Stalemate

Sitting with rebel soldiers nestled in the deep valleys of the Jebel Marra mountain range, one gets the appearance of a very different conflict then seen from the government side. But as always, appearances can be deceiving. The rebel commanders talk flowingly about fighting against injustice, for a homeland, for a voice in the government. Amongst the tragedy that surrounds this conflict it is easy to want to be swayed by these smooth talkers. One wants to believe that the fighting has a purpose, that there is some sort of noble goal at the end of this long struggle, as though some kind of grand ideal can make all of this bloodshed worth while.

The truth is often much harsher then the surface reality. Speaking with some of the rebel soldiers, one of them explained to me his love for Israel. The fact that he was a Muslim of course made me curious about this statement, especially in light of the fact that he had never met an Israeli. He went on to explain that all SLA (non-signatory rebel group) love Israel because Israel kills Arabs and the SLA supports anyone who kills Arabs. His story progressed into the details of how Arab nomads had raided his village and killed his family and how his goal now was to kill any Arab he saw.

This is not an attempt to form a commentary on the young boy’s remarks. I cannot begin to understand the type of pain that must come from witnessing the death of your family at the hands of others, nor comprehend the type of anguish that would lead a person to want to kill another human being. I am also not trying to make a statement about Israel and Arab relations and its role in a world context. I am simply trying to point out the unfortunate foundation of this conflict and many other like it throughout the world. In the end it comes down to the simple misunderstanding, mistrust, and ultimately hatred of the always feared “other”. In the case of this SLA boy the word Arab will suffice for the “other”, but just about any other group will do…Palestinian, Jew, Black, Mexican, etc. The easiest person to hate is the one you do not know. So we all collectively keep our distance and build our walls, as though not knowing the “other” will make them go away.

We live in a world of walls in a vain attempt to keep fear out. But in the end our self made walls simply separate us from the unknown and serve to multiply a fear we cannot control. The rebels use the mountains of Jebel Marra as much as the government uses a military check point. But as long as these lines are drawn in the sand and the walls are hidden behind there cannot be peace.

This is the reality of Darfur… as much as it’s the reality of every where else in the world, and we keep building more walls and wonder why we can’t live in peace.