Darfur is a misunderstood issue?

Answer 1

No, its not misunderstood.

The genocide that is occurring there occurs in almost every other African nation. Tribal warfare has been reducing the population of that continent since pre-history.

Every 5 to 10 years the world bristles at the pictures of dying children, sends i aid and makes one party in charge over the others and the whole thing startrs again as soon as the UN gets on their plane back home.

Most aid sent to Africa winds up being diverted for weapons and not food or agriculture. Most food shipments get sold for the same purposes.

The AU is unable to do anything because the same thing happens in their own countries, and wuite frankly, their system of beliefs and cultures limits the amount of syplathy they have for people of other tribes. Their tribal belief is to take care of their tribe and eliminate competition for the scare resources.

Plus you have France, Belgium and Russia getting their hands into the pot by fomenting the civil wars so in the resulting poverty they can pay pennies on the dollar for the natural resources, such as cocoa and col-tan, and the ruling juntas are happy to get anything to buy their weapons so they can stay in power.

So again I'll say, the situation is not misunderstood, it is understood all too well. But there are too many people who just don't care. This isn't occurring in one or two countries, but in about 15.

Answer 2

In what way? That the world, particularly the UN, doesn't see the hell on earth that's been created there by the government and the jan jawi(sp?) for what purposes I cannot fathom and because of this "misunderstanding," they do nothing but allow women to be raped and murdered, men to be tortured and killed, and children to starve to death. If you mean that, then "yes, Darfur is a misunderstood issue."

Answer 3

All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.
-- Edmund Burke, British-Irish statesman, author, orator, political thinker and philosopher (1729-1797)

For those in the know, Darfur is NOT a misunderstood issue, just an ignored issue. Darfur is only misunderstood by those who are ignorant.

I disagree with Jesi's analysis, and frankly believe you are misinformed. Darfur is not an issue of "Tribal Warfare" as it is the Sudanese Government who are cynically directing a program of Ethnic Cleansing and Genocide by Sudanese Arabs against their own people and citzens - Black African Darfurians (descendants of the Ancient Nubians) - to change the ethnic composition of this land in which the Darfurians have lived since Biblical times. The nearest analogy is the German Nazi government ethnically cleansing Germany of Jews. Darfurians have no one in the Sudanese government to help or represent them.

This is a brief outline of the current situation.

The African Union (AU) is already in Darfur with a 7,000 man force, but their mandate ends on 30 September, and the Sudanese Government want them to leave. (I wonder why?) The AU have been there for a few years, but they are BADLY under funded, under equipped and under manned. Yet they have made a HUGE difference just by being there as witnesses to stop and deter rape, murder, and genocide. If they leave, and no UN force replaces them, as George Clooney says there will be a "Blood Bath". There will be no force to observe let alone stop the Sudanese Army and Janjaweed Militias. If the AU force were properly funded they would be much more effective, and being Africans they would do a far better job then a European UN force. Can you imagine a French force actually getting their hands dirty fighting the Janjaweed militias if necessary.

There are some decent and good African commanders with the experience to take control of the situation. All they need is a real mandate, money, equipment and more men.

It is unfair to criticise the AU force as they come from the poorest countries on earth, such as Rwanda. And secondly they are the ONLY force in town right now.

Ironically the largest AU component is made up of Rwandans, who know a thing or two about Genocide.

The people of Darfur desperately want the AU to stay.

The UN has failed so far, because wealthy countries have WITHHELD both the funding and military support required, and have left the African Union to deploy a token force without a mandate to protect civilians. The lack of World moral and political will to address the political and economic structures that underlie the conflict, and the sad fact that the International Community has defined the Darfur conflict in humanitarian assistance terms, and debated and ignored the "genocide" label while innocent men, women and children are murdered has led to this MORAL CAPITULATION.

Estimates range from 300 to 450,000 Black African men, women and children have been raped and murdered in Darfur in the last 5 years by the Sudanese Arab Muslim Army and Janjaweed Militias in the greatest Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing since Rwanda and Bosnia. But as there are NO records we will never know the true figure. Only from surviving mothers do we learn that so many children have been killed with whole families "wiped out". Some of the stories I have read are truly horrific.

