Four years and countless failed measures later there is still no resolution to the ongoing crisis in Darfur. An estimated 400,000 deaths have occurred, and over 2.5 million people have been displaced from their homes and are now refugees due to the genocide that exists in the western region of Sudan, Darfur.
As the leader of this nation, President Bush has done a superb job up to this point. Among the world leaders today President Bush leads all in assistance and awareness of the ongoing crisis in Darfur. But, as the leader of the most powerful country in the world and strongest influence to the United Nations, the job of ending the crisis weighs heaviest on Bush and us as Americans.
As an American I am embarrassed that we have allowed this atrocity of humanity to happen and to continue. Over the past four years nothing but hot air has reached the region of Darfur and the country of Sudan. We have allowed the political intricacies to slow our path to a resolution. Our diplomacy has successfully paralyzed us to the point that four years later, the Janjaweed a Sudanese government supplied guerilla group still strike fear in the hearts of every soul left in Darfur.
It was over 70 years ago that Hitler predicted the West's lack of resolve and it is four years later that his foresight remains the evident truth. In 1933 while persuading his associates that a Jewish holocaust would be tolerated by the west stated... "Who, after all, speaks today of the annihilation of the Armenians?"
The subject of genocide is one that reveals scars on the human race. Just in the last century there has been 7 different examples of genocide. In 1915, 1.5 million Armenians were killed wiping out approximately 4/5 of the Armenian population. In 1932 7 million Ukrainians were starved to death. In 1937 300,000 Chinese were killed at the hands of the Japanese. In 1938, 6 millions Jews were obliterated at the hands of the Nazi's. In 1975, 2 million Cambodians. In 1992, 200,000 Bosnians. In 1994, 400,000 Tutsis in Rwanda. And now as of 2003 400,000 Darfurians are dead and the count continues to grow.
History shows that genocide is an act that the international community has grown to accept. Yet, it considered one of humanities biggest downfalls and has never been morally acceptable. 7 examples in the last 100 years, four of which have occurred during our lifetimes. Where is our resolve? Where is our dignity? We have allowed Hitler like ideologies to trample our dignity and resolve for hundreds of years. And the reason for this is because they know they can do it. Barack Obama was recently asked about Darfur, he said, "We have a moral obligation as the most powerful nation on earth. When you see genocide whether it is in Rwanda, Bosnia or in Darfur it is a stain on all of us it is a stain on our souls."
We as American's should not pile the responsibility of ending the genocide solely on the U.N. The U.N. has specific problems with ending the genocide in Darfur. The biggest problem is that of the five permanent members to the U.N. Security Council, two of them are China and Russia. China and Russia have stalled measures in the past and their commitment to ending this crisis is questionable. Their motives in helping Sudan is that they depend on Sudan for a bulk of their oil. This is a two way sword, not only is China and Russia stalling the movement to end the genocide, but over 70% of Sudan's revenue produced from exporting oil is used on military spending, military spending that in all likelihood is going toward those committing the very atrocities that I speak of.
By now you might be saying to yourself. What have we done? What are we doing to help? Like I said, the U.S. and President Bush have gone to great lengths to see to it that the 2.5 million refugees are taken care of. The problem with this though is that humanitarian aid does not get to the root of the problem. I just recently read an account of a Darfuri refugee. She said, "I've been raped by members of the Janjaweed five times." She also said that members of the Janjaweed are split into three groups, each with a specific mission. There's a group whose sole mission is to rape. One whose mission is to murder. And the other's mission is arson.
Another example, Daoud Hari a 33 year old woman from a Darfurian village called Musbat has "Two daughters, one was nine years old. The daughters were captured by the government to be raped. They were returned to their family who were happy and crying at the same time because their daughters were alive, but they were bleeding and couldn't walk because they had been raped," she said. "The women said 20 men would come to rape them every day."
As the leaders of this great country, we can all give ourselves a pat on the back for aiding those in need. But it is not acceptable to me that Ms. Hari can do nothing but cry as day in and day out she had to give up her nine year old daughter for the sexual indecencies that I cannot even imagine. The light in this woman's day is when her nine year old comes back to her, because that is all she can ask for. We know this has happened (pause) we know this is still going on.
It is all going to be ok though, on June 30, 2005 The Darfur Peace and Accountability Act was introduced to Congress. This bill was too strict for us so first it was reformed and then passed after 15 plus months on October 13, 2006. This bill imposes sanctions against the officials the president identifies as responsible for the genocide and urges the president to deny entry to US ports from any ships engaged in business in Sudan's oil sector.
Over the last two years 17 pieces of legislation have been proposed to congress, some of them have passed others were too harsh. The most recent one is The Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act. If passed individual states and U.S. companies will be able to divest from foreign companies and countries that deal directly with Sudan. An example would be if Matel decided that it did not want China to make its Barbie dolls anymore until China breaks its ties with Sudan.
So again, let us give ourselves a round of applause for passing the necessary legislation that will eventually lead to the end of this crisis. To me this is embarrassing, first off it takes over one year to pass a proposal that has led to no change. Secondly, who in their right minds thinks China is going to sacrifice its booming economy for the lives of Darfurians. I agree that this will help America feel like we have done something. Now individuals can picket companies like Matel. Lets let American's feel like they have made a difference. How superficial, of us to think that who makes our Barbie dolls is going to have any impact on what is actually happening in Darfur.
Is this what we are all about, are we going to look back in ten years and say. We did all we could, 1 million Darfurians died, but at least China is no longer making our Barbie Dolls. It is time to wake up, it is time that American complacency and lack of resolve to come to an end. What is happening in Darfur is a betrayal of our common values, it threatens our moral leadership and it paves the way for future genocides to go on unattested.
As American's we should be embarrassed that we have allowed this to not only happen, but continue. I am not satisfied, nothing short of stopping the bloodshed and allowing the 2.5 million refugees to safely return to their homes should be the only resolution. It is with a heavy heart that I believe we will allow this to continue, when it is all over we will say "Never Again." But "Never Again" has been used before, "Never Again" is becoming again, again and again. In the day that we live in today if you do not know anything about Darfur then it is because chose not too. We live in a day where there is no excuse for this kind of ignorance, no excuse for this choice. It is our responsibility as a government, it is our responsibility as a free citizens, and our responsibility as human beings. As the strongest and most capable country in the world we have the ability to end this genocide all we lack is the resolve. Let us for once prove Hitler wrong and strike down those who seek the injustices that are occurring daily in Darfur. Let us not allow the political intricacies to slow the wave of change to ending one of our modern eras worst atrocities. Let us as Americans work for a quick and absolute resolution to a cause worth saving.