LONDON -- While politicians and diplomats discuss what to do, many people of Sudan's Darfur region have been forced from their homes, terrorized, tortured and murdered by members of the armed Janjaweed Arab militia, who frequently rape the women they capture. The militia has apparently been aided and abetted by Khartoum.
Those who manage to escape the militia end up in refugee camps where food, water and medical supplies are limited and disease is rife. The situation has been worsened by heavy rains, making roads impassable and holding up vital aid supplies. There are reported to be 1.2 million refugees and at least 30,000 dead. Farmers have been unable to plant their crops, and some 2 million people will need food aid to survive.
The crisis in Darfur follows the devastation and deaths of the Christian population caused by the civil war in southern Sudan. In both cases Khartoum must accept the main responsibility.