In Darfur, Sudan, a war began in 2003. Although attacks had been made on civilian villages by a militia group called the Janjaweed for many years, war was not officially declared until this time. These attacks have been considered possible genocide. Genocide according to Webster's dictionary is "the deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political, or cultural group."

     The Janjaweed is a government-sponsored Arab militia group that burns and pillages vilages of the black African ethnic groups Fur, Zaghawa, and Masaalit. Attacks are made from both the ground and the air. During these attacks, men and boys are killed while women and girls as young as 13 are raped in over half of the village attacks. Those who do escape do so with little more than the clothes they are wearing. From that point, they are forced to wander the desert in search of either neighboring Chad or a refugee camp. Sadly, few actually make it to Chad and most are stuck in Sudan. In the desert there is risk of more Janjaweed attacks, starvation, dehydration, heat exhaustion, and disease.

     Inside the refugee camps (one pictured right), however, there is not much more safety than in the desert. There is still the risk of attacks, starvation, dehydration, heat exhaustion, and disease. Additionally, there have been accounts of men being castrated and left to bleed out when they leave the camps in search of water or food. Likewise, women expose themselves to the chance of being raped if they leave the safety of the camps. In the village of Dureysa a woman was found beaten to death in the street as a result of resisting rape by the Janjaweed.

     Even though both the men of the Janjaweed and the victims of the attacks practice Islam, Mosques have been destroyed, Muslim leaders have been killed, and Korans have been burned. This is an example of the blind violence that is present during attacks.

     Relief efforts have been made by many different aides, but they are slowed by the Sudanese government. By doing so the blood of thousands is on the hands of the government.

     Although the amount of violence has declined since 2005, millions are still at risk and are without homes.