Darfur. What does that mean to you? Or better yet, DOES it mean anything to you?
Here’s an excellent article on what’s happening in Darfur. I was not sold on the Oil for Slaughter version before reading this. I’m still not sold 100%, but David Morse makes an excellent argument.
My belief of the inattentive concern for Darfur, as well as what happened in Rwanda, boils down to pure racism. It may not be an acknowledged racism, but it’s there none the less. Euro-centric folks have always had this paternalistic attitude toward Africa. It was one of the driving factors of the colonialism of Africa in the 19th century. Can you think of another reason for the First World’s lack of concern for the slaughter? Remember the horror of Bosnia? All the while, Rwanda was occurring.
2 comments:
Tell us all honestly now, was Dafur on your radar at all just two years ago? Just before the invasion of Iraq?
How about five years back? The Junjaweed were certainly mentioned on the news here in NZ. The background and politics involved were cloudy but there was news on the thousands being killed and displaced.
What about ten years back. Well I confess that I have no recollection.
The horrific thing is that the civil war (about the only term I think I can find that is appropriate) in Sudan started (from what I can gather) about thirty years back.
The internecine war between north and south was certainly well under way twenty years ago.
And no one knew?
P, that's my point. The news here is Euro-centric. I like to think I'm up the daily news, but there was not much about Darfur, maybe a blurb here or there.
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