The savagery in the Nuba Mountains of South Kordofan echoes of Darfur, writes Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times.
Kristof was referring to the mass atrocity in this part of Sudan: The government has been starving, “massacring,” raping and bombing its people. Bombs drop in the area every couple of hours. People hiding in the caves, including children, are eating leaves and pieces of wood to survive.
The two-time Pulitzer Prize winner went to Sudan and, along with thousands of Nuba people, cowered deep in the rocks when an Antonov bomber plane buzzed overhead. He said tens of thousands have been living in caves since June — the time the government began going house to house, killing families that have ties to rebels.
The situation on the ground has received little attention: Kristof said the government has succeeded in concealing the savagery by barring international aid agencies and journalists from the conflict-torn state. He said Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has killed more than Syrian President Bashar Assad.
The courage of the Nuba people is admirable, but they can only last for so long. The international community needs to step in before the government completely devours its own people.
Read more:
Sudan allows some overseas participation in conflict-torn state
Sudan maintains stance on international aid access to 2 states
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About the author
Jenny Lei Ravelo@JennyLeiRavelo
Jenny Lei Ravelo is a Devex Senior Reporter based in Manila. She covers global health, with a particular focus on the World Health Organization, and other development and humanitarian aid trends in Asia Pacific. Prior to Devex, she wrote for ABS-CBN, one of the largest broadcasting networks in the Philippines, and was a copy editor for various international scientific journals. She received her journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas.
