The Old Woman's Tale

About the Book

What started as a cry for attention was used as an excuse to implement a policy of genocide where the Arab Janjaweed are used as surrogates to displace the African population of Darfur. The Janjaweed are entitled to all the land and plunder they can take. As the war progresses the African population are driven off their land and their belongings taken. In desperation the people have gone to Displaced Person (IDP) camps where they have no way of earning a living and they are becoming depended on foreign international relief organizations (NGOs) for survival. The NGOs found the lack of security frequently makes it dangerous to deliver the required assistance. In frustration the men join the militias or go to the big cities to earn money to send back to their families. As a result the women are left behind to care for their families in a poisonous environment where sexual crimes and crimes against children are condoned by the government and a matter of policy of their surrogate militias. Starvation, inadequate sanitation and medical support are the order of the day and education has been sacrificed to the winds of war. This then is the story of the women and children that are trying to survive in this environment. This is the fictionalize account of a real woman in that environment. All the major incidents in this story are real and only the names, locations and times have been changed.

About the Author