Sudan

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Attrition: Why Darfur is Deadlier Than Iraq
While Iraq gets most of world’s attention for the fighting going on there, it’s not the place where the most people are being killed by ruthless terrorists. That dubious distinction would have to go to the Darfur region of western Sudan. The civilian and military deaths, from terrorist violence, in Iraq average less than fifty a day. In Sudan, the daily death toll is more than twice that, and possibly ten times that. The Sudan violence gets less media attention for several reasons. American and European media are not attracted to Sudan much because there are no American or European troops there. The Moslem media don’t cover Sudan much because it’s Moslems killing Moslems. Worse yet, it’s Arabic Moslems killing black Moslems because of ethnic differences, and disputes over water and land. Iraq, conversely, gets covered by everyone because there are American, and other Western troops, fighting in a Moslem country. There is also an access problem. Darfur is overrun with heavily armed rebels, marauders and bandits, who will kill a journalist without regard to possible bad press. Iraq is dangerous for journalists as well, but there are plenty of local stringers willing to do the legwork, and get the photos, for a fee. Such is not the case in Darfur, where the government actively discourages inquisitive journalists. This is largely due to the government support for the Arab speaking militias that are chasing their black countrymen off the land and into refugee camps, or early graves.

Collecting mortality data in Sudan has been difficult. But by interviewing refugees in the camps, and collecting death and sickness statistics there as well, it’s possible to get a good idea of how many have been killed by the government sponsored militias, and how many have died from disease and privation after being chased from their homes. Death toll estimates range from 73,000 to over 400,000 for the last two years. Even the low estimates amount to over twice the death toll in Iraq, and the actual deaths in Sudan appear, more and more, to be closer to the high end estimates. [...]