Hopefully you are aware of the war in Darfur. The war vanished from the media after a short submission in 2004. Because it is no longer discussed, many think the war has ended when in fact, it has not.
Last week it was reported that rebels and the government signed a peace treaty. The President of Sudan, Omar Al Bashir, issued the following statement “Now the crisis has finished in Darfur. Now the war is finished in Darfur…. We must start fighting the war for development” (The Christian Science Monitor). But how accurate is that statement? Following the signing, there have been reports of attacks by the Janjaweed and more displacement of the Sudanese people (bbc.com). Looking at the history of the war, it will take much more than a peace treaty to actually bring peace and stability to Darfur.
It was 1989 when Omar Al Bashir took hold of the Sudanese government in a coup. He then took advantage of the small rifts between the Arab and Black Sudanese people, putting in place laws which highly favored Arabs. While there has always been tension between the Arabs and Black Sudanese people, but they had, for the most part, gotten along as well. In fact many engaged in business and intermarriage with each other, which now seems impossible.
Bashir, the Sudanese Military, and a group of followers called the Janjaweed, began genocide of those who are not Arab-like and in particular, have dark skin. For years the Janjaweed and military have bombed and killed innocent civilians and have forced many to run away to neighboring countries like Chad to seek shelter in refugee camps.
The war reached its peak between 2003 and 2004, after which a short peace followed. In recent years, the war rages on but receives little to no attention in our media.
The long history of the war is what makes the sighing of the peace treaty so important. This said, we can’t overestimate the effect it will have on the war. The signing was between the government and one rebel group, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM). Other rebel groups including the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) did not agree to make peace. (BBC) The International Criminal Court has indicted President Bashir for war crimes and many who call Darfur home remain displaced. While the sighing is important and shows steps towards cooperation, a greater peace needs to be achieved.
As youth, we can continue to spread the word about the ongoing war. As new disasters occur, the war in Darfur gets pushed further down the pile of issues that need our attention. When REAL peace is made, we can celebrate and Darfur can begin “fighting the war for development.”
By Jessie Ampofo
Blog Writer 2009-2010, Change Tomorrow’s World
