The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been plagued by violence, corruption, and poor governance for decades. Since the Second Congo War in 1998, conflict in eastern DRC has claimed over 5.4 million lives, and displaced more than three million people. Various militia groups and government forces are both responsible for committing heinous crimes…
On April 17, 1975, the Khmer Rouge, under the leadership of Pol Pot, took control of Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia. Over the course of the next four years, the Khmer Rouge murdered nearly two million people while attempting to establish a strictly Communist society. The Khmer Rouge sought to transform Cambodia into…
In 2005, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) ended Sudan’s decades-long civil war and provided the southerners an option to vote to secede from Sudan. On July 9, 2011, South Sudan became an independent country with the support of the United States. Two years after independence growing tensions within the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM)…
Sudan has undergone two civil wars spanning decades, resulting in an estimated 2 million deaths and 3.1 million displaced. In 2003, rebels from the western region of Sudan, known as Darfur, rose up against the government in Khartoum, claiming inequitable treatment of the “African” Sudanese population. The government responded by recruiting the Janjaweed, an Arab…
Today we mark the 22nd anniversary of the Rwandan genocide. April 6, 1994 began 100 days of horrific violence and slaughter that would leave nearly one million Tutsis and moderate Hutus dead. Looking back at the Rwandan genocide, we are reminded of the countless warning signs that went unheeded, the propaganda that poisoned the minds…
The Holocaust refers to the systematic persecution and murder of about six million Jews during World War II by the Nazi regime and its supporters. The Nazis used the phrase “Final Solution” to speak of their plan to wipe out the Jewish people. Under the leadership of Adolf Hitler, the systematic targeting of the Jews…
April 1st is the first day of Genocide Awareness and Prevention Month, a month of remembrance, reflection, and action. The anniversaries of several genocides take place in April—including Rwanda, Cambodia, and Armenia—with Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) falling on May 5th this year. Jewish World Watch will be sharing a series of blogs and social media…
Twenty five student leaders from universities across the United States call on Secretary Kerry to send a clear message to President Kabila of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that he cannot extend his time in office. In a letter sent to the Secretary of State, these student leaders from Jewish World Watch, the Enough…
As we take the day to celebrate the achievements of women around the world and appreciate the significant roles of women globally, we must also acknowledge that in 2016, women and girls continue to be disproportionately affected by violence, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In 2010, Margot Wallstrom, the United Nations…
Today marks the 7th anniversary of the International Criminal Court (ICC) issuing an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for war crimes and crimes against humanity. In 2008, chief prosecutor of the ICC, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, brought the case against Bashir stating that there was evidence that the President implemented a strategic plan to destroy…