Darfur is an area in West Sudan (about the size of Texas) that, in the past seven years, has been a victim of genocide. Since this genocide began, more than two and a half million people have been forced from their homes into “refugee camps”, which are really no place of refuge at all. This conflict was initiated as a result of the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) groups of Darfur accusing the Sudanese government of tyrannizing and oppressing black Africans in favor of Arabs. The oppressors are composed of the Sudanese military and police, along with the Janjaweed (a Sudanese militia group made up of camel-herding, horse-riding nomads). The Sudanese government claims to not support the Janjaweed, but there have been direct connections regarding the Sudanese government actually funding the Janjaweed and aiding them in joint attacks that target civilians.
Since this genocide began in 2003, the estimated human casualty rate is in the hundreds of thousands. People in Darfur either die from direct combat, starvation, or disease caused by the conflict. More than 2.5 million people have been forced out of their homes into “refugee camps” which has consequently created a humanitarian crisis. Because of the fighting between the SLM/A and the JEM against the Sudanese government, civilians have become the target of ethnic cleansing. Villages are being burned, civilians are being killed and displaced, and mass graves have been discovered. Although the United States has recognized this as a genocide, the United Nations says “that while there were mass murders and rapes of Darfurian civilians, they could not label the atrocities as "genocide" because "genocidal intent appears to be missing”.”
After the Holocaust, people of the world vowed to never turn their back on such a violent and gruesome atrocity as genocide ever again. Well, look what’s happened now. Although the United States has acknowledged that the events occurring in Darfur ARE genocide, we have taken little to none effective action. The part that is so frustrating for people who know about this conflict and want to help is the fact that the people who are committing this genocide are nomads who herd camels and
ride horses. The Janjaweed is said to consist of roughly a few thousand men. Keeping in mind that they ride horses and their firearms are far from advanced; our military could invade with an equal number of men and women and fix this situation. But the fact that we have simply acknowledged this genocide and not taken any steps towards stopping it, is breaking the promise that we, and many other countries, made to the world after the Holocaust.The camps of displaced Darfuri people mainly consist of women and children. Sexual violence is a massive part of this genocide. In Darfur, rape is an epidemic. The Janjaweed and Sudanese government continue to conduct this civilian campaign of sexual violence. The refugee camps are not safe for women and children, either. For when they leave to gather firewood and water, they are most often attacked.
The hope of the Darfuri people are slowly vanishing. President Obama has done nothing to help the people of Darfur since he began his term. President Omar al-Bashir is the president of Sudan, and “the orchestrator of their [Darfuri peoples’] suffering.” For seven years since the conflict began, the Darfuri people have been hoping for protection and peace. They hoped that when President Obama was elected, “Yes We Can” meant “yes” for them, too. For more than seven years, two American presidents, George W. Bush and Barack Obama have recognized what is happening in Darfur as a genocide; but neither one has done virtually anything to put a stop to it.
The American people have the power to put a stop to this. We need to urge the Obama administration to accept the moral obligation of helping the Darfuri people who are a victim of genocide. President Obama must lead a “diplomatic offensive” to convince the world to isolate President Omar al-Bashir as a renegade of justice. We, as a nation who have recognized this horrible act as a genocide, must take the necessary steps in order to put a stop to it.
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