If you haven't yet heard about the disease, malnutrition, displacement of families, and death happening in the African country of Sudan, you are not alone. During the past three years, over 410,000 ethnic Black Africans have been subjected to torture, rape, and extermination -- and the conditions are getting worse.

In early 2003, the ethnic peoples of Darfur began to rebel against harsh Sudanese authoritative rule. As a result, the government launched a widespread campaign to clear out the rebels using violence and death. The western Sudanese region of Darfur is undoubtedly a human rights tragedy that needs unprecedented attention from the U.S. and the rest of the world.

History
Warfare erupted in Darfur in early 2003 when two rebel groups, the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), attacked military posts in south Sudan. Rebels in Darfur began to stockpile weapons in order to protect their communities from government-backed militias made up of various groups of Arabs. These Arab militias called "Janjaweed", have received government support to push civilians from areas considered disloyal to the Sudanese government.

The entire history of the war is sketchy and actually consists of multiple conflicts in the region. One battle involves random attacks by Janjaweed militia on Sudanese civilians. These horrific attacks involve rape, torture, and the complete extermination of entire communities. Another fight is between government-aligned forces and rebels; and yet a third battle involves skirmishes among different communities within Darfur.

According to reports by World Vision and The International Rescue Committee, over 3 million Sudanese refugees are suffering from malnutrition and disease, while 2.5 million have been displaced due to violence. More than 400,000 people have died as a result of attacks by Janjaweed militias.

The international community has not adequately responded to this genocide and the protection of Darfurian civilians is non-existent. Rape has become commonplace as Janjaweed militias continue to attack vulnerable Darfurian women after forcing them from their homes. Even while displaced, families must continue collecting water and food for sustainment, but run the risk of rape and torture once outside of the gated camps.

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