Darfur Genocide: A Student Slideshow

I chose this video, created by RagingxLunaticx3 on Youtube, because it embodies the power of student voice in response to the Darfur Holocaust. In Darfur, located in western Sudan, the Sudanese government forces and militia called “Janjaweed” have been engaged in an armed conflict with rebel groups called the Sudanese Liberation Army/Movement (SLA/SLM) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM). As part of its operations against the rebels, government forces waged a systematic campaign of “ethnic cleansing” against civilians who are members of the same ethnic groups as the rebels. Sudanese government forces and the Janjaweed militias burned and destroyed hundreds of villages, caused tens of thousands of civilian deaths, displaced millions of people, and raped and assaulted thousands of women and girls.

What is happening in Darfur is not unlike the Jewish Holocaust. As of April 2008, some 2.5 million displaced people live in camps in Darfur and more than 200,000 people have fled to neighboring Chad, where they live in refugee camps. In addition to the people displaced by the conflict, at least 2 million additional people are considered “conflict-affected” by the United Nations (UN) and many need some form of food assistance because the conflict has damaged the local economy, markets, and trade in Darfur. The number one cause of death is starvation.

This video, choosing to depict hope and resilience, is trying to convey that we (students) and everyone with a voice can help put an end to this genocide. Whatever happened to never again? The Sudanese government admits to less then 10,000 deaths. More accurate estimates range from 200,000-400,000 in the five years of conflict. They are trying to hide what evidence suggests they are responsible for, much like Hitler tried to mask the horror in Terezin.

Information sourced by: http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2004/05/05/darfur8536.htm