Searching For Jacob

Scott Pelley Reports On The Genocide In Darfur

(CBS)  This segment was originally broadcast on Oct. 22, 2006. It was updated on July 16, 2008.

It hardly seems possible, but the genocide in Darfur continues. Correspondent Scott Pelley first reported this story two years ago, as the government in Sudan launched a new offensive of ethnic cleansing.

Today, more than 300,000 people are dead and more than two million are refugees in the Sahara.

To understand what is happening in Darfur, 60 Minutes came upon on the story of a boy named Jacob. We know him only because his name is on schoolbooks found in the ashes of his home. Jacob's village was wiped out. Our team saw his books in a museum. We didn't know whether Jacob was alive or whether we could find him, but we decided to try. Our search turned into a remarkable journey into a place we were forbidden to travel, looking for a boy swept up in the 21st century's first genocide.

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The search for Jacob began at the United States Holocaust Memorial in Washington D.C. Dedicated to never letting genocide happen again, it now finds itself with fresh evidence in a new exhibit.

John Prendergast brought the remains from Jacob’s village to Washington and to the Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles. In the Clinton White House, he led a team that imposed economic sanctions on Sudan. Now, he's with something called the "Enough Project", pressing for action in Darfur.

"We found in a book bag, a series of notebooks," Prendergast explains. "Clearly the kid who was doing math and spelling homework and the teacher has corrected it with a red pen."

The kid, Jacob, must have been 16 when his village was destroyed. 60 Minutes packed his books and left on a 7,000-mile journey.

One reason the Sudanese government is getting away with murder is that the scene of the crime is about as far away as a place can be. 60 Minutes hired a bush plane to drop the team in Chad along the Sudanese border. There was no runway, just rocks marking a strip in the Sahara. There are no roads either. We crossed with Jacob’s books during the rainy season, when all the rain of the year falls in just a few weeks. But this wasn’t the hard part.

Our problem was, Jacob’s story starts in a place we were forbidden to go. Darfur is occupied by government troops. Jacob's town, Hangala, is 50 miles inside. The U.S. State Department warned 60 Minutes not to try to go there.

If our team could get to Hangala, rebels who call themselves the National Redemption Front could help. It’s their families who are being massacred, and they agreed to give us cover to Hangala.

And so 60 Minutes crossed the border. We asked the Sudanese government for permission to come into Darfur but we didn't get it, which was no surprise - the Sudanese have been trying to keep reporters and other observers out of this area. They've intensified that effort lately. In just the last few weeks two journalists have been captured making this run.

You can look at it this way: back in 1944, the Germans didn’t want anybody coming in and seeing their death camps. Today in Sudan, the government doesn’t want anybody coming in and seeing what amount to death villages.

It’s a five hour trip, but in the rainy season the gun trucks sank to their axels. We dug them out, and did it again every hour or so. In time, we picked up speed, and it was a good thing. Five hours turned to 12. By the time the group reached Hangala, there were 45 minutes of daylight left. The rebels put scouts on the high ground and surrounded the village.

Before the attack, Hangala was a typical village, with a population of roughly 500; afterwards, the entire village was burned down.

Asked why the entire village was destroyed, Prendergast says it's a message. "It’s a message to non-Arab people in Darfur. 'We do not want you in Darfur.'"

It's a message delivered by Sudanese troops and a racist Arab militia called the Janjaweed.

[reply60min]

4/4
Or the complete lack of independent media in afganistan or somolia leaves only the %u201Cembed%u201D version %u2013 see zoriah.com) in Palestine, add that to 1.3M killed in iraq and 4.5M displaced (notice how the west buys favors with aid to Jordan and Egypt who have to provide welfare for some of these displaced (besides the Palestinians from Israel), but syira, Lebanon and others have to suffer unaided the ills produced by the west), and you see exactly WHY the west has no moral footing to stand on in denouncing what goes on in darfur. Sudan now points the finger back at the west for torture and apparently they think it must be acceptable if the west can fly the %u201Cmissing%u201D to Uzbekistan, Egypt, Jordan and elsewhere to be tortured. Diversion, hypocrisy, and confused moral principle, offers up %u201Clet the U.S. control Middle East oil%u201D (iraq, iran, turkministan/afganistan/Pakistan oil transit, with proxy military forces in undemocratic Israel) and we will turn a blind eye and let china have sudan%u2019s oil.

