Brian Steidle
" They do the most horrific things to these people. They do not even look at these people as humans. " - Brian Steidle
Burning houses. Flying bullets. Cries for help. Huge throngs of people. This is just some of the things that you could clearly see or hear on the site of the Darfur Genocide. During the Darfur Genocide, over 400,000 people were killed. The Darfur Genocide is a genocide that occured in the western Sudanese region and it occurred because of Darfur's struggle for land, power, and position of importance.The Darfur Genocide is only one of the many recognized genocides by outside forces: forces like Brian Steidle, who was just one of the people who observed the genocide.
Brian Steidle, former U.S. Marine, was one of the three Americans hired by the African Union to document the Darfur Genocide. He arrived to Darfur in 2004 and the situation was already, only after one year, labeled a genocide. Being hired, he was instructed to do nothng but document everything by using e-mail, audio journals, notebook entries, and nearly 1,000 photographs.
Burning houses. Flying bullets. Cries for help. Huge throngs of people. This is just some of the things that you could clearly see or hear on the site of the Darfur Genocide. During the Darfur Genocide, over 400,000 people were killed. The Darfur Genocide is a genocide that occured in the western Sudanese region and it occurred because of Darfur's struggle for land, power, and position of importance.The Darfur Genocide is only one of the many recognized genocides by outside forces: forces like Brian Steidle, who was just one of the people who observed the genocide.
Brian Steidle, former U.S. Marine, was one of the three Americans hired by the African Union to document the Darfur Genocide. He arrived to Darfur in 2004 and the situation was already, only after one year, labeled a genocide. Being hired, he was instructed to do nothng but document everything by using e-mail, audio journals, notebook entries, and nearly 1,000 photographs.
Destruction of darfur
" This is systematic ethnic cleansing genocide. There's no other way to explain it. "-Brian Steidle
This is just one of the 1,000 pictures that Brian S. took while documenting the Darfur Genocide. It depicts the lives of many people being destroyed, one by one. This was no safe haven.
This is just one of the 1,000 pictures that Brian S. took while documenting the Darfur Genocide. It depicts the lives of many people being destroyed, one by one. This was no safe haven.
"The devil came on horse back"
"The Devil Came on Horseback" is a book prevailing the tragic events that occured in Darfur through the eyes of an American. It enlists all of the horrific killings, terrifying fires, and all of the chaos that arose as soon as he arrived to Darfur in 2004. Ultimately frustrated by the inaction of the international community, Steidle resigned in 2005 and returned to the U.S. to expose the images and stories of lives systematically destroyed. After just one year witnessing something as horrible as this, he had enough information to write a book and come out with a movie, The Devil Came on Horseback, giving a detailed visual aid to help understand exactly what he saw and documented.
" It was very diffucult for me to sit there and watch and grit my teeth and do nothing. " -Brian Steidle
It may be very easy to sit and try to visualize the events that took place in Sudan during the time Steidle was here, but to have actually been there is a completely different, disturbing view point. Being there was just a nightmare to watch, a bad dream, except you could not wake up and expect it to go away like a memory. Witnessing events of this genocide like Steidle would leave a long lasting impression in your mind, and leave you questioning yourself after you left Darfur saying, "what would I do if I was being attacked by other people who lived in my country" or "if I survived through a genocide, would I ever be the person I once was before?" .These are possible questions Steidle might have asked himself, since he was there to see everything, up close and personal. |
" This is not some type of tribal conflict in Sudan. " -Brian Steidle |
Conclusion
Burnings of entire villages. Constantly shooting.The Darfur Genocide is amongst the top five genocides able to be recognized by the U.S., and Brian Steidle is a very big factor of this genocide. With nearly 2,500,000 people displaced during this genocide, the Darfur Genocide should not soon be forgotten.
Burnings of entire villages. Constantly shooting.The Darfur Genocide is amongst the top five genocides able to be recognized by the U.S., and Brian Steidle is a very big factor of this genocide. With nearly 2,500,000 people displaced during this genocide, the Darfur Genocide should not soon be forgotten.
Bibliography
- "The History Channel." History.com. The History Channel Website, n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2013.
- "Preventing Genocide." Committee on Conscience. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2013.