Many phrases are being used to describe the situation in Darfur, including “humanitarian crisis: and “genocide”. Yet there are still people that remain uneducated of the horrific events which are taking place in the Darfur region of Sudan and effecting millions of Darfur natives. Genocide is defined as the systematic killing of all people from a national, ethnic, or religious group, or an attempt to do so.

The Darfur region is divided into North, West, and South, and lies in the western portion of the Sudan, the largest country in Africa. Located in the Northwest part of the continent it is divided into several states. Throughout history, there has always been incongruity between the northern and southern provinces of Darfur. North Darfur is home to integrated Muslims and nomadic Arabs. Arab s came into Sudan and established ties with the Islamic people, opening trading channels throughout Sudan and eventually becoming a dominating power, much to the displeasure of the African South, who were subjected to slave raids and constant endeavors of conversion from their African culture to the Arab or Muslim religion.

In the early 1900’s it was determined that North and South Dafur should be administered separately. During this time, Christianity was introduced to the Southern region of Darfur further dividing the state. How the states were separated left the South being neglected and isolated and receiving little assistance with poverty and other issues. However, before South Dafur could gain independence, the policy of separate administrations was reversed, and a goal for the unity of the state was established. The melee between the two sides escalated to armed warfare with the fight continuing until the South eventually become self-governed, however, violence never ceased between the North and South.

The current military-based government of Sudan is led by President Omar Al-Bashir who began the genocide campaign against the South in 2003. Throughout the past thirty years, Arab  tribes formed alliances and gained political dominance evolving into paramilitary forces around 1989, at which time they began waging war against the African villagers. In retaliation to the oppression, rebel groups formed, specifically the Sudan Liberation Army/ Movement (SLP/M) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM).

This in turn resulted in the Sudan Government empowering the violent Arab militia (the “Janjaweed”) and granting them with unsurpassed power to squelch the rebellion. This in turn has resulted in the eradication of entire villages with all of its suggested horrors.

Civilians of Darfur find themselves unable to even trust UN and International humanitarian attempts at assistance due to subterfuge by the Arab militia that have painted their own planes as replicas of UN humanitarian aircraft in an attempt to confuse the masses.

In May 2005, the Darfur Peace Agreement was signed by the Sudan’s gove3rnment leaders and the SLP/M, however, just three months later the government forces once again assaulted the northern region of Darfur. It has become increasingly difficult to get the opposing forces together to negotiate, due to the disunity of the rebels and the government hostility toward these groups.

President Al-Bashir does a great deal to weaken support to help civilians of the state. The international community and government of Sudan finally agreed to deploy a hybrid of UN and AU (African Union) peacekeeping forces in three phases. Al-Bashir allowed the first phrase, which involved 160 UN advisors, to help the African Union forces already in  Darfur to progress and agreed to let the second phase, which includes 3,000 United Nations military and police logistics, enter Darfur within the net six months. He has not, however, even considered phase three to pass. Phase three would let 10,000 more peaceful protective UN-UA troops into Darfur. President Al-Bashir has set strict limitations on who he lets enter the Darfur region, restricting anyone from diplomats to journalists to enter in hopes of quashing the spread of news of what is occurring in Darfur.

This genocide has claimed over 400,000 lives due to disease, starvation and direct violence at the hands of the Janjaweed. However, whatever the situation in Darfur may be called, there is no denying the violence and senseless killing that is taking place. People are dying every day at the hands of a totalitarian militarism of a repeatedly undermined society of peasant African farmers. To help them you can support the AU who helps patrol villages and protects the African civilians, the Save Darfur Coalition (SDC), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), and the World Health Organization (WHO) who are also monitoring events occurring in Darfur.

Tags: darfur, genocide, unicef, united children’s fund, world health organization, who, save darfur coalition, sdc, african union, au, janjaweed, arab militia, muslim, president al-bashir, sudan, darfur peace agreement, sudan liberation movement, slp, m, justice and equality movement, jem, africa, omar al-bashir