Genocide in Darfur

Annotated Bibliography

Totten, S., & Markusencatalogue, E. (2006). Genocide in Darfur: Investigating the Atrocities in the Sudan. New York: Routledge.

Samuel and Markusencatalogue (2006) were involved in the design and implementation of the ADP project to investigate the atrocities carried out in the Darfur region. The book begins with a historical background of the Darfur region and focuses on the root causes of the conflict that include marginalization, ethnic tensions, and a struggle for scarce resources. The authors focus on the reasons why America was involved in the conflict, and the atrocities that were committed by the GOS military and the Janjaweed.

The authors also explain the role of USAID in addressing the crisis, such as providing humanitarian aid and data to the US government. With this data, the authors explain how the ADP project was born. There is an in-depth depiction of the project from inception, assembling of investigators, dispatching of the team, and the end product of the ADP mission. In the final part, the authors offer an analysis of the rationale for forming the ADP project and how the conflict was determined as genocide.

Samuel and Markusen (2006) are two prominent scholars in the genocide field and conflict management. Their work is vital in the analysis of whether human intervention is a possible solution to solve the Darfur calamity. What makes the book significant is that the essays articulated in the book were written by officials, scholars, investigators, and designers, who were involved directly in the intervention exercise. Their perspective is precious since it is from first-hand experience in the field. Their views on how human intervention helps are thus essential to comprehend how and whether human intervention is necessary and useful.

Quach, T. T. (2004). The Crisis in Darfur: An Analysis of its Origins and Storylines. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Masters of Public and International Affairs. Alexandria, Virginia: Virginia Tech. Retrieved from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-12242004-143603/unrestricted/tquachmajorpaper.pdf

The second publication that offers insight into the Darfur crisis is a journal article by Thu Thi Quach. Quach (2004) opines that there is a gap between the description of the crisis as genocide and the intervention efforts. Undermining the significance of solving the crisis is the main reason the situation in Darfur remains dire. Quach (2004) proffers the causes of the crisis as structural and proximate, and delves into her central theme, the manipulation of narratives that led to undermining of the magnitude of the crisis.

One of the narratives is that the crisis is of a humanitarian basis depicted by needy people, disease outbreaks, and spreading starvation (Quach, 2004). The second narrative is a genocide storyline that only serves the interests of international political actors. The second narrative aids the international community in laying all the responsibility on the African Union. Fudging these two narratives together helps policy-makers avoid certain specific responsibilities, such as an intervention. Quach (2004) argues that even though there have been actions by the international community, fudging the two storylines undermines the moral commitment to treat the crisis as genocide, and consequently take committed intervention actions.

Quach (2004), a Vietnamese national who is highly interested in global affairs, governance, and civil society, explains the practical impediments to human intervention. As much as human intervention is essential to ending the conflict, many factors undermine a comprehension of the conflict and the geostrategic importance of solving it. As a result, the use of human intervention efforts as a possible way of resolving the conflict is marred by many practical and political hurdles. Quach (2004) helps us understand the difficulty of instituting human intervention efforts in ending the conflict.

References

Totten, S., & Markusencatalogue, E. (2006). Genocide in Darfur: Investigating the Atrocities in the Sudan. New York: Routledge.

Quach, T. T. (2004). The Crisis in Darfur: An Analysis of its Origins and Storylines. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Masters of Public and International Affairs. Alexandria, Virginia: Virginia Tech. Retrieved from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-12242004-143603/unrestricted/tquachmajorpaper.pdf