Anyways the situation just went south.
And as usual the UN was either looking the other way, had its head in the sand, or was getting paid to whistle and spit their time away. As for the media 99% probably did not even know Zaire had changed its name to the Congo, and probably couldn't care less.
Once the funny inter-country stuff cooled down the InterHamwe still remained. To this add several robber groups, plus Mai Mai militia (not to be confused with the Mau Mau of 1960s E.Africa).
End result: Since 1998 1.7 million people have died. Far more than in Rwanda and Sudan combined. And to this day the killing continues, as do the rapes, maiming, and other assorted attrocities.
As for the UN ....well, let's say they were more concerned with kickbacks from oil deals with Saddam. And as for the media they are too concerned chasing runaway brides and sexual innuendos in American Idol ....and I bet they still do not know anything about the Congo.
The only people interested in the two areas (the Sudan and the Congo) are Christian missionary groups. No one else. Well, there are some independent actions, for example in my final year of highschool (actually more like the equivalent of 13-14th grade, if that existed in the US ....right before i came to the US) a couple of students organized a drive to take some provisions to a camp in Southern Sudan. I know of 2 trips, one in which i was involved. In the first one the kids (more like 18yr olds) decided to sleep on the floor of a tent since the bed was messed up, and a person stuck a kalashnikov in the tent and sprayed the bed. Had they slept in the bed they would not have had a nice day. The second trip, the one i was involved in, had several warnings of Northern fighter bombers coming on bombing runs (never came though). And that was in the safe areas. Kind of stupid looking at it from hindsight.
The Congo is far more dangerous, and most missionary groups do not dare go there. While the Sudanese arabs try to not harm Westerners (to avoid media attention) the situation is insane in the Congo.
Anyways, bottom line is this. In the Sudan there is enslavement (the type where people are chained together and all that stuff), killings etc. Has been going on for many years, and no one (apart from Christian groups) give a darn. As for the Congo it is the same .....only with more killing and raping, as well as starvation. To this day around 1,000 people die, every day, and the death toll is approaching 2 million (probably has already passed it). And while the Sudan situation is ignored, the Congo situation is virtually unknown.
In essence the greatest mass killing since Cambodia, and a killing that is going on right now, and there is naught a single whisper on the issue.
You asked for an answer. The above is the only one I can give.
I have not been able to watch it yet. I was in the military at the time and was on the first military transport C-5 into Goma Zaire. We took in a water purification systems that a San Francisco contractor had developed using an old Fire Engine Truck to purify water from Lake Kivu . The faces of the children that surrounded the aircraft as we were landing and offloading the equipment still haunt me. I only wish we had been able to do more.
You might find this thread interesting.
And in case you are wondering, yes. Clsoe to 2 million never have to put up with 'white rule' anymore.
Now go pound sand.
A relative of mine, a helicopter pilot for the firm contracted to the UN providing transport for officials who were monitoring the situation in Rwanda, was there during the weeks leading up to the genocide. He was home on leave when the situation deteriorated into the murder rampage ... returning shortly after. His pictures and stories of what he observed in Rwanda are horrific.
Wow!
That was great! Thanks.
I just watched that yesterday. Great movie and scary as hell.
And don't get me started on the UN. I'll probably not have 'kind' words for them.
After seeing that movie, with no actual murders shown (except the video from the journalist) I can only imagine his stories.
How horrible!!!
I don't know that there was much an individual could do.
BTW, Is there anything we as Americans can do???
Nice post.
Thanks, Spetz.
The brutal, tragic situation going on there is beyond comprehension.
I know our gov't can't take on all the dictators and countries allowing brutality of it's citizens. I wish the rest of the world would get more involved.
It's shameful that everyone turns a blind eye and allows this to continue.
Have you seen the movie? I haven't decided whether I want to see it, yet.
I had to take it back to the video store early because I became obsessed with it.
I still can't believe the UN and US did NOTHING!
The story from the Red Cross worker telling that one of the little orphans that cried out to her that if she wasn't killed she promised not to be a Tutsi anymore, broke my heart.
All I could think of was my girls.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.