Deepest, darkest fears in Darfur

For the Sunday Scribblings prompt, "deepest, darkest," drawings by two young victims of the Darfur tragedy and news of a resolution adopted Friday by the UN Human Rights Council. Photos of children's drawings courtesy of Human Rights Watch. Click photos to enlarge.

Thirteen-year-old Mahmoud describes his drawing: "These men in green are taking the women and the girls. They are forcing them to be wife. The houses are on fire. This is an Antonov. This is a helicopter. These here, at the bottom of the page, these are dead people."

A description of his drawing by Mostafa, age eight: “We were running. From soldiers. Janjaweed. Planes. They were chasing us. These are men. These are women. We ran to the wadi [riverbed, or oasis]. Then we ran to Chad.”

According to Human Rights Watch, the government of Sudan is responsible for “ethnic cleansing” and crimes against humanity in the context of conflict in Darfur, on Sudan’s western border with Chad. Since 2003, the Sudanese government and ethnic “Janjaweed” militias it arms and supports have committed numerous attacks on civilian populations of the Fur, Masalit, Zaghawa and other ethnic groups perceived to support the rebel insurgency. Government forces have participated in massacres, executed civilians—including women and children—burned towns and villages and depopulated land long inhabited by the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa. The Janjaweed militias - Muslim like the groups they attack - have destroyed mosques, killed religious leaders and desecrated Qurans belonging to their enemies.

Countless women and girls have been raped. Hundreds of villages have been bombed and burned; water sources and food stocks have been destroyed; property and livestock looted. Mosques, schools and hospitals have been burnt to the ground.

The United Nations estimates that more than two million people have been left homeless in the fighting. Almost a quarter of a million refugees are now in neighboring Chad, one of the poorest countries in Africa. Abandoned villages have been destroyed. Even when villages are left intact, many refugees are unwilling to return to Darfur unless their security is protected. “If we return,” one refugee told Human Rights Watch, “we will be killed.”

The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) ended its fourth regular session Friday in Geneva, adopting a compromise text regarding the crisis in Darfur. While this was welcomed as "a small step forward," Human Rights Watch said UNHRC failed to address many of the world's most urgent human rights situations.

"The council again chose talk over action on worsening human rights situations in countries such as Burma, Iran, Sri Lanka and Uzbekistan," said Peggy Hicks, global advocacy director at Human Rights Watch. "The council's resolution on Darfur is a relatively bright light in an otherwise disappointing session."

The council adopted an amended Darfur text put forward by Germany, after extended negotiations involving a competing Algerian draft. The resolution establishes a group composed of six currently-serving independent experts on a range of abuses - including violence against women, extrajudicial executions and torture - and led by the council-appointed expert on Sudan. The group is charged with working to ensure follow-up and implementation of existing recommendations by the council and its experts, by the council's predecessor, the UN Commission on Human Rights, and by other UN human rights institutions. The group must report to the council in June. The text does not criticize the Sudanese government directly for its role in orchestrating and perpetrating violations of human rights and humanitarian law in Darfur.

African states played a key role in breaking the council's silence on Darfur. Cameroon, Ghana, Mauritius, Nigeria, Senegal and Zambia all called for action in response to a report on Darfur from a mission established in December by the council. These and other states, including Uganda and Mauritania, engaged in discussions over the German text. A key test for the council will be whether these and swing states such as India, Indonesia, the Philippines and South Africa will address abuses in other locations.

The UNHRC heard detailed reporting from independent experts on human rights violations focusing on issues such as torture or violence against women and on particular country situations. This segment of the council's agenda highlights violations in many countries, an act which could itself help to protect human rights. However, the council again failed to take specific action to follow up on experts' recommendations, often made in the face of massive violations, or to address the failure of many states to cooperate fully with the experts.

The UNHRC decided to end scrutiny of Iran and Uzbekistan. Both countries had been subject to council monitoring under a confidential procedure known as 1503 (after the resolution that created it). The human rights situations in both countries have significantly deteriorated in the past year, Human Rights Watch said.

