Darfur

Essential Question

What tools can be used to stop and prevent genocide? 

Materials

Reading: “From Us to Them”
Reading: The Ten Stages of Genocide
Primary Source: Mariam Ibrahim Ausher
Primary Source: Second Decision on the Prosecution's Application for a Warrant of Arrest
Primary Source: Burning of Um Ziefa
Primary Source: Burning of a Village in Darfur
Primary Source: Burned Remains of Labado
Artwork: “Defending a Village in Darfur” by Zakaria Abbas Idriss
Artwork: “Nowhere to Hide” by Iman Abdalkhalek Isaac
Artwork: “Shooting Elderly Women in Darfur” by Hillal Altoum Idriss

Activity

1. Introduce students to the issues surrounding the Darfur genocide by reading the background essay.

2. Give students the reading “From Us to Them” and provide background on The Ten Stages of Genocide. After students read the article, have them conduct a think-pair-share where they consider some of the following questions, based on work by Facing History and Ourselves: 

What could be done to stop an ongoing genocide? What tools could be employed to “end the suffering?” What else could be done? 

Raphael Lemkin said, "If women, children, and old people were to be murdered one hundred miles from here, wouldn't you run to help? Then why do you stop this decision of your heart when the distance is three thousand miles instead of one hundred miles?" Who is responsible for preventing genocide? When we know genocide is occurring, does the location make a difference? 

Military action was not used to stop genocide during the Holocaust, the Rwandan genocide, or the genocide in Darfur. NATO troops were used to stop the violence in Bosnia. Do you think nations that have signed the Genocide Convention should use any means necessary, including military force, to stop genocide? Why or why not? 

3. Have students revisit the actions suggested in the article “From Us to Them.” Have students research the current situation in Darfur. Choose one of the suggested activities or another action suggested by the students to shift the “tensions of “us” and “them” to a more harmonious “we.””

Primary Sources for Analysis

Mariam Ibrahim Ausher
Second Decision on the Prosecution's Application for a Warrant of Arrest
Burning of Um Ziefa
Burning of a Village in Darfur
Burned Remains of Labado

Children's Artwork

“Defending a Village in Darfur” by Zakaria Abbas Idriss
“Nowhere to Hide” by Iman Abdalkhalek Isaac
“Shooting Elderly Women in Darfur” by Hillal Altoum Idriss​​​​​​​

Historical Background

Since the Holocaust, the international community has taken significant steps to prevent genocide and address mass atrocities. These efforts include the establishment of legal frameworks, international courts, and principles aimed at protecting vulnerable populations. Here are key developments: 

1. The Genocide Convention (1948) 

The United Nations General Assembly adopted the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (commonly referred to as the Genocide Convention) on December 9, 1948 to take effect in 1951. It was the first international treaty to explicitly define genocide and obligate states to prevent and punish it. Key elements include: 

• Definition of Genocide: Acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. 
• Legal Obligations: States must prevent genocide within their borders and prosecute perpetrators in domestic or international courts. 
• Universal Jurisdiction: Genocide is recognized as a crime under international law, prosecutable regardless of where it occurs. 

2. The International Criminal Court (ICC) 

Established by the Rome Statute in 1998, the ICC began functioning in 2002 as a permanent court to prosecute individuals for genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression. Key aspects of the ICC include: 

• Jurisdiction: The ICC can prosecute individuals for genocide when states are unwilling or unable to do so themselves. 
• Prominent Cases: The ICC has issued indictments for individuals accused of genocide, including Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for atrocities in Darfur. 
• Deterrence: By holding individuals accountable, the ICC aims to deter future genocidal acts. 

3. Responsibility to Protect (R2P) 

Adopted at the 2005 UN World Summit, the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) is a global political commitment to prevent mass atrocities, including genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity. R2P rests on three pillars: 

• Pillar 1: States have a responsibility to protect their populations from genocide and other mass atrocities. 
• Pillar 2: The international community should assist states in fulfilling this responsibility. 
• Pillar 3: If a state fails to protect its population, the international community has a responsibility to intervene through diplomatic, humanitarian, and, in extreme cases, military means. 

Other Efforts 

• Ad Hoc Tribunals: The United Nations established the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) to prosecute crimes related to the Rwandan Genocide and the Balkan conflicts, respectively. 
• Preventive Diplomacy and Early Warning Systems: The UN and regional organizations have implemented early warning systems to detect signs of potential genocides and respond proactively. 
• Education and Advocacy: Efforts by NGOs, scholars, and international bodies aim to raise awareness about genocide and promote a culture of prevention. 

These measures demonstrate a growing international consensus on the need to address and prevent genocide, though challenges in enforcement and political will remain significant obstacles. 

Extension Activity

“Boy in the Sand”

I saw a boy make his final stand today,
Face buried in a sea of sand, body prone, bent, broken
like the waves.
His chest was not moving,
His heart did not beat, everything around him was
Suspended in the varied turmoil of land and water;
push and pull – as if each were trying to reclaim him.

It’s like that sometimes
when I see the corpse of a stranger That kind of
death,
from the outside of someone else’s final breath…
it makes the air stop,
the ocean turns more slowly,
the earth a cradle
a cemetery
a monument
a stone
like a dead boy resting in the sand.

 -Emithal Mahmoud, 2018

Source
“Boy in the Sand by Emi Mahmoud.”  YOUTUBE, uploaded by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. 1 September 2016. https://youtu.be/QMjIUneTF6M?si=D-mRbk_bI25-pmDo
Audio: Ms. Mahmoud reading “Boy in the Sand”

About the Poet 
Emithal Mahmoud is a celebrated Sudanese spoken word artist originating from the war-town region of Darfur. Her poetry captures the horrors of genocide and its lasting effects on survivors. Ms. Mahmoud uses her poetry and voice to capture the complex web of emotions surrounding her experiences and the diaspora her family experiences when they emigrate to the United States to escape the dangerous terror of their home in Darfur.