Janjaweed

The documentary me and my partner will be making is about the Janjaweed. The Janjaweed, also known as the 'Devils on Horseback', are the cause for a very major part in the suffering of the people in Sudan. In this post I will write facts about the Janjaweed and will try to consider of how much value they are for the documentary. The latter decision might be ethical, so feel free to have your own opinion.

The Janjaweed

• The Janjaweed are militiamen. The name is originally Arabic and has various English translations. The most common is Devils on Horseback. 

This is basic knowledge and is 100% sure to be put in the documentary. It is likely to be at the beginning. It will either be communicated to the audience by narration or words onscreen.

• It is known the Janjaweed have committed dozens of war crimes, from burning villages to mass genocide. 

This fact is very important and will be introduced early in the documentary. The next few facts will be an elaboration on this fact. 

•  In 2003 the people in Darfur started a revolution to make their living conditions better. The Sudanese government responded by using the Janjaweed. They armed the militia and sent them to kill, burn and rape. 

This revolution is important for the documentary as it provides key information on how this all started. 

• All Janjaweed are being supported by the government.

The government arms and supports the militia. Of course not openly, but it is quite obvious that they are. The UN and the Human Rights Watch have confirmed this. This fact should probably be told near the end of the documentary. This for extra effect and emotion. If done in the right way, the audience should be shocked by this fact after all other things they have heard earlier on in the documentary.

• The Janjaweed have killed thousands of farmers and refugees. They don't only strike in Sudan, they also reach just over the border with Chad to destroy the refugee camps of the people whoms village they have destroyed earlier. By 2007, estimates were that the Janjaweed have killed 200,000-400,000 civilians. Rape and spreading fear are also among the weapons of the Janjaweed and are practised often. Seeing burned down villages, some with the ashes still smoking, is a common sight in Darfur. 

This fact should be presented after there is announced that the Janjaweed have commited many crimes, as a quick follow up. 

• The UN and the UN Security Council have made several attempts at getting the Sudanese government to stop supporting and start disarming the militia. These attempts have been to no avail. The Sudanese government is effectively frustrating the UN by not cooperating and counteracting the measurements taken. The government still denies any link to the militia, but continues to provide the UN forces with difficulties and excuses. The conflict has reached a stalemate, as in that the UN can't do anything and Sudan doesn't want to do anything. The UN has stationed a small peacekeeping force on the border with Chad, but the force is way too small to protect all camps. The fighting will continue with no end in sight.

This fact should also be at the end, maybe after the 'Militia supported by government' fact. These two facts are not put at the end because they are not important, but rather so they would create a bigger effect on the audience.