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After emigrating to the U.S in 1998, she returned to Sudan for a visit in 2000. She believes this trip brought her face-to-face with the beginning of the mass targeting of Darfuris in Sudan. At that time, according to Tibin, the government was targeting individual tribes for ‘Cleaning,’ and she, like many others, did not see the larger picture: “People didn’t think that the government would come for their tribe next.”
“At that time, we already called the rebels Janjaweed, but it was still something new to see these men on horses with guns,” says Tibin. While in Niyla, the capital of Southern Darfur for six months, she says that Janjaweed robbed the local bank. The Government blamed this on the Zaghawa Tribe and used the excuse to occupy their town for three days, according to Tibin, while the real perpetrators were shortly jailed before being allowed to walk away. “This government was using the Janjaweed to terrorize Darfur long before the escalation in 2003,” says Tibin. “They went to wash away Zaghawa tribe in 2000, and people from all over the nation ignored it.”
DR. Ali B. Ali-Dinar, president of Darfur Alert Council and former resident of El-Fasher, Darfur, also spoke to the sliding escalation that everyone saw coming but no one could stop. He claims that shortly before Shegifat was contacted on his cell phone by his future tormenters, the government systematically began to funnel communication into monitored paths. By demanding that all residents register their phones, the government sought to further tighten its grip. He said of some areas, the phone company, which the government in part owns, had already begun to shut down service to unregistered phones.
The only way to corroborate and validate incredible reports, like Shegifat’s is by amassing and comparing reports for similarities and inconsistencies. It appears the Sudanese Government knows this and is taking all the steps possible to silence Darfuris. Shegifat’s status as a legitimate journalist, with years of collective reporting and a powerful first-hand experience represent something very dangerous to those who allegedly perpetuate these atrocities.
Groups like DAC are working every available channel to find and bring these accounts to light, but they fear progressive crackdowns like the one of private communication may make the stories like Shegifat’s even more rare. Given the olympian efforts of the DAC to obtain Shegifat’s freedom, the current rarity of these stories is no surprise. Conversely it shows the great power advocacy, especially American, to interrupt the government’s mission to further suffocate the tortured voices of Darfur.
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