6 million people live in Darfur. The Darfurians are descendants of the ancient Nubians and live in the Nuba Mountains.

2.5 million Darfurians are in "Refugee Camps" and on the verge of starvation. If the AU leave and no UN force replaces it then the Sudanese Government will use the time honoured Nazi method of starvation or massacre.

The Sudanese Army and Janjaweed Militias are systematically burning villages, and use rape as a weapon against women.

This is ETHNIC CLEANSING pure and simple.

George Clooney has warned the UN Security Council of impending Genocide in Darfur. Clooney said if we don't get a United Nations Humanitarian and Peace Keeping Force (to replace the African Union force) in Darfur soon - we will have another Rwanda on our hands, and the FIRST HOLOCAUST of the 21st century.

Sudan's President, Omar al-Bashir, has vowed to fight off UN troops himself, and warned that Sudan would take on UN soldiers in a Jihad "as Hizbollah beat Israeli forces". Omar al-Bashir also said he will use al-Qa'ida insurgents to fight the UN.

Clooney said "After September 30, you won't need the UN. You will simply need men with shovels and bleached white linen and headstones."

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown asks the question:

"Where are the Muslims protesting about Darfur?"

"Where is the shrill outrage when Arab Muslims kill and ethnically cleanse Black African Darfurians from their meagre homes? Why is the anti-African racism of the Arab Sudanese government and militia not damned by Muslims? Where are the perpetually appalled Muslims today?"

The whole sad enormity of this Tragedy makes me want to cry.

We have heard the phrase "NEVER AGAIN" since the Holocaust. But there always seems to be another Genocide or Ethnic Cleansing in the World.

Will we let the Arabs carry on murdering our Black African brothers and sisters in the Darfur?

To paraphrase a constant Arab argument used against Israel: Are a Thousand Black African lives in Darfur worth less than One Arab life?

Will we be watching "Hotel Darfur" in ten years time?

We say "NEVER AGAIN", but are we really just LYING TO OURSELVES?

IS THE WORLD GOING TO LET THIS HAPPEN AGAIN?

WILL THE HUMAN RACE EAT THE BREAD OF SHAME (those of us who have a conscience) AGAIN?

I PRAY FOR JUSTICE FOR THE PEOPLE OF DARFUR.

STOP THE GENOCIDE NOW.

PS How many people here can I interest in sending a message to George Bush and Kofi Annan to save the people of Darfur?

Goto www.SaveDarfur.org and www.DayForDarfur.org

Have a look around find out whats happening then click on take action to send the message.

If you join it (top right hand corner) then they send you messages about what you can do to help.

An injustice anywhere is an injustice everywhere.
-- Dr Samuel Johnson, English author, poet, critic & lexicographer (1709-1784)

In order that all men may be taught to speak Truth, it is necessary that all likewise should learn to hear it.
-- Dr Samuel Johnson

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I did not speak out;
I was not a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.

-- Martin Niemöller, German anti-Nazi theologian and Lutheran Pastor

Answer 4

probably hugely misunderstood or not understood at all because it doesn't seem to be in the news at all. only days ago i learned that 200,000 people have died in fighting there over the last 3 years... that seems pretty significant yet i had heard nothing about it. i still don't know what the fighting is for.
how can i understand a problem that i didn't know existed? where is the media in this? i read the news reports online every day and have seen NOTHING until bush made mention of them in a recent speech.

Answer 5

Misunderstood by those with their heads in the sand/up their @$$es
Genocide is genocide. evil is evil. what the F is to misunderstand?
What is misunderstood is the thought the UN will ever do anything
that isn't anti-USA

Answer 6

Agreed. What's to misunderstand, really, about killing people of a different faith and then raping their wives and children and herding their boys into armies?

The problem is that our media refuses to link up Darfur with radical muslim terrorism, in my opinion.

Answer 7

I think it is & if world leaders don't do something to
help these people, there might be another unexpected
consequence, like Aids.

Answer 8

It's another hot bed for terrorism.

Answer 9

is this a question or a statement?

Answer 10

Was this a question or a statement?