The conflict of Sudan: Uprooting the black Africans
 

In the Sudan human slavery is still alive and well. Villages are still being destroyed and wiped out in what can only be called ethnic cleansing.

The North is Arab and Muslim and the South is black and Christian or Animist. They say a peace settlement is near but the daily village raids are still happening.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/04/in...04DARF.html?hp

-Rudey

On a happy note, I did just read that about 600 child slaves were freed recently.

Re: The conflict of Sudan: Uprooting the black Africans
 

And then there is the reported "genocide" by the Arabs in the West in Dafur. BTW, both side in the west are also Muslims. It has more to do with Arabs vs. African then Muslims vs. the rest. One of my co-workers is being sent to Dafur to investigate for the UNHCR.

Re: Re: The conflict of Sudan: Uprooting the black Africans
 

I agree...never said it was Muslims vs. the rest I just gave a quick basic demographic.

You're probably a member of alertnet. I'm not so I can't read all the member writeups, but here's an article that anyone can read without being a member.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/from...8367651739.htm

-Rudey

Re: Re: The conflict of Sudan: Uprooting the black Africans
 

Africans can be Arab....

Re: Re: Re: The conflict of Sudan: Uprooting the black Africans
 

Nah, it wasn't on you. It was more for the general info for the rest.

Here are pretty good background reads about Sudan:

United Nations Integrated Regional Information Network
Academic Work on Sudan by the ISS

Re: Re: Re: The conflict of Sudan: Uprooting the black Africans
 

Very true, I should say the blacks vs. the Arabs.

Re: Re: Re: The conflict of Sudan: Uprooting the black Africans
 

Africans can be white too...no?

-Rudey

Africans can be of a variety of ethnic backgrounds.

Arabs can be of a variety of ethnic and racial backgrounds. I've always thought that Arab refers to the language Arabic.

In the case of what is going on in Sudan it appears to be Muslims versus non-Muslims. The country is predominately Arabic speaking and Muslim. And the majority of the Sudanese people I've met are brown skin.

In some cases it is, but then you have Western Sudan. The conflict in Dafur is Arabs vs. the blacks because both groups are Muslims.

I'm confused. Why do you say Arab vs. Black? Sudan is an Arab country. Could be a internal conflict. I'm not really sure so I need to do some more research before I comment further.

Technically Arabs are "white".

-Rudey

The demographics break down like this: 70% muslims, 25% animist and 5% christian

Since "Sudan" in Arabic literally means "the black ones" everyone in Sudan (natives at least) is dark skinned. Many people in southern Egypt are from Sudan, which is why southern Egyptians tend to be darker than their northern counterparts.

Another reason why social constructions of race/ethnicity are ridiculous. I've also heard that but I know a LOT of Arabs who would not fit into our understanding of "white". And I don't consider Arab a "racial/ethnic" catergory. I use it to refer to people who are from countries where that is the dominate language/culture.

It's sad though that several thousand will die because Arabs rode into black villages and dumped dead animals into the wells.

Between that and human slavery, the future doesn't look too pretty right now.

-Rudey

ITs funny that we are so focused on Race and the semantics of it that we digress from a truly tragic situation.

Kinda true but I think race is a part of the problem here. Why hasn't more attention (and assistance) been drawn to what is happening in African countries?? Primarily because of race.

It's because it doesn't matter to most people. Even in the US, really how many African American people are out there protesting genocide and asking the government to move on it? Is that because of race?

Why doesn't the area "matter"? Because it is a no man's land with little money or distinct output (educational, cultural, natural, economic, whatever).

And then matter in relation to where? Very few places "matter". It's all relative...that famous quote.

-Rudey

[hijack]Speaking of Sudan and their problems, did anyone see 7th Heaven last night where Sudanese refugees, known as the "Lost Boys" helped Ruthie and Peter? [/hijack]

Actually plenty of African Americans are protesting genocide and asking people to move on it. Slavery in the Sudan has been a topic of discussion for years.

Yeah, I was just about to say that enlight. Just because you don't hear about it via our wonderful, non-bias, honest, ojbective media, doesn't mean it isn't happening.

Yes some people might discuss it and some may be against it, but it's not widespread. It's not just about media. In fact it's through the news and media that I read about the Sudan and the region.

When I walk past the Federal building in Chicago I see protests against just about everything including the right to legalize marijuana, but I don't see the same for Africa. It isn't the same and the effect is minimal if any.

-Rudey

You gotta be kidding me.

Sudan just won an uncontested seat on the UN's human rights body.

Such a shameful stupid day for the world.

-Rudey

I saw it and immediately thought of it when I saw this thread.

Why did Tanzania not vote against Sudan joining??

-Rudey

Yeah but consider the other member countries. What else would you expect? (Do I hear Libya? Human rights my ass.) Not only that but the US does not have a seat on the council.

I totally agree. Shamefully stupid.

Here's a link from Amnesty International detailing some of the tragedies in Sudan.
http://web.amnesty.org/library/eng-sdn/index

From my understanding the council is broken up into w europe, e europe, latin america, n america, asia, and africa. There were several members on the council who sat there and did not vote against it.

The US walked out. I wish the UN would dissolve already. This is the most ridiculous agency out there and should not exist.

-Rudey

Maybe the US will get smart and realize that our dollars can do a lot more for other countries if spent outside the corrupt influences of the UN?

Doubt it though. Too many around the world think the UN is a necessary body for the promotion of world peace. They will most likely continue to think that way even after the outbreak of WWIII.

This is what the African Union was designed to handle. AFter all, one of their objectives is to "promote peace, security, and stability on the continent." However, the African Union is proving to be like its predecesor, the OAU. They need to give the AU more teeth to handle this problem. The AU is also silent about the Zimbabwean problem, eventhough one of its objective is to "promote and protect human and peoples' rights in accordance with the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and other relevant human rights instruments." Then again, SADC has also been quite on Zimbabwe, only Botswana has been talking loudly about the problem there.

The African group was the one to nominate Sudan. It is the African group that I find to be the biggest idiots of all. They nominated Sudan, Kenya, Togo, and Guinea. Aside from Kenya, the other 3 massacre their own citizens.

The appointment of Sudan is the biggest outrage. The whole council is a sham from the appointment of Libya to the appointment of Cuba.

http://www.economist.com/agenda/disp...ory_id=2646661

-Rudey

[hijack]
For being the smallest continent, I think it's interesting that Europe is split into east and west, effectively giving Europe two seats.

It also shows, in my opinion, the supremacist thinking of western Europe.
[/hijack]

How come African-Americans are not as informed or active in regards to the Sudanese ethnic cleansing?

I don't understand this.

-Rudey

It has to do with post-WWII Soviet occupation. 50 years of Communist imperial rule will have an effect on your culture.

African countries where federalism has worked to drastically reduce tribal/ethnic conflict:
Nigeria
South Africa
Ethiopia

I think that a similar structure would end hostilites in the Sudan, as well as Israel.

South Africa has a republican form of government.

*psssst* He's not being serious.

-Rudey

They're a Federal Republic.

Republican doesn't mean Pat Robertson/big business alliance.

They were on a list of Federalist nations. Federalism can exist in many forms. As a seperatist Republic (i.e. the US) as a monarchy (i.e. Spain) as a parlimentarian Republic (i.e. Cananda) as a Republic of Republics (i.e Russia), as a group of allied principalities (i.e. United Arab Emirates), etc. See in Swizzerland at the International Conference.

Africa is worth 3 armies on the Risk board if you own the whole continent.