endless story of wars and conflicts....
[...] "In light of current Syrian massacre, I wanted to mention about another one which takes place for years, but media overall gave up on airing the issue, since world's response is little to none. In the same way, leaders of this world present indifference as Syrian conflict escalates. NO grasp of what is going on together with showing only selected images to save the public form viewing genocide of the most innocent takes its tall. It's a little we can do, to help these people, yet world, as always turn its back....
It is called "the first genocide of the 21st century", but appearing like in old days - dropping bombs on civilians, shooting them in the head, using sabers. Ethnic cleansing in Darfur began ten years ago. And though the world had forgotten about it, continues to this day.
Or maybe that's why?Dr. Mukesh Kapila knew that something was very wrong. He constantly heard about the attacks on defenseless villages, murdered and mutilated civilians, panic and despair. So every day he sent to his superiors in New York, new reports - more and more massacres, more and more victims... "You have to stop this madness" - he wrote. But no one answered.One day tall, extremely exhausted woman knocked on the door of his office. Her name was Aisha. She sat down on the floor and told him about the ordinary, fair morning, where her world has collapsed.
[...] When she heard the clatter of hooves and the roar of the engines, it was too late to escape. In the blink of an eye, all-terrain cars and riders on horseback surrounded the entire village. Hunt had began. The attackers surrounded two hundred women on the main square , including Aisha and her daughter. The last thing she remembered was that her sons, husband and father had to watch as they raped all of them into unconsciousness. When she awoke, everything was blackened to ruins. Nowhere could she find her family. Collecting the remains of strength and hope, she moved to Khartoum. Aisha ca,e from North Darfur. It's more than a 1000 kilometers from the capital.
Although, during work in Rwanda and Afghanistan Kapila already heard and saw ambiguous events, this story broke the camel's back. He decided: enough of pounding into the closed doors, the end of useless reports and usage of the "official channels". On March 19, 2004 he joined interview in the BBC studio in Nairobi and he blurted out everything.- "Before our own eyes the greatest humanitarian crisis in the world set its stage, but we do NOTHING to remedy it. It's a disaster on a scale of genocide in Rwanda, where, the numbers may be different, but the method and purpose are the same. The Sudanese government has carried out ethnic cleansing in Darfur on an unimaginable scale...."
Dr. Kapila had said things that were absolutely not allowed to be told, especially on the most serious radio broadcast in the world. Not that they were not true - reporters, researchers and staff confirmed everything. The problem was something else. Mukesh Kapila has worked for the United Nations (ONZ). More specifically -he was the most important official of the United Nations in Sudan. When he came out of the radio studio he could begin to pack - his ONZ career came to an end. The Sudanese government put him on the black list, in Khartoum he was finished. New York has called him back home in the middle of the contract. But the courage of Dr. Mukesh happened not in vain. Curious about diplomatic scandal, media at the end got interested in the conflict in Darfur. Before BBC interview echo passed, journalists from around the world wrote about "the first genocide of the 21st century. Under pressure, the UN Security Council began to plan for the stabilization mission. After a few months in Darfur first soldiers of the African Union appeared. Their numbers steadily increased to more than 20.000 in 2008 (joined by the traditional "blue helmets" as well). The losses were staggering - about 300,000 deaths, 2.5 million people without a roof over their head. The International Criminal Court indicted Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir and several of his associates for crimes against humanity. With time, the worst massacre ceased, and the world focused on other spots. Darfur issue was considered resolved.
Wrongly.The presence of international troops stopped the pogroms, however, Darfur did not find peace. Pro-government militias have not out weapons down, neither Darfur guerrillas. No lasting agreement was ever achieved any it has not resolved the problems at the base of the conflict. The apparent co called stabilization lasted this very long.When in mid-2011 in different parts of Sudan, another rebellion broke out, fighting in Darfur erupted anew. And so it is today. British organization Oxfam says that only in the last two months in various skirmishes, raids and invasions over 150 civilians were killed and about 100,000 were forced to leave their house. Expired conflict? None of these things.
