Below are images of 8 of the 15 camps inside Chad.
Oure Cassoni: Est. Pop. (May 2006) 29,610
Kounoungo (I think): Est. Pop. (May 2006) 11,790 (Images on the ground 1, 2)
Mile: Est. Pop. (May 2006) 13,544
Am Nabak: Est. Pop. (May 2006) 16,546
Farchana: Est. Pop. (May 2006) 17,500 (Images on the ground: 1, 2)
Terguine or Breidjing: Est. Pop. (May 2006) 14,400 or 27,400
Djabal: Est. Pop. (May 2006) 14,533
Goz Amer: Est. Pop. (May 2006) 17,890
In the map of destroyed Sudanese villages, there is an inset photo of the village of Balla (628 of 720 structures destroyed). A clearer, zoomable map of the village can be found here.
The regional map of destroyed villages has a number of other villages (more than I can count), but here are a few representative examples. If you zoom around with Google, they're not hard to find once you get the hang of it. Look here, here or here (this one, I think, is one that had been attacked at some point in the past, and then more recently, but has not been completely razed) for a few examples.
This is what I think is the Zalingei camp inside Sudan. Here is what I think is the Abushouk camp (est. pop. 51,000).
1
The excerpt by Nicholas Kristoff was sensationalistic, but it did convey a measure of the horror that Black Sudanese suffer at the hands of the muslims.
I have to wonder why it was included in a story on this website though, because Kristoff is deeply dishonest about the basis of the genocide in Sudan.
That basis is islam, not tribalism. Kristoff wrote that "systematic rape, murder, and mutilation are taking place on a vast scale,
based simply on the tribe of the victim. (Italics mine.)
This is not simply an oversimplification, it is misleading bull-shit. The marauding Janjaweed "Arabs" are perfectly happy to exterminate, terrorize, and enslave any Black or "infidel," regardless of tribe. They cut a bloody swath through many tribes to reach the ones in Darfur.
Kristoff's deceptive claim comes as no surprise. This is the same journalist who has claimed that Indonesians committing murder and shouting "allahu akbar" were driven by the Asian Economic Crisis of the late 1990s, rather than by their religion.
I don't know if Bravo Romeo Delta and Kristoff are one and the same writer, but the islamic component of the genocide in Sudan cannot be ignored. It is far and away the primary component.
Posted by: Jeff Bargholz at December 05, 2006 10:59 PM (bLPT+)
2
Jeff,
I'm not Nick Kristoff (no sockpuppetry here), and I do agree there is more than a bit of sensationalism in his piece - the entire review is rather good, and rather balances out the tone of the excerpt I quoted.
In any case, there have been two campaigns with a markedly genocidal character in Sudan that have often been conflated. The first is the one you mention, which was the North-South war, in which the southern Sudanese were predominantly Christian and Animist. This particular conflict has, after quite some time, been, to some extent, settled, and an uneasy cease-fire is in place.
The second conflict, the one taking place in Darfur, involves Muslims on both sides. Here, the violence has strong overtones of Arab Muslim versus Black Muslim. But in this case, the racial and ethnic components are more of a means to an end, rather than a proximate cause. The basic nature of the campaign is an incredibly violent and brutal counter-insurgency campaign, except that the people of Darfur really haven't and can't put up much of an insurgency.
In other fora, people have remarked about the futility of worrying about two groups of people killing each other in carload lots, halfway around the world. Whatever the ethical underpinnings of such a viewpoint are, it does point out one significant problem - the war (if it can be called that) - is pretty much all one-way. If this had occurred during the Cold War, there would be a very strong chance that one of the superpowers would have at least armed the other side in a proxy conflict. However, absent that dynamic, Sudan has a fairly free hand in how they conduct their campaign.
All in all, I can't necessarily agree or disagree with your analysis, provided one looks at as an Arab v. Non-Arab, rather than a Muslim v. Non-Muslim conflict. Keep in mind that the government in Khartoum is backing the Janjaweed for a very specific and pragmatic reason, and in so doing has found the Arab v. Non-Arab angle to be a very effective tool in mobilizing resources to continue the conflict.
BRD
Posted by: Bravo Romeo Delta at December 06, 2006 10:28 AM (Qa0Pn)
3
BRD:
I'm glad to hear you aren't Kristoff. I don't like apoligists for islam at all.
The Arab animus against Blacks you described is undeniably true. The wildly misplaced superiority Arabs feel towards others is as much a cultural trait as it is religious. The evils of islam are all based on Arab culture, after all. I've noticed that the "Arabs" in Khartoum and the Janjaweed are overwhelmingly Mulatoes, so that cultural conceit must be insidiously strong.
I'm sure if the tribes in Darfur were "Arabs," the government in Khartoum wouldn't be interested in seeing them overwhelmed.
Of course, all the "Arabs" feel that they need to wipe out Blacks in the name of "allah," so islam is inextricably enmeshed with their racism.
Your response made a lot of sense to me. I personally resent the fact that the muslims in Darfur are getting international attention (especially from the left,) after the South Sudanese genocide was studiously neglected, but I admire you for trying to help those people.
There's a sizable refugee population of South Sudanese here in Omaha, and I've found them to be a kind and gentle people.
I'd like to see North Sudan carpet bombed, and the people in the Darfur region converted to a peaceful religion, but I don't see that happening anytime soon.
The people there need relief now, even if it doesn't solve their long term problems. Good luck with what you're doing.
Posted by: Jeff Bargholz at December 06, 2006 06:22 PM (bLPT+)
4
If the problem is Darfur is Arab muslim against black muslim. Whats the problem? Give them bigger weapons.
Posted by: Greyrooster at December 08, 2006 02:28 AM (ezJiI)
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