[reply60min]

3/4
Listen to democracynow%u2019s 7/7/08 program and you will get a glimpse of the media blackout Israel imposes on reporting their atrocities. Rarely footage does get out like the recent bbcworld tank fire at the video journalist, earlier programs of breaking of stone thrower%u2019s arms, and lately the bound wall protester purposefully shot at close range with a rubber coated steel bullet. Palestinians forced to submit to holding Israeli identity papers is reminiscent of Star of David patches on jews by the occupier. They are not free to travel, are denied medical aid at the whim of guards at scattered checkpoints, made to be humble to their oppressors, made dependent on occupiers for water, food and fuel %u2013 fishermen are even shot at for trying to lad a catch off gaza%u2019s waters. 40+ years of 6B/yr arming Israel, intimidation and torture to drive out the people, media blackout (just like the west bombing aljazeera%u2019s news and denying them any reporting outlet in iraq.

[reply60min]

2/4
Have a look at annainthemiddleeast.com dvd and see how extremists in the occupied Palestine drove out inhabitants by sniping at them then poisoning their only well with dead animals and scattered poisoned pellets for the grazing animals to feed on. In pappe%u2019s %u201Cethnic cleansing of palestine%u201D you will see a surviving photograph of the first instance of %u201Cdriving them into the sea%u201D %u2013 except they were the people of der yasin. Read goerenberg%u2019s %u201Caccidental empire%u201D and you will realize Israel was birthed from stern gang terrorists who learned the tatics from europe%u2019s wars. Stop by ifamericansknew.com and realize how biased the west%u2019s news is. Media bias was documented by a Swedish report a few years ago. You can see it recently - A truce (for gaza) is declared. Israel assassinates 2 students in their dorms in the west bank. 2 hours later outraged, rockets fly from gaza.(doing no damage), and the headline is %u201Ctruce broken%u201D. If you are lucky they might mention of 2 murdered in the west bank, but it is often buried and reversed ordered so that cause and effect are completely hidden.

[reply60min]

1/4
The situation in darfur is bad but the real reason why so little is done is because the west endorses exactly the same ethnic cleansing, torture and terrorism on civilians. The west is no saint in funneling weapons money (%u201Caid%u201D) to cleanse Palestine of it%u2019s people. It is pure hypocrisy (or a crafty diversion of guilt) that the %u201Ccause%u201D is taken up by %u201Cthe holocaust museum%u201D and %u201Dmuseum of tolerance%u201D. Sharon realized Israel wouldn%u2019t survive as a %u201Cdemocracy%u201D because they would be a non-controlling minority, so they embarked on a program to deny building permits, charge higher rates for water, destroy utilities and roads, bulldoze orchards to deny income etc. in east Jerusalem all to drive out the %u201Cun-tolerated%u201D arab population. The only way to survive %u201C1 vote/1 person%u201D was to ethnically cleanse regions (east Jerusalem) and then promote the 2 state division.. Even the black jews from Ethiopia are relegated to outskirts like shabba farms (which Israel expects to relinquish) %u2013 tolerance?

[lalah1]

Does anybody here remember Idi Amin? After he was finished killing as many as 500,000 people. He was exiled. Nobody wanted him. Saudi Arabia wanted him. They allowed him to live out his golden years in peace, because he %u201Cfurthered the cause of Islam.%u201D Saudi Arabia is probably preparing a retirement home for Omar al-Bashir at the moment. Those Islamists are such nice people; they really take care of their own.

[lalah1]

If there were a contest for the nastiest of Muslims, which one would win:
1. Muqtada al-Sadr''s Shiite militia
2. Al-Queda-type Saudi Arabian Sunnis who practice Wahabism
3. Sudan''s Janjaweed
4. Hezbollah
5. Chechen Rebels
6. Hamas suicide bombers
7. Fatah al-Islam suicide bombers
8. The Taliban
9. Somalian Muslim militias
10. Pakistani Sharia ''lawyer'' Clerics who support ''honor'' killings

[lalah1]

Darfur is just one more Muslim/Arab killfest. We''ve come to expect it, because that''s how they are. 60 minutes likes to blame the U.S.A.; but until the primitive tribal ways of Muslims and Arabs evolve; nothing can be done to help. Why don''t the Saudis or Palestein or Syria or Iran or any of the "persecuted" Muslim-types go in there and fix it. Probably because they don''t like to waste money. Unlike the U.S.A. who is too generous and caring for its own good.

