Darfur: Didn't we say 'never again'?

by Kristyan Benedict, Amnesty International Crisis Response Manager, for The Baptist Times

If armed men were to attack villages, loot homes, murder men and boys, rape women and girls, in say France, the USA or Australia, there would be international uproar. There would be emergency meetings and telephone calls, followed by swift action and deployment of troops to protect civilians - no doubt about it. But the people of Darfur, in western Sudan, an area which is the size of France, have endured such attacks for more than three years now, and the international community has been unable to ensure that Darfuri civilians receive protection. Why? And what can we do about it?

The human rights crisis in Darfur began in 2003 when armed groups in Darfur, a region which had long felt itself marginalised and neglected by Sudan's central government in Khartoum, took up arms against the government. They aimed to secure more autonomy and development for the region. But, they perhaps did not anticipate what the response of the Khartoum government would be.

The government responded by arming a small local militia, known as the 'janjawid', and encouraging it to fight a vicious proxy war against the Darfur rebels in its place. Massive pillaging and wholescale destruction of Darfur began - Amnesty International documented whole villages being first bombed by government aircraft and then the janjawid arriving on horseback (this showed that there was clear cooperation between them and the government). They rounded up men and executed them, many women and girls were raped, and whole villages were set on fire, forcing survivors to flee. Many fled over the border to Chad, where they are still living in makeshift camps. Chad, a very poor country, is bearing the brunt of this refugee crisis.

Since the conflict began in 2003, more than 300 000 people have lost their lives and nearly three million have been displaced from their homes and are living in camps. Camps which are dangerous, insecure and at risk of attack.

There was a lot of attention to the crisis in 2004, especially as Colin Powell and other senior politicians made visits to the region. But now much of the attention has faded. The violence however continues. Amnesty has documented attacks on villages in the last few weeks, where people have been mutilated and burnt alive. The conflict has also spread more than 100 miles into Chad.

So what has actually been done to protect civilians? A small African Union force of 7,000 has been in Darfur for the past two years but it is under-resourced and has no mandate to intervene if civilians are being attacked. Although there has been a shaky peace agreement since May 2006 the killings have continued. A UN peace-keeping force is needed to protect the people of Darfur. This peace-keeping force has been refused by the Sudanese government.

A delegation from Amnesty International went to Chad recently to assess the human rights situation. We found evidence of numerous attacks launched by Janjawid fighters dressed in Sudanese military uniforms carrying Sudanese arms.

The delegation also heard about horrific human rights violations committed by these fighters. One survivor reported to Amnesty:

'Five men who tried to run away were captured by the Janjawid...they tied ropes around their necks and then to their horses and then rode their horses back and forth dragging their bodies for about five or ten minutes. Blood was pouring out of their mouths and noses.'

The dangers are particularly extreme for women. They need to leave the camps to find food and firewood, but then face the danger of being kidnapped, raped and beaten. If the men go they are summarily shot and killed. These are the choices these communities have to make every day. Will their women be raped or their men killed?

A displaced woman in one of the camps told Amnesty 'they have killed all our men and left us helpless. The men used to feed us but now there's no one to help us at all. They used knives to cut the men's throats and guns to shoot down defenceless people. Now we can't even find food to eat in our own country.'

Humanitarian aid groups have found it near impossible to operate, although more than three million people depend on them for survival. There has been an increase in attacks on aid workers and restrictions on their activities by the Sudanese Government. So, in addition to the conflict, the people of Darfur face a humanitarian disaster.

It is now urgent that the UN be permitted to send a UN peacekeeping force in. The people of Darfur deserve nothing less. The Khartoum government is resisting - but neighbouring Arab and African governments must make it clear to them that they must accept the force. The UN Security Council must also send a strong and unified message that the UN force is to be deployed because protecting civilians is more important than any other economic or diplomatic considerations.

And, what can you do? Sometimes it is difficult to see how you can affect what is happening thousands of miles away to people you will never know. But thousands of people are taking action around the world. Some politicians, celebrities, faith groups and women's organisations have orchestrated two massive Global Days of Action for Darfur in September and December this year. These included events in the UK. The attention drawn to the crisis does help to mobilise public opinion and helps to keep the politicians at the UN talking. They need to know that there is a spotlight on Darfur and that we will all continue to bear witness until human rights violations are stopped.

You can write to politicians. You can sign a petition. You can tell others. Get involved

As originally published in The Baptist Times, December 2006