On April 3rd of this year, the Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) released
a study that corroborates what many of us have been saying for about a decade:
That the people of Sudan, in particular Darfur, have been enduring a constant
attack that at best kills them and at worse leaves them facing a slow death, an ethnic cleansing.
There have been numerous accounts of all type of torture imaginable perpetrated
on the non-Arab speaking citizens of Sudan: rapes, beatings, electrocutions,
gunshots, bombings, burnings, amputations and killings that, for
reasons incomprehensible to me, the world has refused to act, react or admit that these
atrocities are taking place under their watch for a decade. The governments of the
“civilized” world have sided with China and Russia – the two major forces
that are supporting Omar al-Bashir in his ethnic cleansing.
Perhaps I am being too harsh in saying that the world or
governments are siding with China and Russia – but isn’t doing nothing the same as
accepting? I can understand that there is too much at risk, the last thing anyone
wants is a war, especially against these world superpowers; however, there is no
excuse for us to continue conducting business with them as if they were not monsters
against humanity. By continuing with “business as usual,” we are in a way
helping perpetuate the massacre and we are supporting the tormentor.
The PHR's study might help to put pressure on
those with the power to do something. So far, there has been no reliable
proof that any of these atrocities were taking place, at least that is what the
governments of the world have claimed up to now. This study will
help shine a light on this matter that, perhaps because it is so atrocious, others
have refused to accept it and what’s more important, do something about it.
This study reveals that nearly half of the women treated
were victims of rape or gang rape. There were even reports of men that were
sexually assaulted and some even raped. The evidence also showed that injuries inflicted on these
people were consistent and showed evidence of beatings, fires, amputations and all other
forms of torture. We must remember the evidence at hand is only from those that
survived or reached a medical center; how many others died on the
field or on the way to the center are unknown. Every single piece of the evidence
recorded and examined by PHR was consistent with the claims.
Every single one. PHR stated in their study “Our
findings show that in all of the medical records that contained sufficient
detail, the medical evidence was considered to be at least consistent with (if
not highly consistent with or virtually diagnostic of) the human rights
violations disclosed by the patients.” Further in the study, PHR
said, “Rape and other forms of sexual
violence have been recognized as war crimes and crimes against humanity, as
well as instruments of genocide.”
The study represents a milestone that will aid the
International Criminal Courts in proceeding with more tangible proof and with
any luck receive the support of other nations in the capture of Omar al-Bashir
and put an end to his reign of terror.
There might be something worthwhile celebrating this Easter
week: Hopefully these findings will mark the beginning of the end for al-Bashir and a new beginning for
the people of Darfur.
I encourage the reader to look at the PHR’s study. Please, click here to read it.
To donate to the Save Darfur Organization, click here .
To donate to Amnesty International, click here.
To sign the International Petition for the People of Darfur, click here.
