Fuller1

SamFuller
Gardner
English4
5May2016
DownsidesofGenocide
Canalabelsavealife?Insomesituationsperhaps.Today,oneofthemosthotly
debatedlabelsoftheworldhasbeengiventoanexplosivecrisisinSudan.Inthiscase,the
questionmustbealtered.DoesthecurrenttitleofgenocideforthecivilwarinDarfurhelpto
alleviateanyoftheregionaltensionsinSudan?Foroveradecade,hundredsofthousandsof
blackresidentsofsouthernandeasternSudanhavebeenslaughtered,raped,anddrivenfrom
theirhomesbytheirArabneighbors.Thisslaughterhasbeencarriedoutbyorderofthe
Sudanesepresident,OmaralBashirasdirectresultofrivalrybetweenthetribesoftheregion
(Kristof).AlthoughthemajorityoftheUShasignoredtheproblem,therehavebeensome
significantattemptstostoptheviolenceinDarfur.Billionsofdollarsworthofsupplieshavebeen
senttotherefugeesaswellasmeansofprotection(innearlyequalquantities)tocounteractan
armedgenocidalforce.Yetsomequestionourefforts,andclaimthatmorelivescouldhave,and
willbesavedifwealterourcurrentapproachtotheproblem,anddealwiththesituationwithout
thelabelofgenocide.Forhowcanwedelegatewithanykindofgenocidalgovernment?The
slaughteroftheDarfurshouldbedeclassifiedasagenocideforthepurposeofsavinglives
withoutthislabel,neitherourresources,norourunderstandingofthesituation,norourpolitical
optionswouldbemisdirectedorlimited.
WhenIfirstreviewedtheargument,Iinstantlyagreedthattheseawfulkillingsshouldbe
viewedasnothinglessthangenocide.ThedeathrateinDarfur,whichisaresultofhorrificwar
crimes,classifiesthismassiveslaughterassuch,andisevenreferredtobythenativesas

Fuller2

"ethniccleansing"(Reeves).BasedonthefirsthandreportsofNicholasKristof,localshave
shownthattheyaremoreafraidofbeingkilledbyenemysoldiersthantheyareofbeingkilled
bysnakesandcrocodiles.WhentheJanjaweed(Arabmilitia)arenear,manyprefertohidein
theriverwithpredatorsthanbediscovered(Kristof).Inthebeginning,thehorribleatrocities
werecoveredupbytheSudanesegovernment.Accordingtoan
InternationalNewYorkTimes,
Sudanspentmillionsofdollarstosetupmodelvillages,inwhichliferemainednormal,sothat
thehorrificsofthewarcouldbedisguisedfromtheworld(Clooney).WhentheSaveDarfur
Coalitionbroughttheseverityofthewarcrimesintothepubliceyeandlobbiedforthecrisisto
belabeledasgenocide,awarenessandsupportfortheaidofthevictimsmultiplied,but
attentionspanshaveproventobeshortandwehaveforgotten.Declassificationseemslikeit
woulddrawthecrisisevenfurtherfromourminds,andtheseverityofthewarcrimesshouldnot
bebrushedaside.TheargumentraisesthepointthatDarfurisonlyreceivingitscurrentlevelof
supportasaresultoftheactivistsmakingpeopleawareoftheseverityoftheviolencehowever,
theseactivistsenhancedthescaleofthewarfaretogainasmuchsupportaspossible.While
thisactwasforanoblecause,ithasnotbeenwithoutconsequences.Itistruethatmanydeaths
haveresultedfromthewar,butthemajorityhavenotbeenmurders.Thehighestdeathrates
haveinfactbeenrecordedasresultsofmalnutritionanddiseaseamongtherefugeesdisplaced
byArabaggression.Whydoesthismatter?Ifthosestatisticsarecorrect,ourmostimportant
priorityshouldhavebeensendingfoodandmedicinetotherefugees.Morelivescouldhave
beensavedifwewerenotsoblindedbythemorehorrificaspectsofthesituation.
Theclassificationofgenocidedidraiseawarenessandsupportforthevictimsof
Janjaweedcruelty,butthatfeatiswherethebenefitsofthelabelend.Callingthesituationa
genocidedoesnothingtolowerthedeathratesinSudaninfact,itdoestheopposite.TheSave
DarfurCoalitionhasspreadthenotionthatthemajorityofthesedeathshavebeenhorrific

