Darfur

I haven't talked about it on this blog, but my other blog is a member of the Coalition for Darfur. In the Sudanese region of Darfur, the world is again faced with the specter of genocide in Africa, and as happened in Rwanda ten years ago, the world is paying little attention. Christianity Today has an editorial on Darfur.

In Sudan, a fragile peace is vanishing at the rate of more than 10,000 corpses per month. Murder, disease, and starvation in Sudan's western Darfur region have taken between 210,000 and 350,000 lives, according to a recent U.N. estimate.

Starting in 2003, Janjaweed Arabs, a Sudan-backed militia, have driven 2 million villagers from their homes in ethnic-cleansing attacks designed to suppress local rebels. Satellite imaging has documented hundreds of burned-out villages. In remote border camps, displaced families live under plastic sheeting with grossly inadequate food and water. They have just enough food to starve—slowly. Already 20 children a day may die in these camps, where 70 people sometimes share one pit latrine.

Eyewitness accounts detailing the militia attacks are horrifying. "They killed my 3-year-old son right in front of my eyes," one father from West Darfur said. Since last fall, women have reported more than 500 rapes. Three women said five militiamen beat and raped them last August. The women said, "After they abused us, they told us that now we would have Arab babies. And, if they would find any [more] women, they would rape them again to change the color of their children."

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Western Christians can play a vital role in helping to stop violence and start peace on the ground throughout Sudan.

While the president, supported unanimously by both houses of Congress, has done the right thing in openly declaring the slaughter in Darfur genocide, much more needs to be done to raise awareness about the horrors taking place over there and to better support efforts at peacemaking. In addition to the politics, much aid will be needed for the victims. The coalition blog has links to relief organizations.