[chaneymark]

Wow, in typical 60 minutes/Scott Pelley fashion the US is blamed for everything. Where is the UN - maybe they could sanction Sudan! Where are all these bleeding heart liberals and the Europeans to solve this problem. Once again the only ones who can handle this are the US military. You guys make me sick. Come on use diplomacy! Idiots.

[routemaster1]

Sudan has been accused of conducting Genocide in Darfur on this program, and everywhere else. It is awful, but not genocide. Here are my clarifications, based on my limited knowledge:
1) Darfurians are not suffering an unprovoked attack. They are in rebellion against the Sudanese government. (We usually attack rebels, whether in our Civil War, in Vietnam, or in Iraq.)
2) Darfurians are not being systematically exterminated. It%u2019s ethnic cleansing.
3) The Janjaweed are not Arabs. It is a battle between two black groups.
4) Sudan has been under attack by the West for decades. Previously the West defended the rebellion of John Garang in southern Sudan. Sudan amazingly resolved this, and right afterwards the Darfur %u201Cgenocide%u201D broke out.
5) We hear little about the bigger war in the eastern Congo that has cost millions of lives. Why?
Why is the West so hostile towards the Sudan? Maybe because:
1) Sudan is a radical Muslim country, sheltering Osama bin Laden at one point, so we don%u2019t like it. (to be continued)

[pyerezvon]

2) Sudan, Burma, and the U.S. are the only former British colonies to refuse to join the British Commonwealth. Britain needs some fear technique to keep others in. These three countries are among those most often accused of human rights abuse.
3) Sudan, a large independent Arab country, is considered a threat by Israel. %u201CGenocide%u201D seems to be a code word to say that the world must threaten Sudan simply because of this.
4) We are trying to keep China out of Africa %u2013 but this is only a recent issue.
5) Sudan contains the site of the proposed Jonglei Canal, which would dramatically help Africa and North Africa develop, thus thwarting the western goal of keeping third world countries third world.
I don%u2019t know which of these are the main factors. If we want to actually help the people of Darfur, we should at least start with the following clarification:
The Darfur natives have rebelled against the government of Sudan, due to the oppressive conditions that they have been living under. In response, the Sudan government, or the Janjaweed, is conducting a territorial war, or ethnic cleansing. We need to get this war resolved (without name-calling).

[pyerezvon]

2) Sudan, Burma, and the U.S. are the only former British colonies to refuse to join the British Commonwealth. Britain needs some fear technique to keep others in. These three countries are among those most often accused of human rights abuse.
3) Sudan, a large independent Arab country, is considered a threat by Israel. %u201CGenocide%u201D seems to be a code word to say that the world must threaten Sudan simply because of this.
4) We are trying to keep China out of Africa %u2013 but this is only a recent issue.
5) Sudan contains the site of the proposed Jonglei Canal, which would dramatically help Africa and North Africa develop, thus thwarting the western goal of keeping third world countries third world.
I don%u2019t know which of these are the main factors. If we want to actually help the people of Darfur, we should at least start with the following clarification:
The Darfur natives have rebelled against the government of Sudan, due to the oppressive conditions that they have been living under. In response, the Sudan government, or the Janjaweed, is conducting a territorial war, or ethnic cleansing. We need to get this war resolved (without name-calling).

[jcr103]

Ever notice how the uneducated always play the "blame America" card when they are confronted with something more than a surface level analysis of international issues? Perhaps ignorance is truly bliss?

[burkhartrl]

Sudan''s leaders at the UN could easily mock George Bush -- Our president has, in 7+ years, destroyed America''s reputation in the world. We are now a nation that promotes torture. If the John Hopkins report on morbidity in Iraq is to be believed George Bush is responsible for at least twice as many deaths in Iraq as Khartoum''s leaders have wrought in Darfur.

[trimmichael]

I don''t believe totally that the people are prosecuted simply because they are not Arabs, although Arabs have been destroying ethnic African for centuries. However, are there any prospects of oil being found there? Are they holding the American people ransom for oil and info on terror? People are worried about Afghanistan? What are they doing about blatant genocide in Dafur? Enough is enough.