Bloody background
Sudan has always been a land border. Passed this way and retreated great empires, colliding cultures, religions and races intertwined and separated the various forces. This mix caused -in 1956 when Sudan obtained independence from Britain and Egypt, that inhabitants of this land were extremely different ethnically, as nowhere else seen.The most important - and most visible - the division was dominated by the population of the Arab-and Muslim North and the Negro animistic-christian South. It led to two wars of nearly three million victims, and ultimately - to the disintegration of the country into two parts. In 2011, South Sudan declared independence from Khartoum.But the division in Sudan was and is much more.In territory lying to the west of Darfur, not religion is major problem. Almost all of the people who live there believe in Islam. They differ by the skin tone and lifestyle. Furs, Zaghawows or Masalitos have African features same origin and they came to the area a long time ago to occupy lands mainly to do farming. Darfur occupy also Arabic tribes of migratory shepherds. Both groups never burned with love for one another, but for centuries they shared space and negotiated most of conflicts. To a point.In the 80s of 20th century Sahelian region was hit with a series of catastrophic droughts. Few rivers evaporated and the once fertile land turned into a barren, cracked crust. Life has become much more difficult. live next to each other - almost impossible. Pastors have stopped to ask farmers for permission to graze cattle on their land, and tribal diplomatic overtures brought meager results. Minor altercation increasingly turned into a lot of fights - more and more people died. There was no love, not even respect....Since the beginning of the independent Sudan was ruled by mostly Arabs. Negro tribes started to experience a particularly painful period of time after 1989, when General Omar Al-Bashir gained power in Khartoum. Created by him regime combined the religious fanaticism with nationalism and racism. Blacks in Darfur (it is worth noting that many of the Sudanese Arabs also have very dark skin) soon began to complain about the blatant discrimination - the government let go of their grievances around the ears, and in resolving territorial disputes clearly favored the Arab nomads. In February 2003 - just when North and South meet and discuss peace agreement - the Darfur was set on fire.Within a few months in the west of Sudan quite big number of partisans have grown. By far the most important among them were Sudanese Liberation Front (SLM) and the Movement for Freedom and Equality (JEM). They first took up arms and attacked government offices.
The answer of Omar Al-Bashir was terrible....
After a year, when the international community finally became interested in Darfur, rebels and the Khartoum regime began to talk about the truce. Not much came out of it. As soon as the ceasefire agreement was signed, one of the parties used to sweep it away.
Years passed with pompously announced next round negotiations and the Darfur gradually turned into the kingdom of lawlessness. Even in the quietest times civilians were threatened by various thugs, who used the chaos to loot and rape. Although soldiers Joint Mission and the United Nations African Union (UNAMID) did not avoid the fight (to this day they killed about 80), they were not able to secure the entire region. Darfur people suffered very long after the last TV cameras had disappeared.
The final goal
The conflict does not expire, inter alia, because none of the opponents was not able to ask for decisive blow. Government forces and Janjawid were masters of criminal expedition against women and the elderly, but no longer cope so well with experienced and mobile guerrillas. This, in turn, lacks the firepower to really shake the regime.Conditions have changed noticeably after the division of the state in 2011. Khartoum has lost a large portion of the profits from the sale of crude oil (75 per cent. Sudanese deposits located in the South), which deepened painful economic crisis. Meanwhile, in South Kordophan and Blue Nile - two large frontier states - clashes erupted between Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) troops and Al-Bashir. Knowing that there is nothing so tiring as the fight against multiple opponents at the same time, the insurgents of the SLM, JEM, and the SPLM-N decided to join forces and formed the Sudanese Revolutionary Front. Goal very clearly identified. They wanted to overthrow the government. Nothing else would satisfy them.Did they succeed? Certainly the government of Al-Bashir is at weakest point. Financial problems, political disputes and the decline of social support are factors that can undermine any regime.
Residents of Darfur villages complain in recent weeks that more often they see armed men in strange uniforms, speaking foreign languages. They fear that they could be outsiders from Mali Islamists that Khartoum would have to hire to conduct the subsequent carnage. Although it lacks the hard evidence, it seems understandable fear. An old proverb in Swahili says, "where elephants are fighting, the grass suffers most." Sudanese understand this like no one else....[...]"
translation of article
In this light we have now Syrian and many other conflicts media and leaders seem to ignore in many ways, unless conflict itself becomes problematic in terms of economics or political power roller coster. World is looking only at these conflicts which can give clear benefit in long run...Never mind that children and women are always victims in unimaginable numbers and men who fight in name of God or name of profit seem to be suicidal themselves. Blood river runs down in wide stream and the world watches....
