From the "Darfur Genocide" site...
(Only the introduction and the conclusion are posted here; go to the source page for the full travelogue--including many pictures.)
The Res Publica Team that runs Darfurgenocide.org recently returned from a six-week trip to Darfur and the surrounding areas. The trip was funded in part from money raised over this website.
We went to Darfur to learn what Darfurians think is needed to bring lasting peace to their land and how the international community can support that goal. We found strong, popular, legitimate local groups, particularly the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army, who have fought to protect their people and now need the international community’s support to help win a meaningful settlement from the Government of Sudan at this summer’s peace talks. We have written a report summarizing our findings and advocating for greater engagement with Darfurian groups. We are currently lobbying both Governments and activists with our conclusions. Download the report here. [35-page PDF] Donate to our Advocacy Fund and help us secure justice for the people of Darfur.
We hope the travelogue on these pages helps you to experience some of the people, places and issues we encountered in Darfur. Please use the menu below [on the source page] to navigate through the different sections, which include lots of photographs and personal stories as well as analysis and advocacy points.
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Key Conclusions – Lessons for Activists and the International Community
The people of Darfur are no longer fighting to stop the immediate violence. Their goal now is to ensure that the Government can never again oppress them or attack them. A “New Sudan” - one which is secular, democratic and gives all its people, including the Darfurians, a fair share of power and resources - is the only thing they believe can bring them this kind of justice and long-term peace. And they will fight for it at the negotiating table this summer.
Darfurians clearly blame the Government of Sudan and not the Janjaweed for the war and the atrocities. They see a conscious, strategic, region-wide assault by the Government with the Janjaweed as mere pawns – even victims in the words of some.
Darfurians deeply distrust regional and international actors, including the African Union and the UNHCR, as too easily manipulated by Khartoum or simply ineffective. Most of all, they have no faith in the Government of Sudan to negotiate in good faith or maintain any promises not to repeat its abuses.
The Sudan Liberation Army is clearly seen by the people as “their” movement, and we did not hear of a single instance of civilian abuse. The SLA is a multi-tribal force dedicated to a democratic, secular Sudan that provides representation and equal citizenship to all regions of the country.
While the SLA has a stronger military presence and better civilian relations than we expected, their political leadership is weak and fractured.
The prosecutions by the International Criminal Court are seen as one of the most hopeful and definitive steps against those most responsible for the suffering in Darfur. But people in Darfur have dangerously unrealistic expectations of how quickly this can proceed. The international community, including the ICC and activist groups, must do everything in their power to accelerate this process or risk a backlash of disappointment and loss of credibility.
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