Darfur. How could one word conjure up so many images of brutality and injustice? Of ethnic cleansing in the 21th century? For those who aren't up to date with the situation, Darfur is a region in western Sudan roughly the size of California. Sudanese Government and government backed Arab militia called "janjaweed" are "attacking villages, ransacking and torching homes, and killing and raping civilians," according to Human Rights Watch.
The UN believes 180 000 people have been killed in the conflict, either through murder or mass starvation. Over 1.8 million people have been displaced due to the conflict and many have fled to neighbouring Chad, where refugee camps have flowered in villages like Gouroukoun, where as many as 50 000 refugees are squatting in temporary shelters, according to BBC News.
Now, there's even cases of the Chadians conspiring with janjaweeds in order to kill and steal whatever they can from the refugees.
It's a bleak situation.
For more info, go to the Human Rights Watch page on Darfur, which will keep you up to date with the conflict. BBC News also has an online page devoted to the conflict.
photo courtesy of Human Rights Watch