Janjaweed

villages-burnt-by-janjaweed

Uploaded by Monte Christo

Janjaweed

Uploaded by Hanga Girl

This just makes me mad. I don't know how many of you are familiar with the problems in Sudan. Janjaweed means "devil on horseback".
In Sudan they are an Arabic militia that is backed by the Sudanese government to systematically kill all black Africans living in Darfur (basically the western side of Sudan). Sudan is a country in East Africa directly south of Egypt. It has a very violent history. We recently watched a couple of movies at church about Sudan; THE DEVIL CAME ON HORSEBACK, and GOD GREW TIRED OF US. The first is a documentary that exposes the genocide raging in Darfur, Sudan as seen through the eyes of a former U.S. marine who returns home to make the story public. And the Second is a documentary on the civil war that happened before that and the "Lost Boys" that were displaced as a result of the northern Arabs trying to kill off the southern tribes that are predominantly associated with Christianity. That Sunday one of the "Lost Boys" told about his story at our church and how he came to be in the US.
Anyway then I read this article below on the BBC this afternoon and it is just NUTS! I would suggest watching the above movies, especially THE DEVIL CAME ON HORSEBACK.

'Janjaweed leader' is Sudan aide

The Janjaweed has been accused of trying to 'cleanse' Darfur of black Africans
The Sudanese authorities have given a senior government position to a man accused of co-ordinating the Janjaweed Arab militia in Darfur.

The minister of federal affairs, Abdel Basit Sabderat, said clan leader Musa Hilal had been named as his adviser.

The US State Department and human rights groups say Mr Hilal is a leader of the Janjaweed, which is accused of committing war crimes in Darfur.

There have been repeated delays in deploying a joint UN-AU force there.

Only 9,000 out of a planned 26,000 have been sent.

Tens of thousands of people have died in Darfur and two-thirds of the surviving population rely on humanitarian assistance.

Setback for peace

Mr Hilal told Reuters news agency he would be based in Khartoum but might have to travel to outlying regions.

BBC Africa editor Mary Harper says his appointment indicates that the authorities in Khartoum are not prepared to make compromises in the face of strong international pressure.

Mr Hilal has said deaths in Darfur are simply repercussions of a war started by rebel groups to whom he is opposed.

His appointment as a ministerial adviser will be seen as another set-back in the faltering peace process in Darfur, and is likely to increase rebel suspicions about the motivations of the authorities in Khartoum.

The latest move by the Sudanese government will not encourage those in Darfur who rely on humanitarian aid for their survival, our correspondent says.