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Essay: Tensions In Darfur

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  • Subject area(s): International relations
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  • Published: 16 June 2012*
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  • Words: 1,238 (approx)
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Tensions In Darfur

Beginning in 2003 and with raging conflict to present day, tensions in Darfur, a region of Sudan has been constant. 480,000 people have been killed and over 2,8 million people are displaced and numbers continue to rise each day. This is genocide as there is a direct killing of a group of people in this case it is the Janjaweed militias, carrying out a killing campaign against non-Arabs. This is stated as an ethnic cleansing. There have been numerous peace agreements signed since 2006 to present day, although these peace agreements and the international community have done nothing to stop the murders and rapes of thousands of people each day. Despite the evidence that the killing constitutes genocide numerous nations are of the option that the ongoing events in Darfur are a civil war.

Since the beginning of the genocide in Darfur immense tension and conflict has taken place. This began when armed rebels made accusations of a neglectful government and complaining about the marginalization of Sudan and failure to protect citizens from attacks by nomads. The Sudanese Government instantly responded by hastily releasing their Arab militias who became known as Janjaweed or more commonly ‘devils on horsebacks’ these militias attacked hundreds too thousands of villages in Darfur, completely destroying over 400 of them and create a huge panic that resulted in millions fleeing there homes. This constitutes genocide as a particular race/group/ethnic belief was targeted in this case it was all non-Arabs in the country and they targeted victims based on race. African farmers (non-Arabs) are being systematically murdered, raped and displaced at the hands of the Janjaweed. This is continuous genocidal activity and violence taking place in Darfur.

The militias used in the systematic killing of non-Arabs are drawn from Arab tribes who have used scorched Earth tactics as a way against the rebel’s community’s. The Janjaweed is a racist and extremist group that is speculated to be initially set up by the Sudanese Government. The African farmers and majority of non-Arab citizens in Sudan are forced to flee the country and continue to do so daily into nations such as Chad and the Central African Republic the fighting has followed to these nations as they continue to slaughter the non-Arabs. The Janjaweed are violent and use fear tactics on their victims by using rape as a weapon of war often on children even under the age of 6. They use racial targeting, Arabs slaughtering blacks All those prosecuted and killed by the Janjaweed group are persecuted as a result of being black/African or non-Arab this with the intension to completely eliminate all citizens in the country that fall under these race guidelines. It is this systematic killing by the Janjaweed that is the genocide in Sudan as they are targeting a particular race in order to in whole eliminate them from a nation.

Many steps are needed for conflict in a country to be proved as genocide and in Darfur this also needed. A certain group needs to be identified as different and as less this is classification in Darfur this has been divided as the Arabs against the Non-Arabs who are thought to be lesser. The Non-Arabs are symbolized as unhelpful black farmers. This Symbolization is another step that constitutes genocide. A apartheid took place in Sudan before the beginning of the genocide this apartheid told the Non-Arabs that they where lesser and only disserved to be farmers this is dehumanization and creates a feeling of superiority it also makes the victims easier to kill. Genocide is always organized the majority of the time by the state using militias to allow the state to deny there part in genocide. In Sudan the government began the killings and had planned them in advance and used militias to begin the killings. These militias drove groups apart this occurred in Sudan by causing all Non-Arabs to flee this is known as polarization. The Arabs in Sudan had prepared and knew who there victim would be in this genocide it was all Non-Arabs and was based on race this is Preparation. Extermination begins after this in Sudan the killings began and over 400 000 have already been exterminated. The final step used to determine genocide is Denial this only usually takes place after the genocide is complete and the perpetrators attempt to hide and destroy evidence. This cannot be referred to Sudan as the genocide still continues to take places although the Sudanese government denies all evidence of starting a genocide and it is believed have hidden and destroyed evidence that prove there involvement. The events in Darfur fit all eight steps of genocide due to this Darfur is a genocide.

Killing rates in Darfur have decreased since the start of the genocide and from 2003/2004 although killing still takes place even though many agreements have been signed to try bring in end to the genocide. In May 2006 the Sudan government the Darfur peace agreement to try bring and end to this horrific genocide witch had already been occurred for 3 years. The revolutionary document aimed at stopping the atrocity was rejected. By two smaller groups namely the Justice and Equality Movement. The genocide would continue on to and still dose today unstoppable although every year more troops are sent in and numerous attempts to create peace are drafted they are all near obsolete to the destruction of the Janjaweed. Killing rates may have decreased but the persecution and deaths have not as daily hundreds are killed in this modern day genocide.

In spite of all the evidence that prove that events in Darfur are genocide a handful of people share a different view and have dubbed it a civil war. This is due to the fact that retaliation has taken place in Darfur. Rebels in Darfur have begun fighting back in Sudan and although only a vast minority these rebels are clearly rebelling against the Sudanese Government. These rebels shot down two helicopters. The rebels launched this attack and a handful believes that this is not genocide as there is direct fighting taking place. However the Sudanese government state that there helicopters crashed due to malfunctions and state the war in Sudan is over and that the rebels retaliation I just propaganda. This tension at an extreme angle and view may be a civil war.

In Sudan there have been recent claims that many of the rebels have also committed war crimes. This is due to the fact the rebels may not only kill for freedom but as revenge. These respiral killings are also taking place in Darfur and shows us that there is retaliation from the rebels. This shows direct conflict and thus could make the events taking place a civil war and not a genocide. A medical humanitarian project similar to the Red Cross stated ‘scenes of horror’ as these respiral killings took place. Although there is evidence sates that there may be a civil war. The evidence of a genocide is much stronger as there is a direct slaughter of a certain group of people based on there race (all non-Arabs) this constitutes genocide.

After more then a decade of fighting millions of peoples lives have been affected by the genocide carried out by the Janjaweed. Direct killing has taken place against non-Arabs stated as ethnic cleansing. The international community and many peace agreements have done a milescule amount in the prevention of the Darfur genocide.

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