Sudan

We face neither East nor West.

We face forward.

-Kwame Nkrumah

www.africapeacetour.com

Did you know?

Common Religions

Sunni Muslim (North) 70%

Indigenous beleifs 25%

Christian (South) 5%

Population

39 million (July 2004)

Languages

Arabic, Nubian,

Ta Bedawie, English,

Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic

Government

Islamic Republic regime

took power in 1989,

rules along with National

Congress Party (NCP).

HIV/AIDS

2.6% prevalence rate,

450,000 people living

with HIV/AIDS

cnnnews.com

Literacy Rate

Total population: 61%

Male: 72%

Female: 50%

Conflict in Darfur

Long term Sudan observers report that

more than 70,000 civilians have been

killed, and another 2 million are homeless

as a result of the conflict in the Darfur

region. Darfur rebels accuse the

government of economically neglecting

the region and of attempting to Arabize

the indigeneous African societies. The

Arab supported militia or Janjaweed,

was then ordered to suppress the

rebellion through a campaign of rape

and village burning.

cnnnews.com

In this day and age of progressive human rights,

there is no excuse to stand idly by. It is no longer

acceptable for blame to be passed from group to

group without any real prosecutions being made.

Musa Hilal, an Arab tribal chief who tops the US

State Department's list of human rights abuse

suspects told the Seattle Times that, "The war in

Darfur was not in our hands. The decision to make

war was taken by higher powers in the state. We,

the leaders of the tribes, Arabs and others, were

charged by the government to take part in the

[enlistment] effort and we only obeyed."

Conversation must be generated about the method

of prosecution to hold someone accountable for the

death of 2 million Sudanese citizens. Regardless of

who spoke the original command, it is imperative

that justice be found. It is questionable if

impartiality in any final decisions will occur if the

case is left to be decided by Sudanese officials.

On January 9, 2005, Sudanese rebels and the

Khartoum government signed a peace deal

ending a 30 year struggle, one of Africa's longest

wars. In years since 1983, over 2 million have died

and another 4 million have had to find refuge in

surrounding countries.

Although a peace agreement was decided upon

regarding the civil war, conflict still ensues in

Sudan's Darfur region where it is estimated that

70,000 people have been murdered. Countless

families have been forced to flee their homes since

the conflict erupted in February 2003. The

Janjaweed, Arab militias controlled by the

government have been found to be responsible for

destruction and burning of many villages in Darfur.

Loosely translated to mean "man on horseback

with guns," the Janjaweed have carried out

systematic ethnic cleansing of Afican Muslims, and

are accountable for the rape of scores of Sudanese

women.

US Secretary of State Colin Powell announced in

September that the State Deparment had decided

that genocide was indeed committed in Darfur

and that the government and Janjaweed militias

bear responsibility. Still, the label genocide has not

yet triggered an international movement to

improve the situation and end all violence.

The UN labels the situation as one of world's worst

humanitarian crisises, yet Sudan has not gained

the attention of US media until recently when a

peace agreement was signed ending the civil war.

greatmirror.com

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