[...] "In light of current Syrian massacre, I wanted to mention about another one which takes place for years, but media overall gave up on airing the issue, since world's response is little to none. In the same way, leaders of this world present indifference as Syrian conflict escalates. NO grasp of what is going on together with showing only selected images to save the public form viewing genocide of the most innocent takes its tall. It's a little we can do, to help these people, yet world, as always turn its back....
It is called "the first genocide of the 21st century", but appearing like in old days - dropping bombs on civilians, shooting them in the head, using sabers. Ethnic cleansing in Darfur began ten years ago. And though the world had forgotten about it, continues to this day.
Or maybe that's why?Dr. Mukesh Kapila knew that something was very wrong. He constantly heard about the attacks on defenseless villages, murdered and mutilated civilians, panic and despair. So every day he sent to his superiors in New York, new reports - more and more massacres, more and more victims... "You have to stop this madness" - he wrote. But no one answered.One day tall, extremely exhausted woman knocked on the door of his office. Her name was Aisha. She sat down on the floor and told him about the ordinary, fair morning, where her world has collapsed.
[...] When she heard the clatter of hooves and the roar of the engines, it was too late to escape. In the blink of an eye, all-terrain cars and riders on horseback surrounded the entire village. Hunt had began. The attackers surrounded two hundred women on the main square , including Aisha and her daughter. The last thing she remembered was that her sons, husband and father had to watch as they raped all of them into unconsciousness. When she awoke, everything was blackened to ruins. Nowhere could she find her family. Collecting the remains of strength and hope, she moved to Khartoum. Aisha ca,e from North Darfur. It's more than a 1000 kilometers from the capital.
Although, during work in Rwanda and Afghanistan Kapila already heard and saw ambiguous events, this story broke the camel's back. He decided: enough of pounding into the closed doors, the end of useless reports and usage of the "official channels". On March 19, 2004 he joined interview in the BBC studio in Nairobi and he blurted out everything.- "Before our own eyes the greatest humanitarian crisis in the world set its stage, but we do NOTHING to remedy it. It's a disaster on a scale of genocide in Rwanda, where, the numbers may be different, but the method and purpose are the same. The Sudanese government has carried out ethnic cleansing in Darfur on an unimaginable scale...."
Dr. Kapila had said things that were absolutely not allowed to be told, especially on the most serious radio broadcast in the world. Not that they were not true - reporters, researchers and staff confirmed everything. The problem was something else. Mukesh Kapila has worked for the United Nations (ONZ). More specifically -he was the most important official of the United Nations in Sudan. When he came out of the radio studio he could begin to pack - his ONZ career came to an end. The Sudanese government put him on the black list, in Khartoum he was finished. New York has called him back home in the middle of the contract. But the courage of Dr. Mukesh happened not in vain. Curious about diplomatic scandal, media at the end got interested in the conflict in Darfur. Before BBC interview echo passed, journalists from around the world wrote about "the first genocide of the 21st century. Under pressure, the UN Security Council began to plan for the stabilization mission. After a few months in Darfur first soldiers of the African Union appeared. Their numbers steadily increased to more than 20.000 in 2008 (joined by the traditional "blue helmets" as well). The losses were staggering - about 300,000 deaths, 2.5 million people without a roof over their head. The International Criminal Court indicted Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir and several of his associates for crimes against humanity. With time, the worst massacre ceased, and the world focused on other spots. Darfur issue was considered resolved.
Wrongly.The presence of international troops stopped the pogroms, however, Darfur did not find peace. Pro-government militias have not out weapons down, neither Darfur guerrillas. No lasting agreement was ever achieved any it has not resolved the problems at the base of the conflict. The apparent co called stabilization lasted this very long.When in mid-2011 in different parts of Sudan, another rebellion broke out, fighting in Darfur erupted anew. And so it is today. British organization Oxfam says that only in the last two months in various skirmishes, raids and invasions over 150 civilians were killed and about 100,000 were forced to leave their house. Expired conflict? None of these things.
