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[Kimawolf]

http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/22/world/africa/south-sudan-rebel-attack/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

South Sudanese rebels seized a strategic oil town last week, separating terrified residents by ethnicity before killing hundreds, the United Nations said.

At one mosque, more than 200 civilians were reportedly killed and 400 others wounded, according to the United Nations. It did not provide specific numbers.

The residents had sought shelter in churches, mosques and hospitals when the rebels raided Bentiu town, the world body said in a statement.

Before the attacks, some rebel commanders broadcast messages on local radio warning certain ethnic groups.

"Others broadcast hate messages declaring that certain ethnic groups should not stay in Bentiu and even calling on men from one community to commit vengeful sexual violence against women from another community," the U.N. Mission in South Sudan said.

At one hospital, Nuer men, women and children who refused to cheer the rebels were killed, according to the United Nations.

People from other South Sudanese communities and the Darfuris, who hail from the war-ravaged Sudan region of Darfur, were also targeted and killed, the U.N. said.

The atrocities occurred on April 15 and 16.

Two rivals, a lot of violence

The Nuer community backs rebel leader Riek Machar while his rival, President Salva Kiir, is a Dinka.

The two leaders have been embroiled in a power struggle since December, with the President accusing Machar of trying to oust him through a coup.

Since the attempted coup last year, militia loyal to both have battled each others' forces. Violence has quickly spread, with reports of mass killings emerging nationwide.

"These atrocities must be fully investigated and the perpetrators and their commanders shall be held accountable," said Raisedon Zenenga, who leads the U.N. mission in the nation.

Grenades, mass killings

Armed militants attacked a U.N. peacekeepers' base sheltering civilians last week, killing at least 48 people and injuring dozens.

They used rocket-propelled grenades to breach the compound where peacekeepers had been hosting and protecting nearly 5,000 civilians in Bor.

South Sudan seceded from Sudan in 2011 after decades of war. But numerous armed groups have remained active in the oil-rich country.

This is… this is absolutely appalling, and yet we hardly ever hear anything about it. Hundreds are being slaughtered at a time and what’s being done about it? Where are the mass protests and the interventions and government sanctions and all the hard line talk?

I know it isn't as sexy as cold war politics but come on world geez...

 

[YoungHav]

Oil huh? We'll be crying about freeing the Sudanese people within 3 presidential elections, just give our armed forces some cool off time.

 

[harSon]

Considering we haven't done shit for Western Sudan (Darfur), I doubt we'd do anything here either.

 

[Spring-Loaded]

This particular killing isn't old news, but this has been going on with worldwide knowledge for decades.

 

[Ken Masters]

I really don't know what any nation could to stop this there, it's too complicated a matter

 

[The Albatross]

Oil huh? We'll be crying about freeing the Sudanese people within 3 presidential elections, just give our armed forces some cool off time.

Every thread, huh? No matter how stupid your theory is, how irrelevant it is to the thread, you just gotta get that post in about freeing people for oil?

 

[Freedom = $1.05]

I really don't know what any nation could to stop this there, it's too complicated a matter

The west was more than happy to draw up the shittiest divisions when it came to colonizing Africa, not giving a shit about dividing tribes and nations and ethnicities and even at times intentionally grouping them together so as to cause major conflicts. maybe they can help fix some of these fuck ups a bit.

 

[jstripes]

Where are the mass protests and the interventions and government sanctions and all the hard line talk?

Because we have a better chance of an established leader like Putin listening (slim to none) than a gang of rebels listening (absolutely none.)

 

[CyclopsRock]

The west was more than happy to draw up the shittiest divisions when it came to colonizing Africa, not giving a shit about dividing tribes and nations and ethnicities and even at times intentionally grouping them together so as to cause major conflicts. maybe they can help fix some of these fuck ups a bit.

How?

 

[CHEEZMO™]

The west was more than happy to draw up the shittiest divisions when it came to colonizing Africa, not giving a shit about dividing tribes and nations and ethnicities and even at times intentionally grouping them together so as to cause major conflicts. maybe they can help fix some of these fuck ups a bit.

