Survivors of the Holocaust along with survivors of genocide in Rwanda, Cambodia and Bosnia are calling upon the European Union to help end the violence in Darfur. The call for help is backed by six aid agencies but the EU’s response was that they can only send peacekeeping forces and the Sudanese government refuses to allow such a group into Darfur. Thus far, African military has been unable to end the violence which has caused around 2 million people to flee their homes since 2003. According to a BBC report, ‘Studies estimate at least 200,000 people have died during the conflict, in which pro-government Arab militias are accused of committing a genocide against Darfur’s black African population.’
Darfur is suffering death at the hands of pro-government Arab militias who are killing the black Africans. Sudan claims that reports are exaggerated, much in the way that Germany and Hitler denied the Holocaust. Mean while, it seems the world is standing by allowing yet another mass genocide unfold in Africa. Additionally, news reports leave many wondering what exactly is the genocide in Darfur?
With most of Darfur’s population being Muslim, strong opposition has arisen in the area between the Muslim and African populations. The Sudanese government has stated that it will view European Union or United Nations peace-keeping intervention as, ‘foreign invaders’ even in the midst of death toll predictions that range anywhere from 50,000 to 400,000, with the later being the number most human rights and humanitarian groups believe to be true. Critics (including the Coalition for International Justice) blame a lack of world response in the form of insufficient funds and insufficient equipment. After all, since when has a rogue government’s decree that no help be allowed in, stopped nations such has the U.S. from intervening?
There undoubtedly exists an alarming crisis in Darfur which cannot stand to be ignored any longer. UNICEF calls the on-going deaths there, ‘senseless’ and calls for a stop of fighting from both sides. It seems there is little hope of either side giving up, while innocent families and more so, children, are lost in a war without an end.
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