Act now to end genocide in Darfur.

By Kuek Garang

September 24, 2005 — Lack of the media in Southern Sudan led into thousand of Lost Boys of Sudan, in which four thousand lost boys resettled in the United States. During the South Sudan and Sudan government war, two million people are count dead and finally after 21 year in war, the two wary parties signed a comprehensive peace deal in January 9, 2005. This war left traumas and horrible stories to the people of Southern Sudan specially Lost Boys of Sudan. I remember how horrible the circumstances of war were when the brutal regime destroyed my village, which is the same regime responsible for genocide in Darfur.

I am wondering why the world stood by to stop the genocide in Sudan, whatever they call it, and they know that two million lives have been dead plus three hundred thousand lives lost in Darfur so far? This number is larger then the number in Cambodia and Rwanda’s genocide when we add them up together. The Darfur tragedy is continuously in the news that people are dying either by war, starvation, or diseases, but the world is doing nothing to stop atrocities being carrying on by the Sudan government with its militia so called Janjaweed. The Sudan government will never stop killing its own citizens unless the world stand up seriously to stop the war and bring those who are the mastermind of killing innocent people in Darfur into justice.

Recently, the General secretary of the United Nation was in Africa for talk with African leaders, NATO leader, and EU leaders so that to support African Union (AU) troops to intervene. But still there was no good outcome because AU troops is already been in Darfur for a year and did not stop the wary parties or if it is a matter of protecting the civilians, the AU fail to protect innocent people who are now carrying for help.

But if the AU feel its ability to act and stop the genocide in Darfur, then it should not wait for others to dye next month. I believe it is just a matter of interest, the genocide in Darfur could have been stopped. There is no need for foreign troops if AU is committed to care on its task in Africa. Darfur genocide was a test to AU role in the continent and when it fail to solve these tragedies of Darfur, then AU will be in the same boat with the former organization called OAU.

If Sudan government get tied of it people then AU should not stood by to protect its people because Sudan is a member of the AU and AU is a government for the people not people for the government.

There is no bad time for help. I call on the media to continue its work of alerting people for what is happening in Darfur, the world to stand up pressuring the Sudan government to stop its act of evil of killing people, the President Bush not to letting the genocide happen on his watch like he said on his campaign and the good will people to encouraging their governments to do some thing to end the genocide in Darfur. The South and Sudan government war separated me from my parent in 1987 when I was 6 years old and up to now I never seen my parent. As a victim of the war and the Lost Boys of Sudan, I argue the World Community, African Union and the United States to do more in order to end the war in Darfur and prevent another “Lost Boys of Sudan” from Darfur.

* Kuek Garang is a sudanese living in Chicago, USA.