[insert ethnic map of Africa here]

 

[twdnewh_k]

For many years, the Sudanese government was accused of violence in the south, with the army constantly in war with the rebels.

This is exactly why the government and army had to interfere.

Now that the South separated and is independent they started slaughtering eachother with much less resistance.

It is true the Northeners were very unfair to the Southeners and treated them terribly, but now here is the alternative.

 

[Parch]

Yikes. That's messed up. So much of that continent is complicated.

It's one thing to deal with or ignore conflict and atrocities between factions, but attacking a UN Peacekeeping base is bringing it to the world level. That's something that should not be ignored.

 

[Kimawolf]

Yikes. That's messed up. So much of that continent is complicated.

It's one thing to deal with or ignore conflict and atrocities between factions, but attacking a UN Peacekeeping base is bringing it to the world level. That's something that should not be ignored.

You'd think not. But it will be.

 

[HK-47]

Never again, eh?

 

[Mariolee]

Holy shit this is terrible

 

[liger05]

So the great plan to divide the country isnt working. No surprise there.

You wont hear much about this just like you dont see much maintream media on CAR. Muslims have been slaughtered there.

 

[Eighty Deuce]

The need to update the term from Ethnic cleansing to Ethnic slaughter.

 

[Kimawolf]

The need to update the term from Ethnic cleansing to Ethnic slaughter.

Yes you can tell that term ethnic cleansing was created to not sound as bad.

So how the hell do we solve this?

 

[Mesousa]

Would love to see how the world reacts to this. Making bogeymen out of the north for decades when the people in the south were, in large part, killing each other.

Let the record show that there were plenty of southern Sudanese men, women, and children in the north living peaceful lives and it was always this way. Khartoum was a land for all men.

REUNITE Sudan!

 

[Exr]

The west was more than happy to draw up the shittiest divisions when it came to colonizing Africa, not giving a shit about dividing tribes and nations and ethnicities and even at times intentionally grouping them together so as to cause major conflicts. maybe they can help fix some of these fuck ups a bit.

They did fuck up majorly but ethnic variety within Africa is insane, it's a difficult issue to attempt to fix.

 

[Kimawolf]

They did fuck up majorly but ethnic variety within Africa is insane, it's a difficult issue to attempt to fix.

But I am sure we can at least begin by admitting British Colonialism screwed up Africa. Then we can focus on fixing the exploitation issue a and try to stabilize some of the countries.

 

[ComputerMKII]

I knew the separation between North and South Sudan wouldn't end well.

 

[UltraMagnanimous]

But I am sure we can at least begin by admitting British Colonialism screwed up Africa. Then we can focus on fixing the exploitation issue a and try to stabilize some of the countries.

Not just the Brits:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Conference

 

[Jacob]

But I am sure we can at least begin by admitting British Colonialism screwed up Africa. Then we can focus on fixing the exploitation issue a and try to stabilize some of the countries.

I think most people recognize that the colonial boundaries have done a lot of damage in Africa. But part of the problem is that most post-independence leaders in Africa have not wanted to change the boundaries, which has prevented diplomatic solutions. Not that there has been pressure on them from other countries to change the boundaries, because any solution has the potential to get worse, and no one wants to be responsible for that. But I think that this is part of the reason* why these ethnic/religious conflicts keep boiling over.

*Obviously there are a lot of other factors that go into this as well, and I don't want to suggest this is the paramount one.

 

[BeerSnob]

So the great plan to divide the country isnt working. No surprise there.

You wont hear much about this just like you dont see much maintream media on CAR. Muslims have been slaughtered there.

You'll hear about as much about that as you will the Seleka and their crimes. For some reason no one seems to give a shit about Africa and it's got fuck-all to do with religion.

But I am sure we can at least begin by admitting British Colonialism screwed up Africa. Then we can focus on fixing the exploitation issue a and try to stabilize some of the countries.

Oh, it wasn't just the British, all the major power players had Colonial holdings. The French, Belgians etc also had loads of blood on their hands. With the fixed arbitrary borders one could argue their legacy of mucking things up continues.

 

[Joel Was Right]

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