Bloody background
Sudan has always been a land border. Passed this way and retreated great empires, colliding cultures, religions and races intertwined and separated the various forces. This mix caused -in 1956 when Sudan obtained independence from Britain and Egypt, that inhabitants of this land were extremely different ethnically, as nowhere else seen.The most important - and most visible - the division was dominated by the population of the Arab-and Muslim North and the Negro animistic-christian South. It led to two wars of nearly three million victims, and ultimately - to the disintegration of the country into two parts. In 2011, South Sudan declared independence from Khartoum.But the division in Sudan was and is much more.In territory lying to the west of Darfur, not religion is major problem. Almost all of the people who live there believe in Islam. They differ by the skin tone and lifestyle. Furs, Zaghawows or Masalitos have African features same origin and they came to the area a long time ago to occupy lands mainly to do farming. Darfur occupy also Arabic tribes of migratory shepherds. Both groups never burned with love for one another, but for centuries they shared space and negotiated most of conflicts. To a point.In the 80s of 20th century Sahelian region was hit with a series of catastrophic droughts. Few rivers evaporated and the once fertile land turned into a barren, cracked crust. Life has become much more difficult. live next to each other - almost impossible. Pastors have stopped to ask farmers for permission to graze cattle on their land, and tribal diplomatic overtures brought meager results. Minor altercation increasingly turned into a lot of fights - more and more people died. There was no love, not even respect....Since the beginning of the independent Sudan was ruled by mostly Arabs. Negro tribes started to experience a particularly painful period of time after 1989, when General Omar Al-Bashir gained power in Khartoum. Created by him regime combined the religious fanaticism with nationalism and racism. Blacks in Darfur (it is worth noting that many of the Sudanese Arabs also have very dark skin) soon began to complain about the blatant discrimination - the government let go of their grievances around the ears, and in resolving territorial disputes clearly favored the Arab nomads. In February 2003 - just when North and South meet and discuss peace agreement - the Darfur was set on fire.Within a few months in the west of Sudan quite big number of partisans have grown. By far the most important among them were Sudanese Liberation Front (SLM) and the Movement for Freedom and Equality (JEM). They first took up arms and attacked government offices.
The answer of Omar Al-Bashir was terrible....
After a year, when the international community finally became interested in Darfur, rebels and the Khartoum regime began to talk about the truce. Not much came out of it. As soon as the ceasefire agreement was signed, one of the parties used to sweep it away.
Years passed with pompously announced next round negotiations and the Darfur gradually turned into the kingdom of lawlessness. Even in the quietest times civilians were threatened by various thugs, who used the chaos to loot and rape. Although soldiers Joint Mission and the United Nations African Union (UNAMID) did not avoid the fight (to this day they killed about 80), they were not able to secure the entire region. Darfur people suffered very long after the last TV cameras had disappeared.
The final goal
The conflict does not expire, inter alia, because none of the opponents was not able to ask for decisive blow. Government forces and Janjawid were masters of criminal expedition against women and the elderly, but no longer cope so well with experienced and mobile guerrillas. This, in turn, lacks the firepower to really shake the regime.Conditions have changed noticeably after the division of the state in 2011. Khartoum has lost a large portion of the profits from the sale of crude oil (75 per cent. Sudanese deposits located in the South), which deepened painful economic crisis. Meanwhile, in South Kordophan and Blue Nile - two large frontier states - clashes erupted between Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) troops and Al-Bashir. Knowing that there is nothing so tiring as the fight against multiple opponents at the same time, the insurgents of the SLM, JEM, and the SPLM-N decided to join forces and formed the Sudanese Revolutionary Front. Goal very clearly identified. They wanted to overthrow the government. Nothing else would satisfy them.Did they succeed? Certainly the government of Al-Bashir is at weakest point. Financial problems, political disputes and the decline of social support are factors that can undermine any regime.
Residents of Darfur villages complain in recent weeks that more often they see armed men in strange uniforms, speaking foreign languages. They fear that they could be outsiders from Mali Islamists that Khartoum would have to hire to conduct the subsequent carnage. Although it lacks the hard evidence, it seems understandable fear. An old proverb in Swahili says, "where elephants are fighting, the grass suffers most." Sudanese understand this like no one else....[...]"
translation of article
In this light we have now Syrian and many other conflicts media and leaders seem to ignore in many ways, unless conflict itself becomes problematic in terms of economics or political power roller coster. World is looking only at these conflicts which can give clear benefit in long run...Never mind that children and women are always victims in unimaginable numbers and men who fight in name of God or name of profit seem to be suicidal themselves. Blood river runs down in wide stream and the world watches....