The Crisis in Darfur a genocide we can stop

Introduction In the Darfur Region of Sudan since February of 2003 Over 400,000 people have been killed 2.5 million people have been displaced Over 10,000 people are expected to die each day Has been called the worst genocide of the 21st Century

Location Sudan is the largest country in Africa with a population of 39 million Many diverse tribal groups live in Sudan with over thirty in Darfur alone Darfur is roughly the size of Texas with a pre-conflict population of 6 million Darfur is located in western Sudan bordering Chad Located in drought prone area

The Conflict The genocide in Darfur has developed from a combination of Drought Leadership of tyrannical government Sudan President, Omar Al-Bashir has targeted the dark skinned Darfur Muslims President Al-Bashir has intentionally used his power to refuse the people of Darfur their Representation Resources Protection Drought - The African farming villagers of Darfur have been threatened by increased drought, and the violent attacks by nomadic Arabs looking for food that is becoming more scarce Al-Bashir has targeted this group because they do not practice Islam as strict as the ruling government would prefer.

The Violence In response to mistreatment by the Sudanese government Darfurian rebel groups formed General Al-Bashir responded to the uprising by granting governmental support and money to militias Largest militia, Janjaweed which in Arabic means ‘Devils on Horseback’, were sent to combat both rebels and civilians The Janjaweed use ethnic cleansing, destroying entire communities Government air raids often come before the Janjaweed invasions Rebel groups attacked government instillations in hope of bringing more equality to the government

Government Sponsored Terror The Janjaweed use a scorched earth policy Homes are burned Women and children are raped Wells, crops and food surpluses are destroyed Government funded helicopters and aircraft are used to bomb villages before the Janjaweed arrive The Janjaweed destroy every aspect of the villages they raid

Refugee Crisis Survivors flee to small camps in neighboring Chad The refugee camps are cramped, lacking adequate food water and sanitation 2.5 million refugees are seeking shelter from an overloaded system Camps are often places of starvation and disease Humanitarian aid is slowed by the restrictions of the governments of Sudan and Chad

Refugee Camps Often just as dangerous as villages that are left behind Women who leave camps to search for firewood and water are raped and attacked by Janjaweed Children are abducted from the poorly secured camps 80% of children in refugee camps experience malnutrition

Refugee Camps

This is a drawing by a child from Darfur This is a drawing by a child from Darfur. When human rights researcher visited Darfur they interviewed women in the Refugee camps to asses the level of sexual violence. During the interviews the doctors asked the children to draw while they talked to their mothers. Without any instruction or guidance the children drew their experiences in Darfur. The Janjaweed militias violence showed up on the paper showing how deeply affected the children are.

What is Being Done A small number of ineffective UN resolutions and sanctions have been passed The United States has labeled the atrocities in Darfur a genocide while the UN has yet to make the same declaration $1.7 billion has been pledged by the United States to end the violence States and universities are using divestment to discourage citizens from investing in companies that deal with the Sudanese government. Virginia is one of the first states to introduce a divestment bill The Virginia Divestment bill will make it illegal for state employee’s pensions to be used to support the Sudan government