Oil

Oil in Sudan
• In the 1970’s oil was discovered in southern Sudan.
• Sudan has an estimated $45-billion (U.S.) in oil reserves.
• In 2001, Khartoum sold $580 million dollars worth of oil, 60% of it went to the military to buy weapons from other countries.
• The Canadian-based Talisman Energy was one of the first companies to exploit Sudanese oil, paying Khartoum more than $1 million a day in money.
• The estimated oil revenue for the Sudanese government is $1,000,000 per day.
• Estimated oil reverses in Sudan range from 300 million to 3 billion barrels.

-Patrick Traverse

Toy Soldiers

In Sudan, when villages are raided boys young enough to still be raised in a different culture are taken. Any boy big enough to hold a gun is taken and conscripted into a militia. Whether they choose to or not they go through intense training to drive them to killing. Once on the inside they are given alcohol to stay with the militia.-Max

U.S. acknowledgement

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8364-2004Sep9.html

Click on the above website and read it thoroughly. What do you think about the U.S government just recently (2004) acknowledging genocide in Sudan?

-Sara

Justice

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2005/jun/07/sudan.jeevanvasagar

Do you think it will work if Khartoum is brought to court? Will the genocide stop completely?What do you think about the fact that if problems are brought to authorities, they aren't taken care of? "Women in Darfur have told the Guardian the police refused to listen to their claims. Midwives in the refugee camps said police failed to act despite evidence, including injuries from beatings which often accompanied the rapes. One midwife in a camp near El Geneina said: "If a girl goes to the police, the police tell her: 'It is better for you not to say anything about this rape.' We have seen cases where women were injured. One had a cut to her neck from a knife, another was struck on the head by an axe."

-Sara

The River Gilo

The struggle at Gilo River was a big accomplishment for Valentino. At the thought that he couldn’t swim, he had to go across a crowded river while soldiers are surrounding and shooting. The water was filled with blood and women, men, and kids of all ages are struggling to get across the river. Along with being shot at, alligators surrounded and started to bite at people. Hundreds of people died. Throughout this section of the book, what do you think was the most powerful point of imagery? In this situation, would you stop and help other people get across, or would you only worry about getting yourself across first?

-Val Hall