Fuller3

murders,butintruthmostoftherefugeesaredyingfromstarvation:ourresourceshavebeen
misdirected.Thisisprovenwhenconsideringthestatistics.DirectlyaftertheceasefireofApril
2004,thenumberofkillingsdecreased,butthenumberofstarvationrelateddeathsremained
highasdidtheoveralldeathrate(Gustafson).Morelivescouldbesavedifweusedour
resourcestoobtainmoresuppliesfortherefugeesinsteadofprotection.Infact,thatwashow
weusedourfundsattheverybeginningofthecampaigntohelptherefugeeshowever,from
2006until2008,theSaveDarfurCoalitionandotheractivistgroupsbegantopressurethe
governmenttochangeourgoals.Fromthatpoint
theallocationofUSfundsshifteddramaticallyfromhumanitarianaidtopeacekeeping.
Beforethechange,theUShadsentatotalof$1.01billiondollarstoDarfur.Ofthis,$839
million(83percent)wasallocatedtorefugeecampsandhumanitarianassistance,while
$175million(17percent)wasdirectedtofundpeacekeepingactivities.
Thatperiodoftimesawthebestresults.Inthefollowingyears,$2.01billionwasspentand
only$1.03billion(51.3percent)wasspentonhumanitarianaid(Gustafson).Thiswasahuge
shiftinthewrongdirection.Althoughitisaharddecisiontomake,thesepeopleneedfoodmore
thantheyneedprotection.Tosavemorelives,ourresourcesshouldbereallocatedoncemore
tohumanitarianaid.
Furthermore,underthebroadshadowofgenocide,manyofthecomplexitiesofthis
crisishavebeenallowedtoslipunderneathourradarandrununchecked.Inordertomakethe
rightdecisions,weneedtobeabletolookattheproblemfromeveryperspectiveallaspectsof
thesituationmustbeconsidered.AccordingtoCNN,therehasneverbeenanyintentbythe
SudanesegovernmenttoattacktheDarfuripurelytoannihilatearace,theyhaveattackedasa
responsetoathreatandforpersonalgain.Thisfactaloneprovesthatthiscannotbelabeledas
agenocide.MahmoodMamdaniexplainsthatwecannotcallanysituationgenocideunlessa

Fuller4

governmentplantoeliminatearacehasbeendocumented,andthatwecannottreatany
situationassuchwithoutthattypeofevidence.Recently,theSudanesegovernmenthavebeen
invadingDarfurtoacquiregold.Asavaluablegood,thismotiveforthewarisnodifferentthan
thatofnumerouswarsthroughouthistory,andwouldprovidesubstantialproofthatthereisno
specificgenocidalintentintheSudanesegovernment(U.N.Report:DarfurNotGenocide).This,
attheveryleast,changeshowwemaytreatthegovernmentofSudan.Asignificantnumberof
murdershavebeencommittednotbytheJanjaweed,butbytheinfightingrebelgroups
scatteredthroughouttheregion.Thesesmallgroupsaresupportedbysurroundingcountries,
andarenotjoinedwiththesupposedsinglegenocidalgroup(Gustafson).Theinfightingofthe
tribesisaneverendingcycle.EdmundSandersatteststhateachtribebelievesthatitshould
ruleDarfur,andeachburnstheothersvillagestotheground.Clearly,manyoftherefugees
havenotlosttheirhomestotheJanjaweed,buttoeachother.Ifwehadnotbeenlimitedinour
understandingofthesituation,thisconflictmighthavealreadyended.Ifwehadnotbeenso
eagertopreventamassslaughteroragenocide,manymorelivescouldhavebeensaved,
smallerconflictscouldhavebeenresolved,andthesesmallconclusionscouldthenleadtothe
largerconflictasawholefindingaresolution.
AlthoughitoncehadgreatpowersofinspirationtotheAmericanpeople,nowtheword
genocideservesonlytolimitthemethodswithwhichwecanaidtherefugees.
Itensuresthatourgovernmentcannotmakeanyseriousactiontoendtheconflict.Thetopicof
negotiationwithterroristsisacontroversialoneatbest,andtheideaofnegotiationwitha
genocidaldictatorisevenmoredivisive,andgivesourelectedofficialsgoodreasontoignore
thissituation.Withinsuchahotpoliticalclimate,anypoliticianwhowouldsuggestnegotiation
withBashirwouldimmediatelybeslanderedfromallsides.Ourtwofeudingpoliticalparties
wouldexploitanychancetoattacktheiropposition.EvenPresidentObamahasforgonehis

