Darfur War is “Over”?

According to a United Nations military commander, the war between Darfur and the Sudanese government has ended -
Banditry, localized issues, people trying to resolve issues over water and land at a local level. But real war as such, I think we are over that.
Great news right? Not so fast.
I agree with Sudan analyst Gill Lusk [...]

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The R2P Debate

The United Nations General Assembly recently debated the concept of “R2P” or the “responsibility to protect” – which describes “a nation-state’s duty to support and defend its population” to prevent atrocities such as genocide and ethnic cleansing from occurring.
The consensus is that there are three pillars supporting the idea of R2P -

Responsibility of nation-states to protect [...]

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Darfur – Only “Remnants of Genocide”

What we see is the remnants of genocide.
Those words were spoken today by US Special Envoy to Sudan Scott Gration whose recent trip to Darfur did not convince him that a genocide is TAKING place – only that a genocide TOOK place.
Gration also remarked that the humanitarian gap caused by Sudan’s expulsion of major aid groups [...]

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Rape – A Weapon of War

Today, an expert spoke with several US senators about a common weapon of war.
No, that weapon was not guns nor was it bombs. It was rape.
Rape is far too often used as a means of bringing down the enemy during a war – as is the case currently in Darfur and the Congo (DRC).
1100 rapes [...]

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Is Darfur A Genocide?

An article in today’s LA Times written by Edmund Sanders questions whether or not the situation in Darfur is a “genocide” – by the term’s legal definition.
Sanders’ piece is controversial and provocative – showing us just how powerful the “G-word” can be.
I firmly believe that the Darfur crisis is a genocide – without question. However, I also [...]

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26 Million Strangers in Their Own Homes

According to a European aid organization, there were 26 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) in 2008.
IDPs differ from refugees because, although they flee their homes, they do not cross any borders. Sadly, they are homeless in their homeland.
Three countries account for approximately 45% of the IDPs – Sudan (4.9 million displaced), Colombia (2.7 – 4.4 [...]

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Protecting Darfur’s Women

African Union – UN hybrid peacekeeping mission UNAMID has teamed up with the UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) to push a new initiative aimed at empowering the women of Darfur.
Efforts will go towards achieving gender equality – both politically and economically – and putting an end to sexual and gender-based violence.
It is important for us [...]

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