"On Our Watch"

“Never again” were the words spoken after the last genocide in Rwanda in April 1994. Genocides, the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part of an ethnic, racial, religious or nations group have plagued our world, from the Nazi concentration camps in Germany to the devastation in countries of Africa and Bosnia. Like many of the tragedies before, the events taking place in Darfur, Sudan are no different.

Dubbed “The First Genocide of the 21st Century”, necessary actions still have not been taken to resolve the on-going conflict. The conflict in Darfur is classified as a civil war that started in 2003 when Rebel groups emerged because of oil. The Janjaweed or “Devil on Horseback” are young men (bandits) who are hired by the government. They travel to different towns killing the women and children that live there. The government takes no responsibility in paying the members of the Janjaweed, however they do allow them freedom to steal from the villages they invade. Since 2004, the Janjaweed men have raped a total of 120 women. During the episode, a Sudanese woman described an event where the Janjaweed killed the baby on her back and then raped her. In an interview with Frontline the Sudanese government denied everything, claiming the events have been “ blown out of proportion”. The government does not want to broadcast their problems in Darfur because it might upset the peace already made in the South.

So far three dozen mass graves have been found in the city carrying 200,000 to 500,000 people. The number of causalities is significantly higher than the 8,000 that died in the Rwandan genocide. Countries such as the United States have yet to send in troops to help resolve the situation. With the support of Islamic communities, Russia and China, Sudan has not accepted any responsibility nor have they made an effort to change their ways.