"The council's decision actually rewarded Iran and Uzbekistan for their crackdowns on human rights and risks fueling further abuses in both countries," Hicks said. "Rather than worrying how repressive governments will respond to scrutiny, council members should think of the thousands of victims in Uzbekistan and Iran who are hoping the UNHRC will make a difference."

The council also adopted a resolution on defamation of religions, Human Rights Watch said. The resolution, put forward by Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), focuses on protection of religions themselves, particularly Islam, rather than the rights of individuals, including members of religious minorities. This approach, along with a provision which notes that free expression can be limited based on "respect for religions and beliefs," could be used to justify encroachments upon freedom of thought, conscience and religion, Human Rights Watch said. The council adopted an European Union resolution which addresses elimination of all forms of intolerance and discrimination based on religion or belief. This issue is scheduled to be addressed at the Sixth UNHRC Session in June.

Led by Argentina, 57 states joined together to urge the council to address violations of the human rights of women and girls in a more effective and integrated manner than its predecessor, the UN Commission on Human Rights. More than 30 states also supported the new "Yogyakarta Principles" on sexual orientation, gender identity and human rights and urged the council to take action on these issues.

The common refrain of this session was the need to complete "institution-building" and the concern that excessive activity on pressing human rights issues would undermine that focus. A review of the council's system of experts and of the Resolution 1503 procedure is scheduled to be completed by June 18. In addition, the council was given a year to establish a "universal periodic review" under which the human rights situation in all states will be examined.

"A substantial backlog of work has piled up as the council focused on building the new institution this year," Hicks said. "Let's hope the council has the energy and political will to get down to business once the institution-building phase ends in June."

Comments

[Colorful Prose]

Tara,
I'm re-tagging you with a "Thinking Blogger Award" for this post. I know you've already received one, but perhaps you'd like to nominate more people. It is just an expression of my appreciation for your thought-provoking posts.

[Di Overton]

I really appreciate these posts you do. It makes me stop and think about what's going on in the world. Our news in the UK now is full of what ifs instead of real reporting. We rarely hear about these things, well maybe at the end of a news bulletin if we're lucky. Unfortunately these terrible things, even if they are shown, never seem to grab most people's attention. Little children should never have to experience these sorts of things.

[Kristen R]

I really have no words or maybe to many for the sadness I feel. I am so grateful to you Tara for speaking about the things in our world that so many wish to keep hidden.

XO
Kristen

[nutster]

Tara,

Yours continue to be the eyes for the rest of us....don't they ever tire? It must be exhausting to feel so much for so many things. You have very strong "feeling" muscles...perhaps due to the amount of "working out" you have done. If you were a body builder, you would be Ms Universe (and probably give Mr Universe a run too).

This one was a good read....but a very hard one.

[KG]

Thank you for writing about this, Tara.

One theme runs through this for me: over and over again, nations turn a blind eye to things like this, and they happen. When nations around them FINALLY speak up about it, the perpetrators sometimes stop their crimes.

Shouldn't it be a part of foreign policies to speak out against human rights abuses? The world would be a much more just and peaceful place if governments (comprised of people, yes?) just spoke up!

[Deb Lewis]

Difficult to read and even more impossible to imagine that these acts of terror and torture can be committed by a fellow human being. It lessens all of us. Thank you for your words and further light on this tragedy. My heart aches for all, most especially the children. Deb

[tinker]

How poignant those drawings are, when you read the young boy's description, and how tragic a dark tale this is, for all of them. Thank you for helping keep these people and their plight in the limelight. xo

[meredith]

Last week on maybe Envoye Speciale, there was a report on the french miltary observing what was happening in Chad just across the border from Darfur. The same Janjaweed violence is spreading there, but the french military was not allowed to do anything but observe and report back. It was sickening. This week on Envoyé Speciale, there will be a special report on Darfur, with George Clooney for what it's worth, that I plan on watching. I hope more people can raise awareness of these atrocious situations.

[Crafty Green Poet]

No child should have to grow up with these types of scenes around them. Thaks for sharing these drawings, they're heartbreaking.

