A dry season
By Global Journalist Staff Posted May 5 2007
While the media's coverage of Darfur has sometimes led to misunderstandings about the conflict-over-simplifying the issue as one that is based in ethnicity-many journalists are now seeking to look at the root causes of the current explosion of violence in western Sudan. The New York Times and The Economist have both looked at the land- and resource-based struggle between the nomadic and agriculturalist communities, the investment angle and the role of Chinese oil and gas companies.
As journalists delve deeper into this story they are investigating who is benefiting from investment in Darfur, who is backing the government of Sudan, and how such powerful economic incentives block political action on Darfur. By doing so, the press plays a critical role in explaining the global implications of this conflict.
At the same time, the humanitarian relief effort in Darfur continues despite widespread insecurity and consistent obstructionism from the government of Sudan.
This video slide show is a combination of music and photography collected by The Temoignage Project, created by three humanitarian relief workers, who spent the past 18 months in West Darfur. They wish to remain anonymous in order to continue their work in the region and use The Temoignage Project to share other collections of photos, music or writing from areas affected by conflict.
During the past four years, the government's systematic targeting of civilians through the use of informal militia known as the janjaweed, as well as through direct attacks by government armed forces, has been characterized by widespread killing, looting, rape and destruction of entire villages.
Today it is estimated that more than 200,000 people (possibly as many as 400,000) have died in Darfur. An additional 2.5 million men, women and children have been forcibly displaced from their homes and are now living in sprawling camps in Darfur or in neighboring Chad.