Introduction
The Darfur genocide in Western Sudan is considered the first genocide of the 21st century. The conflict that resulted in so much death and “brutal, ethnically-targeted violence” (Reeves 1) started in 2003 and has not been resolved to this day. Many underlying causes are attributed to the beginning of the Darfur genocide and many reasons that researchers use to explain its continuation. The goal of this paper is to outline all the issues that shaped the first genocide of the 21st century.
The Causes of the Darfur Genocide
Researchers identify several causes of the conflict in Western Sudan that resulted in mass genocide. These motives include tensions over “natural resources in Darfur, marginalization of the Sudanese in the borderlands, the rise of Arab supremacy and the impact of the Sudanese civil wars on the region” (Herr 20). The unfortunate overlap of all the problems mentioned above resulted in the genocide of hundreds of thousands of Darfuri people.
The Aspects of the Darfur Genocide
Genocide can be separated into physical and cultural kinds. The first type includes physical damage and death, while the second encompasses “the compulsory prohibition on the use of a native language, destruction of the cultural goods” (Kościółek 89). Rape is considered an overlap between these two forms as it is “an effective way to commit genocide against female community members since it serves as a bonding agent among perpetrators” (Tembo 39). While there are many cases of murder and other physical damage, rape, in particular, has been a common method of oppression in Darfur with victims often being children.
Conclusion
The Darfur genocide is a genuinely horrifying event that has lasted for over 15 years and claimed the lives of many people. The underlying problems that resulted in this conflict could be solved individually. However, this genocide is an example of how, in combination with racism and xenophobia, they culminate in the mass murders and physical violence that to this day targets the most vulnerable members of society.
Works Cited
Herr, Alexis, editor. Darfur Genocide. ABC-CLIO, 2020.
Kościółek, Jakub. “The Conflict in Darfur in the Perspective of Genocide Prevention.” Administrative and Legal Studies, vol. 17, no. 2, 2019, pp. 83-99.
Reeves, Eric. “Genocidal Violence in Darfur, Sudan: A Continuing Archival History, 2013 – 2019.” Sudan Research, Analysis and Advocacy, 2019. Web.
Tembo, Nick Mdika. “Rape, War and the Abject in Halima Bashir’s Tears of the Desert: A Memoir of Survival in Darfur.” Journal of Humanities, vol. 26, 2018, pp. 38-47.