Darfur Genoside is a Real Problem

This is an essay I wrote for english class, and I wanted you to read it. It has been slightly modifiyed. I want you to read it because it is important to our campain. There will be more essays like this.


If there were genocide in which 400,000 people have been killed, would you want to send in peacekeepers? If there were 2 million refugees and displaced persons, would you want their villages rebuilt? What if this was in a region that is already unstable? Well, I don’t have the “what-ifs.” Such a place and situation exists. In the province of Darfur, Sudan, genocide is in progress. The world said, “never again,” after the Holocaust, Rwandan genocide, and every genocide, but we are seeing genocide of similar magnitude. At the present time, people are losing homes and being killed, and we are not doing anything about it. Currently, many Americans don't completely understand the conflict in Darfur.
While the conflict is far away, it is important to help and understand what is going on. It is, however, very hard to understand. The conflict in Darfur was started between rebel fighters who want independence because they feel that the government of Sudan isn’t giving them enough economic support. The government dispatched a group called the Janjaweed, a group of Arabic speaking African tribes, and they are fighting the rebels in the villages. “Janjaweed” means “devils on horseback.” One rebel group is the Sudanese Liberation Army/Movement (SLA/SLM). Another is the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM). They fight for and are largely backed by Darfuri civilians, who are black Africans. The troops are teachers, cooks, woodworkers and tribal members who have taken up arms in defense of their villages. These villagers fight because they want to, not because they were drafted. The SLA is fighting the Arab government-backed group the Janjaweed. The national army fights along side of the Janjaweed. Together they kill, rape, and terrorize villagers. Some villagers run from their homes, to refugee and displaced-person camps.
At the refugee camps, refugees are living in conditions that are atrocious. There are 2 million people in refugee camps (in neighboring countries) and displaced persons camps (in Sudan). Some refer to both as refugee camps, even though there is a difference. In the camps, conditions are dire. People live on very slim rations, and there is very little clean water. The people in the camps have many bad diseases and malnutrition. More people die in the camps than are killed by the Janjaweed. There are people starving in refugee camps, but what are we, the international community, doing? You may be wondering how you can help. And there is much anyone can do.
This country, the US, is deferring on the problems in Darfur. These problems are urgent, and cannot wait. There are many things we can do to help stop the genocide, and get active. One thing we can do is sign petitions to get the US and the UN to "act". To "act," we must send in peacekeepers from the AU, the UN, the US, and the EU. (The AU (African Union) already is on the ground.) We can also write letters to our president and representatives to join an international effort. One thing that they can do is to send a peacekeeping force from the UN. They could help to repair a deal, similar to the one of May 2006, which was broken when deadlines weren’t met. In addition, they should send in diplomats. You can help at http://savedarfur.org/, and click on the “sign the petition” button.
"There was a life, there was a tragedy." The daughter of a survivor said this quote about the Holocaust. It ends with "there was life again,” and there will be, but we must understand and act before it is to late to change course. To make the second part happen again, we must act now. We must make sure all our friends and family understand this extremely tragic event. We must remember to tell our friends to help. We must help in the Central African Republic and Chad to prevent the conflict from spreading. If we get people to understand and act, we will stop genocide. Small action can make a difference. If you feel strongly about this, call congress, and be sure to mention your support of H.R. 180 and S. 831. Remember, inaction is supporting the genocide. We cannot be silent.