Darfur by Brian Steidle
Brian Steidle attempted to bring the genocide to the world’s attention after serving as a Captain in the American Marines in Darfur. Brian has kindly provided us with photographs he took in Darfur for you to use at Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) activities.
In 2003, a civil war began in the region of Darfur, Sudan. The Sudanese Government has supported Arab militia – the Janjaweed – who destroyed hundreds of villages and murdered thousands of people. These atrocities have been condemned as genocide by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and several governments around the world. Arrest warrants issued by the ICC against Sudan’s then President Omar al-Bashir for alleged war crimes during the conflict remain outstanding. Although the worst of the genocide may be over in Darfur, there is ongoing violence in the region and civilians continue to be under attack in Sudan’s other ongoing conflicts.
Brian Steidle is a former marine who became a patrol leader for the Joint Military Mission in Sudan. His job was to monitor the ceasefire – an agreement which had been made to end the 20 year civil war between the North and South of Sudan. As he arrived in 2004, a new conflict had begun in Darfur which had already displaced more than a million people. Whilst he was there, he took many pictures realising that he could document what he saw and make people aware of it when he returned home to America.
All images © Brian Steidle – if you are using any of these images please make sure to use this credit.
If you are planning to use images as part of your HMD activity please refer to our guidance.
