© 2007 Clear Lake Presbyterian Church

Darfur Crisis: Learn, Pray, Act

The Darfur region of Sudan has been embroiled in a deadly conflict for over three years.  At least 400,000 people have been killed; more than 2 million innocent civilians have been forced to flee their homes and now live in displaced-persons camps in Sudan or in refugee camps in neighboring Chad; and more than 3.5 million men, women, and children are completely reliant on international aid for survival. Not since the Rwandan genocide of 1994 has the world seen such a calculated campaign of displacement, starvation, rape, and mass slaughter.

Since early 2003, Sudanese armed forces and Sudanese government-backed militia known as “Janjaweed” have been fighting two rebel groups in Darfur, the Sudanese Liberation Army/Movement (SLA/SLM) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM). The stated political aim of the rebels has been to compel the government of Sudan to address underdevelopment and the political marginalization of the region.  In response, the Sudanese government’s regular armed forces and the Janjaweed – largely composed of fighters of nomadic background – have targeted civilian populations and ethnic groups from which the rebels primarily draw their support – the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa (notes about our use of ethnic terminology).

The Bush Administration has recognized these atrocities – carried out against civilians primarily by the government of Sudan and its allied Janjaweed militias – as genocide.  António Guterres, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, has described the situation in Sudan and Chad as “the largest and most complex humanitarian problem on the globe.”  The Sudanese government and the Janjaweed militias are responsible for the burning and destruction of hundreds of rural villages, the killing of tens of thousands of people and rape and assault of thousands of women and girls.

On July 30, 2004, the UN Security Council adopted resolution 1556 demanding that the government of Sudan disarm the Janjaweed.  This same demand is also an important part of the Darfur Peace Agreement signed in May of 2006.  On August 31, 2006, the Security Council took the further step of authorizing a strong UN peacekeeping force for Darfur by passing resolution 1706.  Despite these actions, the Janjaweed are still active and free to commit the same genocidal crimes against civilians in Darfur with the aid of the Sudanese government.

International experts agree that the United Nations Security Council must deploy a peacekeeping force with a mandate to protect civilians immediately. Until it arrives, the under-funded and overwhelmed African Union monitoring mission must be bolstered. And governments and international institutions must provide and ensure access to sufficient humanitarian aid for those in need.

Link to Pastor Sam's Sermon May 12, 2007

Resources for Learning & Staying Involved
As people of faith and advocates in this crisis, we bear the responsibility to become and remain educated about the situation affecting our brothers and sisters in Darfur.

The following Web sites and organizations are good resources for credible and current information. Visit them online to learn more about the history of the conflict, the current situation on the ground, and what you can do to make a difference.

Save Darfur Coalition: www.savedarfur.org
The Save Darfur Coalition’s mission is to raise public awareness about the ongoing genocide in Darfur and to mobilize a unified response to the atrocities that threaten the lives of 2 million people in the region.

Genocide Intervention Network: www.genocideintervention.net
Read up on the background of the conflict in Darfur and find out what’s going on right now. Browse expert reports on the situation and take a look at Darfur-related multimedia.

SudanReeves.org
Analytic briefs and advocacy writings by Eric Reeves, who has spent the past seven years working full-time as a Sudan researcher and analyst. He has testified several times before Congress, has lectured widely in academic settings, and has served as a consultant to a number of human rights and humanitarian organizations operating in Sudan.

International Crisis Group – Darfur: www.crisisgroup.org
The International Crisis Group is an independent nongovernmental organization working through field-based analysis and high-level advocacy to prevent and resolve deadly conflict.

Refugees International – Darfur: www.refugeesinternational.org
Refugees International offers photo essays, personal stories from refugees in Darfur, policy recommendations, and a roundup of the latest news and commentary about Darfur from major media outlets.

Darfur Peace & Development Organization: www.dpado.org
DPADO is an international organization committed to working with indigenous people in Darfur to overcome hunger and poverty through integrated self-development and relief programs.

Passion of the Present: www.passionofthepresent.org
Passion of the Present is an online community where you can find and share ideas, information, and inspiration on how to stop the genocide in Darfur.

Resources compiled by Sojourners/Call to Renewal in partnership with the Save Darfur Coalition

If you say, "But we knew nothing about this," does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done? Proverbs 24: 11-12