[paul]

oh dear god how low can we sink?

i have travelled to africa numerous times - was supposed to go to Darfur 2 years ago, ended up in Tanzania - it was deemed too dangerous

sat here weeping, weeping for a justice i may never see, but by god i will keep kicking the darkness til it bleeds daylight!

so glad i came across your work

[Mardougrrl]

This is a dark blot upon humanity right now, indeed. It's impossible to believe that it's happening...and yet, it is. Thank you for an (always) enlightening and painfully educational post.

[[a}]

THIS BLOG IS SO EDUCATIONAL!
............
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Stuff like this makes me agree with that book LORD OF THE FLIES more and more, on its theories on human nature. It really saddens me about the Muslim against Muslim thing. And burning the schools, hospitals, mosques and the Holy Quran. Basically anything that could bring hope and light to the people of Sudan.

.......

And such widespread rapes--how can anyone in today's world allow them to get away with it??? How can they just say it never happened, never existed?! How can whoever interviews their leaders not get up and smach Al-Bashir on the side of his head?

[bohemian mom]

I am reeling from these drawings.
Too many people think children aren't affected. Bullshit!
Excellent post!!
Thank you for sharing this raw, poignant information.

[JanePoe (aka Deborah)]

As the world's "superpower," it saddens me to think we aren't part of the solution, but part of the problem in a global community.

[Tammy]

This breaks my heart to see this artwork. Chad needs help fast! XXOO

[Regina Clare Jane]

Times are very dark and deep indeed when women and children have to suffer so much...

[Kimberley McGill]

Thank you for posting this. It's hard to look at the deep and dark of the real world, but necessary. Those in Dafur and other countries continue to suffer and die and so many seem oblivious to the fact. I also just recently heard about the complicity of the Chinese - it does not surprise me. They have a track record for slaughter when it suits their purpose - the thousands of slaughtered Tibetans are a testimony to that.

[Irene]

thank you for this post. my heart aches, my head shakes in disbelief everytime I read or watch something about the situation in Darfur (and now in Chad).

[Jone]

The art work makes me cry. Children should not have to be a witness to such violence. I am reading Left to Tell and am sure that the same story could be told from someone in Dafur.

[Colorful Prose]

This subject also preoccupies me very much, especially in view of the little being done to change the situation. I've written a fictional account based on what I had heard about ethnic cleansing in Rwanda here (http://colorful-prose.com/animal-carnage/), but it could just as well have been in Darfur.
PS Tara, I know you've already read it.

[Bug]

Thanks for sharing such important--and sad--information.

[AnnieElf]

Dark secrets that need to be exposed. Instant communication makes it possible now. Exposing the secrets leads to outrage and action. This can lead to safety as long as we don't ignore the secrets.

[my backyard]

This is so sad....

[colleen]

My sons used to draw made-up war photos between teddy bears and ninjas. I can barely bear to think of any kid seeing real war scenes like these!

[Marilyn, la californienne]

What a clear and thought-provoking presentation, Tara. Thank you very much -- every person that comes to truly understand the reality of the situation brings the world a step closer to improvement.

[Amber]

"Rather than worrying how repressive governments will respond to scrutiny, council members should think of the thousands of victims in Uzbekistan and Iran who are hoping the UNHRC will make a difference." --

This seems to be the hope all too often.

*sigh* But WHAT should be done? I would say (if we were not already at war), that I wish "someone" would just go in there and end it, period. But then people would say how we can't solve violence with violence, and how the west should not think it can just take over and solve the worlds problems. Blah blah blah.

And maybe they are right, but then WHAT? because these things just don't end. And as we try to figure it out and set embargos and have "treaties", women continue to be raped, and children continue to be murdered.

I wish I knew. I know we all wish we knew.

:(

[Marilyn]

Thank you for sharing these, Tara. I was so infuriated when I saw Ann Curry interview Al-Bashir recently and he basically said that rape doesn't exist in Sudanese culture...and that therefore it doesn't happen in Darfur. (I thought of that looking at the first drawing.) It's going to be very interesting to see how much press the Chinese complicity in Sudan is going to get as we get closer to the Beijing Olympics.

[bella]

Ugh. It is a tragedy that in today's world these disgusting, unhumane things are going on. I hope that something can be done, soon.
As always, thank you Tara for bringing to light these unjust issues to the masses to read and to be educated on.