Lynsey Addario: Artist Statement

Darfur was propelled into the international spotlight in 2003, when armed conflict broke out between local rebel groups and Sudanese government forces and their proxies, the Janjaweed. A vast multiethnic region of farmers and herdsmen in western Sudan, Darfur has since become synonymous with ethnic cleansing, as 2.5 million civilians—over 1/3 of Darfur's population—have been forced from their homes by Janjaweed soldiers and other government-backed militias. These mass expulsions have been accompanied by a litany of atrocities, including wholesale destruction of villages, murder, rape, and looting. Though the Sudanese government repeatedly denies involvement in these crimes, there is an abundance of evidence to contradict their claims. The Janjaweed—who wear uniforms similar or identical to those of government soldiers—often attack in concert with the Sudanese army.

I began this photo essay in several of the refugee camps in Chad, where Darfurians continue to stream across the border in search of safety and humanitarian aid. The massive number of refugees has overwhelmed the resources of aid groups, and the few camps that exist are sites of devastation and desperation, lacking infrastructure, food, and medical services. Every refugee has a tale of torture and a fear of future attacks; many women have been raped.

From the camps, I walked with a few colleagues across the border from Chad into Sudan, to try to document the reality on the ground in Darfur. We traveled for seven days with one of the rebel groups, the Sudanese Liberation Army, across the desert and through burnt-out villages, some littered with the bodies of villagers allegedly killed in an attack by Janjaweed forces. The internally displaced people who remain in Darfur hide behind skeletal bushes and in the hills, with little food or water.

A ceasefire brokered between the government and the two rebel groups in 2004 has not stopped the genocide in Darfur. And despite attempts by the United Nations and the African Union to find a way out of the conflict, the situation today remains as dire, if not more so, than it was a few years ago. Meanwhile, the government continues to disavow responsibility for the actions of the Janjaweed, who go on pillaging with impunity, as Darfur falls further into darkness.