The Leadership of Darfur

The leader of Sudan, and the leader of the massacre going on there, is Omar al-Bashir, the 62-year old dictator of the past seventeen years. Recently named the topmost world's worst dictator by PARADE magazine, Bashir has led the campaign against all of the non-Islamic tribes of Sudan, yet he still has escaped major condemnation. Bashir has always been a controversial figure- up until 1996, he allowed Osama bin Laden to work in Sudan, and claimed to have offered information on Bin Laden during Bill Clinton's presidency, though the U.S. has denied the claim. Bashir spoke out against the terrorist attacks in 2001, and kept a thin "peaceful" profile by pressuring Saddam Hussein to let the United States inspectors into Iraq. And yet, instead of sending the government troops to help protect the many small tribes of Sudan from the Janjaweed, Bashir has supported them, and has in the past sent government troops to aid in the raiding of villages. Though in 2005, he did sign a "peace" agreement with the most prominent rebel group in southern Sudan, and allowed John Garang, their leader, to become his vice president, Garang died in the summer, and now, the Janjaweed occupy the south in their normal fashion of pillaging, killing, and rape.

Throughout his entire reign, though, Bashir has heightened the conflict between the two parts of Sudan by supporting and initiating attacks against the southern part, of course in his usual fashion of torture, rape, murder, and starvation, in addition to the millions of southern Sudanese people who were displaced, starved, and without education as a result of the civil war itself. And how had and has Bashir managed to buy all of the advanced firearms, helicopters, and other military weapons? Why, with the sale of the vast amounts of oil that Sudan produces, the funds from which of course are not used to help educate its tribal citizens, or support the millions who live in poverty in Sudan, or to buy food to prepare for famine and drought. In 2001, though, international pressure grew to a point that Bashir finally agreed to peace talks in 2002, and enough progress was made as a result of the peace talks that in 2004, Bashir agreed to grant self-government to southern Sudan, as well as one half of the funds as a result of oil drilling, until 2010, when southerners will vote on whether or not they want independence, though it's anyone's guess as to if he will uphold his promises, and already, Bashir has discouraged southerners supporting independence (and in a country where you know the leader can order your and your family's deaths any moment that he chooses, you are pretty willing to do whatever he wants you to to stay alive).

However, as early as 2003, as the actual civil war began to recede, a new conflict began, this time in the western province of Sudan called Darfur, starting when Bashir gave aid to his informal Janjaweed army to combat the rebels, instead of sending the actual Sudanese army to stop the fight between the rebels and Janjaweed. Bashir boasts that the rebellion has been put down, though many rebels still live and operate, and the deaths are still rising. Despite many cease fire and peace agreements, Bashir continues to intervene with humanitarian aid that comes in to the country, even completely halting it, and continues to lead as the most un-human, cruel, and terrible dictator in the world.

Last updated: Thursday, June 2, 2006 11:16 AM

Created: Friday, May 5, 2006 10:37 AM

By Ariel L., Percy Julian Middle School