This Saddens Me :: Sudanese Troops Attack Darfur Refugee Camp

I go to this site every morning when I get to work, usually to find no new news stories from Africa, but today was different. There were several new articles to read up on. Now, I do get frustrated in the fact that I don't know what is the truth or not and who to trust in a particular conflict. Africa can be very complicated with so many tribes, governments, groups, rebel groups, and countries within it, but I try to make sense of what I read and figure it out for myself and do a little continued research on a subject.

Today, I read this.

And I don't know what to make of it. It seems to me that there are 2 scenarios that may have occur ed in this refugee camp...#1) the government backed military attacked a refugee camp in hopes to rid the camp of illegal weapons or #2) the refugees within the camp fired on some Sudanese military men who retaliated. I don't know where I see truth in these stories, they conflict one another and I don't know what to think. I just know that God knows what REALLY happened and I pray that H"is hand is involved in good and truth and beauty in the lives of those affected that day.

Either way, innocent lives were lost and innocent people were wounded. Why do the Sudanese government need bazookas, rocket-propelled grenades, and machine guns in a refugee camp? The military is supposed to protect its citizens, not be a threat to them.

I don't know what else to do besides pray for the innocence to continue to stay innocent and for safety and God's protection on those He desires to give it to.

And awareness. I am not in a position yet where I can go and make a difference, and maybe I will never be there the way I think, but I can open people's eyes to the happenings on that beautiful continent. So here I go, I tell you what I read,. learn and understand about Africa and I pray that you feel for them as much as I do, because if enough of us know what is going on and desire deeply to do something, amazing things can happen.

So join me.

Awareness Is Key :: Ethiopian War Crimes? American Non-Involvement? I Disagree.

U.S. accused of ignoring Ethiopia war crimes
Satellite images purportedly show destroyed villages near Somalia

Above is a satellite image taken Sept. 26, 2005, of the village of Labigah, Ethiopia. Below is an image taken Feb. 28, 2008, that an analysis by the American Association for the Advancement of Science says shows 40 structures removed or damaged. The analysis says the gray-white areas are possible evidence of burning.

NAIROBI, Kenya - The United States and other Western governments are ignoring clear evidence of war crimes by Ethiopia, a key U.S. ally that launched a military crackdown on rebels last year, a human rights group said Thursday. Separately, a U.S.-based science group said satellite images confirm reports that villages have been destroyed in the country's Ogaden region.

New York-based Human Rights Watch said America's relationship with Ethiopia means an alliance with a country repeatedly accused of violating human and political rights. In recent years, Ethiopia has become a U.S. partner in the fight against al-Qaida, which has been trying to sink roots in the Horn of Africa.

This makes me so sad. Based on this last statement, it looks like to me that the US government cares more about its own war on terrorism than it cares for people (how is that possible, you say? I have no clue.). The Ethiopian people have enough to deal with on their own, more than they can handle alone really. We need to make sure that they are cared for and I don't think that America is doing enough with the abundance of resources that we have avaliable to us.  I don't know what I can do to change this.  I want to make a difference, besides awareness, I don't know what to do.  I am just me.

Pray That This One Works

:: Headline ::

Kenya rival leaders sign power-sharing deal

Agreement seeks to end post-election violence that has left 1,000 dead

PEACE Corp Leaving Kenya

Isn't that what they are there for...to help promote peace. I understand that they are frusterated at not being very successful right now, but perserverence is definately a trait they need to have. I bet that the 58 people who remained and were pulled out yesterday are not the ones who wanted to leave. I think that Washington just didn't want any American's to die in the confilct there, so that we would not have to send troops there. Maybe we should, maybe those wonderful Peace Corp volunteers are who America needs to send to places like Kenya and Somalia to help our brothers and sisters in need there. If I were in the peace corp, times like these in Kenya would be what I would crave, I'd thrive on moments like these where I could put my training into action and bring peace, take care of people.

Anyways, that's what I am thinking, that's how I feel. Maybe I should join the peace corp...

Pray for Peace

This Morning's Front Page

There's a Little Hope

Here's the Headlines on msnbc.com:

Eastern Congo militia groups sign peace deal
Treaty calls for immediate
cease-fire in embattled African country

...but we all know what those African tribal peace treaties/cease-fires can be like. It's a sad reality that this could only be temporary. But maybe, just maybe, this one may work, this one may give the poor victims who have been forced from their homes, who have relatively no health care and no security to speak of, maybe this could allow them time to reset their lives, to flee and get to a place that can be safe. I feel the only safe place is in the arms of their Jesus. But I pray that they can find peace where they are.

The Current Kenyan Crisis

Here, where I live, if somone's preferred candidate loses a political race of somekind, no matter how/why they lost, we get upset, we show dissapointment; but never this. Kenya recently had national elections for a new President. Nearly 300 people have been killed in a clash of ethnic violence in the country in only a week since the elections, which are claimed to be rigged. msnbc.com described the events as "violence that has killed 300 people and displaced 100,000 in what was once lauded as among the most stable democracies in Africa." That is sad, not only that it is such violence and so many people are being hurt, killed, and negatively effected, but also that Kenya, once considered to be a stable democracy in Africa (which in itself are few and far between) is now expierenceing the atraucities similar to it's fellow African counrties, the Sudan and Rwanda, for example. BBC is claiming that over 180,000 people have been displaced due to this violence and over 350 have been killed. The UN's World Food Programe is despertaly trying to provide food for the 100,000 displaced people in the Valley Rift Area alone.

The church needs to step in.

These people desperatly need to be shown some love.

I don't know what I can do.




Here is a video of the violence. It is devestating.

Here is a article I read about the subject that got it on my mind, again. And here is another.

My Dreams.

I want to make a difference.

This is a good place to dream toward.

I can make a difference.

I will make a difference.