[rnorton1212]

Your Darfur report is another "Blame America First" story that fails to mention anything about China''s dealings with the Sudanese Government and China''s efforts to prevent any action against the genocide by the United Nations.

[steverbonds]

I was mesmerized by this story. Like many, I have chosen to ignore the news about Darfur..."there are so many that need help", was my rationale...how can we police the world? The current administration has been strongly criticized for the U.S. efforts in Iraq...we forget about the mass murders that took place under the former dictator and how, through this highly controversial war, we have at least stopped the genocide in Iraq. And now Darfur...and Jacob. I can''t imagine working so hard to find this young man only to interview him and then leave him at this camp. Is there no way we can get some of these bright young people with little or no living family members out of Darfur? I would help financially and I would have to think others would as well. What can we do?

[theandante]

Thank you Scott Pelley for giving a finger to the darkness of the Sudanese government and going in anyway and shining a light in there. Evil prevails when good men do nothing. That is the ONLY time it prevails. We''re all good men but we''re not doing anything.

[jodiehawkins]

The situation in Darfur is spelled out in Don Cheadle (star of Hotel Rawanda) and John Pendergast's new book, NOT ON OUR WATCH. The book gives the reader a variety of ways in which individual citizens can help stop the genocide in Darfur. Among the ways suggested are: (1)writing personal letters to your represenative in Congress, (2)calling for divestment from institutions involved with the Sudanese government. (I was surprised to read that my own California Teachers Pension program had invested in Sudan. Luckily they were persuaded to divest.) (3) Contact news organizations and question their lack of coverage on Darfur. You'd be surprised at the lack of coverage on Darfur (outside of 60 Minutes) versus the amount of time spent on Paris Hilton's jail sentence or Tom Cruise's marriage.

If you are really interested in becoming an advocate for the people of Darfur, I would suggest you check out the ENOUGH website at www.enoughproject.org or take a look at Don Cheadle and John Pendergast's book. You'll get a first hand look at what's really behind the tragedy in Darfur and some great, simple tips on how you can get involved. I don't think any of us want to have future generations judge us as the generation that just sat by and did nothing.

[lewismary74]

I realized after the rally and in speaking with Daowd that we as humans have to do more to get our Governments to do something. I am convinced that we need to get people of influence involved so that they can show the world what is happening in Darfur. But we need to take action now.
This is a genocide that has been given the start date of April 2003, when in fact it started long before that. If you are so inclined to learn the truth about Darfur I urge you to go to http://www.damanga.org/newsroom/reports/1999/report_040899.html. there you will find a letter from Darfuri refugees titled: An open letter to the international community: The hidden slaughter and ethnic cleansing in western Sudan. This is a letter that was written by the people of Darfur. This is a genocide that has been occurring for the better part of 15 years, it is only since 2003 when the rebels said enough is enough and started to fight for their land and their freedom which the government of Khartoum is taking by any means necessary.

With Peace and Hope the People of Darfur will have their ancestral lands returned to them someday soon.

If this story touched your heart and you want to do something, please educate your friends and family and neighbors. www.savedarfur.com has some wonderful educational material to help assist in exposing the world to the horrors of The Sudan.

[lewismary74]

The Meaning of Damanga
The damanga is the most important part of a family%u2019s home. Sometimes written %u201CDamanka%u201D or %u201CDabunga,%u201D it is a large storage vessel used by Sudanese farmers to preserve food. It takes women between three days and a week to build a damanga, made from mounds of a mixture of clay, water and dried grass, because each layer needs to dry before the next layer can be piled on. After the damanga is completed, it is left for two weeks to bake in the sun until it is completely dry. When it hardens, the damanga becomes very heavy and cannot be moved or carried. A hut is usually built over the damanga so as to protect it from the torrents of water during the rainy season.
Damangas are used to store crops (e.g. maize and corn) to keep them from spoiling and these provisions can be lifesaving rations in the event of a famine. Farmers sometimes hide their money or other valuables in the bottom.
This unique aspect of Sudanese farmers%u2019 daily life gave birth to the Arabic adage %u201Cal-donya Damanka derdogo Beshaish%u201D (%u201Dthe world is like a Damanga, roll it carefully%u201D), which essentially means that life is precious and the world is filled with danger and risk, so be careful and take it easy, or it could be destroyed (like a fragile damanga that will break if rolled hastily).