Fuller5

promisestoaidDarfurandhasjoinedhispeersinignoringthesituation(Reeves).Hisreasons
arenotirrelevant.PreviousattemptstodealwithMiddleEasternandAfricandictatorshavelead
tocatastrophe,andnegotiatingwithagenocidaldictatorisevenmorecontroversial.Our
governmentisnotalonewhenitcomestoshyingawayfromthisissueinsteadofcuttingthe
headoffthesnake.Whentheslaughterwasofficiallyclassifiedasgenocide,anarrestwarrant
wasissuedforPresidentOmaralBashirofSudanbytheUnitedNations.Yet,whenBashirwas
visitingSouthAfrica,theplannedarrestwasnevercarriedout.InsteadBashirwasallowedto
flee,resultinginthebordersofhiscountrybeingclosed.Fromthatmoment,ourcontactwiththe
refugeeshasbeenalmostnonexistent.Inshort,thewordgenocideisapoliticalnoflyzone:no
countrywishestotakeonthetaskofendingagenocide.Totrulymaketheworldacknowledge
thisproblem,thetopicasawholemustbelesscontroversial:thewordgenocideistoodivisive.
TheconflictinDarfurshouldnotbeclassifiedasagenocideinordertomakesureour
resourcesarebeingproperlyutilizedtokeepthevictimsofthecrisisalive,toincreaseour
understandingofeachseparatecrisisandhowtoresolveeachone,andtoensurethatthe
controversysurroundingthistopicwillbelessdivisivesothatnegotiationscanbemaintained
withtheSudanesegovernment.Inshort,thelabelofgenocideshouldbedropped,sothata
resolutionforthisconflictcanbesecured.Oncemorewemustbecomeawareofthissilent
slaughterinSudan,oncemorewemustovercomethissilentfearinourselves.Thefighttosave
theDarfurihasbeenhinderedbyignoranceandmisdirection.Totrulymakeadifference,totruly
preventthesemassdeaths,oureffortsmustnotcoalesceintoasinglecomplexgoalbutrather
intosmallerones,sothatweareabletoaidandeventuallyhealashatteredpeople.

Fuller6

WorksCited
Clooney,George,JohnPrendergast,andAkshayaKumar."Sudan'sRapeofDarfur."
InternationalNewYorkTimes.
26Feb.2015:6.
SIRSIssuesResearcher.
Web.24Apr.
2016.
Gustafson,Marc."The'Genocide'inDarfurIsn'tWhatItSeems."
ChristianScienceMonitor.
19
Aug.2009:n.p.
SIRSIssuesResearcher.
Web.24Apr.2016.
Kristof,Nicholas."SouthSudan:WheretheSoldiersAreScarierThantheCrocodiles."
TheNew
YorkTimes
.TheNewYorkTimes,12Mar.2016.Web.05May2016.
Mamdani,Mahmood."GenocideorCivilWar?."
AmericanConservativeVol.6No.14.
16Jul.
2007:1922.
SIRSIssuesResearcher.
Web.24Apr.2016.
Reeves,Eric."RapingGirlsinDarfur:AContinuingWeaponofWar."
SudanTribune.
22Jan.
2016:n/a.
SIRSIssuesResearcher.
Web.24Apr.2016.
Sanders,Edmund."WasDarfurTrulyGenocide?."
LosAngelesTimes(LosAngeles,CA).
04
May2009:A.1.
SIRSIssuesResearcher.
Web.24Apr.2016.
"U.N.Report:DarfurNotGenocide."
CNN.
CableNewsNetwork,1Feb.2005.Web.05May
2016.