..the world community should be more hands-on to help this horrible situation

http://renewamerica.us/columns/benamon/060508

Millions of people have been forced to flee their homes. Children watch, and sometimes are forced to participate in, the horrors of mass killing and torture as child soldiers...cutting people up, cutting off women's breasts, limbs, etc. The child soldiers say they do it because if they do not, they will die by the hands of adult rebel militia men.

Unbeknownst to many people in the U.S. until recently, massive human suffering is occurring in the African countries of Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, Uganda, and Chad. The area which has held the attention of most in the media is Darfur, Sudan. People there have suffered beyond measure. Many have endured rapes, torture, maiming, gross bloodshed, loss of life and home, malnutrition, and slavery, all at the hands of rebel militia groups. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell called this enormous problem genocide.

I watched a recent Oprah show which aired concerns from actor George Clooney and reporter Lisa Ling on these horrible atrocities. I sat shocked and horrified as I heard one horrific story after another... how militias cooked people and family members were made to eat the flesh! Are you sick to your stomach yet? Because I was! Such brutality is allowed to exist, and not enough voices are speaking out on the behalf of those affected by this evil!

The mass slaughter and brutality in Africa has been going on for 3 years. Over 200,000 people have died and another 2 million forced from their homes in Darfur, Sudan. Positive strides have been made to end the violence. On Friday, a peace agreement backed by the U.S. was signed between the main rebel group in Darfur, and the Sudanese government. Under the peace agreement, the government backed Arab militia group Janjaweed (responsible for most of the suffering in Darfur) will be disarmed, and rebel fighters merged into the army.

However, the region is not in the clear yet. Two other rebel groups have not joined in the signing of the peace agreement. The Sudanese Liberation Army and the Justice/Equality Movement has not stepped forward to make an effort to end the violence, so the suffering continues.

The U.S. says it is doing what we can to make sure parties who signed the peace deal, to keep up their end of the deal. People have been displaced and forced from their homes and now live in unsafe camps. Food is scarce. People sleep where they can, and women are targets of rape from the Janjaweed.

President Bush said that the U.S. would step in and provide 85% of the food and called on U.N. peacekeepers and humanitarian aid to help in the region. I hate to say we have not been largely influential to help end this shameful, horrible blight on the African continent. And we can do more.

I believe the U.S. military should be involved to some degree. Why not have our military airdrop food to those in need? This conflict in Darfur has raged for 3 years too long, and the UN drags its feet. The U.S. could provide better security, there are people dying who are pleading for our help, and the weak peace deal signed on Friday will only be a ripple in this huge cesspool of trouble.

The only obstacle is the Sudanese government who still won't allow UN troops in Darfur. Thousands of lives are at stake. If the Sudanese government is concerned at all about the suffering of their people, they'd let anyone in to help, including the U.S.

After seeing such suffering on a massive scale, one cannot help but to be affected in some way. I know President Bush is doing what he can, but I think throwing more money towards this cause is not going to help. It really hasn't in the past. A more hands-on approach is needed now. It's time to get serious before more people die unnecessarily.

Again, I will write Congress and the President and ask that we get on the ball, pressure the Sudanese government to allow UN peacekeepers in the country, and let the U.S. help. The least we can do is airdrop supplies and food for those who have nothing. If U.S. troops can deliver supplies to people recently affected by the massive earthquake in Pakistan, then they can do the same for those suffering in Africa.

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