Darfur’s already ideologically radicalised and alienated groups to create ruthless local militias prepared to kill for money and land: the janjawiid . This was, Alex de Waal has written, ‘counter-insurgency on the cheap’ and represented a radically different, nightmare world from that in which the eighty-year old Sheikh Hilal had grown up and in which his son, Musa Hilal, was to become one of the most vicious protagonists. 2
My field notes from this time recorded, in terse shorthand form, this radicalisation of the war in Darfur and reflected a complex society that had collapsed from both external and internal pressure. As we travelled further and further into Darfur, passing burned out villages and interviewing people hiding in dry wadis (seasonal rivers) or around clumps of trees, fearing attack from the passing Antonov, my notes became increasingly cryptic. In handwriting shaky from the road, smudged with dust and sweat, a grim record of people’s marginal survival was scratched into the page. An ‘X’ in every village indicted the last attack, while number and downward arrows indicated the levels of population decline. This survey of living conditions ceased to reflect any individuality of person or location and assumed instead an almost bland sameness that emerged from the shorthand of destruction:
Last X 3 months ago. No food, some berries. Water 6hrs by donkey. Living in forest, animals stolen. Families separated. Majority killed in X. Currently living in Wadi. Water holes bombed/pumps destroyed. Ongoing JJ [janjawiid] attacks. Primary/Secondary displacement. Push factors. Antonov seen yesterday at 4pm—live in constant expectation of attack.
- Shardaba
- Songoli
- Gurbuhir
- Sonjabak……… Empty/destroyed
- Argao
- Urubukir
GoS [Government of Sudan] harassment—women at risk when collecting water. Seven women from this village have disappeared. Access to water 6 hours by donkey. In nearby Ana Bagi, 4 girls had recently disappeared because of attacks by the GoS forces.
Orschi—attack on school 3 months ago also problem of being near the main road which is controlled by GoS and JJ—animals looted and now no access to markets. Living in forests on seeds and berries and staple millet They might eat meat every 2-3 months, but have given us one of their goats for dinner. In Inni, there are attacks every week. Last week the JJ took 62 cows and 5 camels. JJ kill/loot.
Gita—Evidence of malnutrition—no agriculture, no animals. Former land now a JJ base and the village and families have become separated and many still lost.
Hilalia. The Antonov attacked one week ago, and people are now living in the forest. They had been in camps in Chad but were also attacked here on a weekly basis by Chadian rebels and the camp itself was located in an unstable area with little water. They are safer here than in the camp although things are clearly difficult. The water well was bombed and daily water collection takes 5 hours by donkey—a task that is done by the women. The SLA control the area so, currently, this is relatively safe. But—there is a nearby GoS position and one week ago a village woman was kidnapped and raped. There was SLA ‘retribution’ and ‘an exchange’ between GoS and the SLA at the water point. The wells, however, are only full during the rainy season and dry up during the summer. Food is also scarce and the villagers are dependent on food from camps in Chad where some are still registered or through extended family/tribal connections—5 days away by donkey. Food collection is also a women’s task.
Haramumba—fearing constant attacks water is collected at night.
Ana Bagi—located near GoS checkpoint on a hill: a constant threat. There was a rape ten days ago.
As Darfur fades from the headlines, overshadowed by the independence of South Sudan, and official assertions from the US, the UK and the UN that the situation has ‘stabilised’, the destruction of this starkly beautiful
My field notes from this time recorded, in terse shorthand form, this radicalisation of the war in Darfur and reflected a complex society that had collapsed from both external and internal pressure. As we travelled further and further into Darfur, passing burned out villages and interviewing people hiding in dry wadis (seasonal rivers) or around clumps of trees, fearing attack from the passing Antonov, my notes became increasingly cryptic. In handwriting shaky from the road, smudged with dust and sweat, a grim record of people’s marginal survival was scratched into the page. An ‘X’ in every village indicted the last attack, while number and downward arrows indicated the levels of population decline. This survey of living conditions ceased to reflect any individuality of person or location and assumed instead an almost bland sameness that emerged from the shorthand of destruction:
Last X 3 months ago. No food, some berries. Water 6hrs by donkey. Living in forest, animals stolen. Families separated. Majority killed in X. Currently living in Wadi. Water holes bombed/pumps destroyed. Ongoing JJ [janjawiid] attacks. Primary/Secondary displacement. Push factors. Antonov seen yesterday at 4pm—live in constant expectation of attack.
- Shardaba
- Songoli
- Gurbuhir
- Sonjabak……… Empty/destroyed
- Argao
- Urubukir
GoS [Government of Sudan] harassment—women at risk when collecting water. Seven women from this village have disappeared. Access to water 6 hours by donkey. In nearby Ana Bagi, 4 girls had recently disappeared because of attacks by the GoS forces.
Orschi—attack on school 3 months ago also problem of being near the main road which is controlled by GoS and JJ—animals looted and now no access to markets. Living in forests on seeds and berries and staple millet They might eat meat every 2-3 months, but have given us one of their goats for dinner. In Inni, there are attacks every week. Last week the JJ took 62 cows and 5 camels. JJ kill/loot.
Gita—Evidence of malnutrition—no agriculture, no animals. Former land now a JJ base and the village and families have become separated and many still lost.
Hilalia. The Antonov attacked one week ago, and people are now living in the forest. They had been in camps in Chad but were also attacked here on a weekly basis by Chadian rebels and the camp itself was located in an unstable area with little water. They are safer here than in the camp although things are clearly difficult. The water well was bombed and daily water collection takes 5 hours by donkey—a task that is done by the women. The SLA control the area so, currently, this is relatively safe. But—there is a nearby GoS position and one week ago a village woman was kidnapped and raped. There was SLA ‘retribution’ and ‘an exchange’ between GoS and the SLA at the water point. The wells, however, are only full during the rainy season and dry up during the summer. Food is also scarce and the villagers are dependent on food from camps in Chad where some are still registered or through extended family/tribal connections—5 days away by donkey. Food collection is also a women’s task.
Haramumba—fearing constant attacks water is collected at night.
Ana Bagi—located near GoS checkpoint on a hill: a constant threat. There was a rape ten days ago.
As Darfur fades from the headlines, overshadowed by the independence of South Sudan, and official assertions from the US, the UK and the UN that the situation has ‘stabilised’, the destruction of this starkly beautiful
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