Wars, rigged elections, coups, terrorism, and of course genocide have a devastating impact on the world, causing immense harm and suffering. They are acts of violence and destruction aimed at eliminating a particular group of people based on their ethnicity, religion, or nationality. It is crucial to raise awareness about genocides and their importance to ensure that people understand how severe it is while also working towards preventing such horrific events from happening in the future.
TIGRAY
“Mass killings, rape, starvation, destruction of schools and medical facilities, forced displacement and arbitrary detention” is simply a glimpse inside the two-year civil war between the Amhara area and Tigray, which has resulted in nothing but pain and suffering since November 3, 2020.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s man-made famine was a reaction to Tigray’s independence, the government’s military actions, and ” strategies” against the Tigray People’s Liberation Front. Northern Ethiopia, which was home to over 6 million people, has now gone to war, killing over 800,000 people and displacing millions in frantic search of a home. As healthcare progressively deteriorated, the struggle for survival became even more difficult because there was nowhere to turn. The Ethiopian government’s blockade has halted aid, leaving many people starving.
The last functional hospital in Tigray collapsed in early June 2022 as a result of a lack of medicine and medical supplies, leaving many people in need without treatment. While the war came to an end with the signing of the sensation of policies agreement in November 2022, Tigray is still struggling to recover as the growing situation continues to cost thousands of unnecessary lives. Tigray has continued to be oppressed, resulting in the displacement of almost 2 million people who are unable to return home.
SUPPORT THE CAUSE: omnatigry.org
Central African Republic
A worldwide arrest order prevented former president François Bozizé from participating in the national election when he returned to the Central African Republic in late 2020. In response to the polls, six armed groups joined to establish the CPC, a cohesive alliance against the government. However, according to Central African Republic Events, elections were held as planned on December 27. Government and rebel groups clashed across the country, resulting in Touadera winning almost 53% of the vote and rebels retaking much of the country’s western region. The fighting in Sudan has resulted in a flow of more than 14,000 refugees to northeastern CAR (Central African Republic), which is primarily outside of government control. Finally, the UN reported that relief workers have frequently encountered violence, hindering efforts to offer services.
As rebels continue to control most of the eastern and western territories, forces have only made moderate efforts. Fearing that violence would flare up again, CPC rebels began a fresh round of attacks against the government at the beginning of 2023.
“In June 2023, 3.4 million people needed assistance worsened by floods that affected more than 100,000 people. Over 5,000 cases of gender-based violence were reported in the quarter of 2023 and the UN has exposed some peacekeepers over allegations of sexual violence” described the Central African Republic. CAR is still dealing with this catastrophe; in addition to the almost 1 million people who have been displaced by war, an estimated 5.6% of the population will die in 2022, twice the rate of any other country.
SUPPORT THE CAUSE: Central African Republic Humanitarian Fund
Democratic Republic of Congo
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s quiet genocide intensified in the late months of 2023, as the country prepared for national elections in December. Conflicts between groups over territory and natural resources, murders by security forces, political violence, and rising tensions with neighboring Rwanda have all contributed to the horrendous conflict, which has killed 6 million innocent people and displaced over 6.5 million.
Rangeview student Selam Desta who is in the 11th grade said, “Thousands of children are dying and suffering despite having done nothing wrong…countless individuals are paying the price and taking fault for something over which they have little to no control.”
Their conflict with Rwanda is mostly based on Rwanda’s support for the Congolese military organizations. Reports have also captured the rising numbers of civilian deaths in eastern Congo, which reached a new high of 6.9 million. The fighting has put civilians at risk in much of the country’s civilians. It resulted in violence, economic strain, and ongoing illness epidemics, and more than 25.4 million people seeking help by 2024.
SUPPORT THE CAUSE: Democratic Republic of Congo Donations
SUDAN
Good insights from “Sudan-Darfur-South Sudan” stated that ethnic massacres occurred in 2003 when ethnically Arab militias backed by Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir massacred non-Arabs and destroyed their towns. The Darfur people have been the primary targets of these operations, and small non-Arab tribes have also been impacted. In 2016, and 2017, violence worsened, and Arab forces targeted numerous refugee camps for internally displaced Darfuris which only raised tensions and continued the genocide from the 2000s.
Many claims of the war being over by the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (Unamid) and leader Rodolphe Adada, only magnify Unamid’s failure. They completely disregard and ignore the suffering of the people for whose protection it is responsible. As the central authority keeps coming apart, the same people who drew the world’s attention to this violent genocide now face harsh persecution. Today, as Khartoum continues to isolate Darfur, more than 3 million Darfuris who have been imprisoned in camps for nearly 14 years have had their land confiscated by Khartoum supporters.
