In the last month the situation in Sudan has become the focus of international attention. Initially the magnitude of the Sudan story wasn’t evident, so Knight Ridder’s early coverage was handled by interns. As the only photography intern I was able to watch this story unfold from the first news conference in the cramped Senate Radio and TV Gallery.
The early alarm about the crisis in Sudan was sounded by Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) and Representative Frank Wolf (R-VA) in a July 6 press conference where they described their diplomatic visit to western Sudan to investigate allegations of human rights abuses. Brownback and Wolf showed video and photos of the devastation in the Darfur region. Arab militiamen called Janjaweed have been conducting ethnic cleansing of black African Muslims. An estimated 300,000 black African Muslims have been murdered with more than 1 million driven from their homes and villages, according to Human Rights Watch.
During the press conference the lawmakers described the terror that reigns in Darfur. 
Men who venture out of their camps are shot. Women face barbaric abuse at the hands of the Janjaweed. Senator Brownback showed drawings by young children that include military symbols such as machine guns and military planes.
Exactly a week after the first press conference Sen. Brownback and Sen. Jon Corzine (D-NJ) introduced legislation in the Senate declaring the situation in Sudan a genocide. The diplomatic offensive against Sudan has been supported by politicians and activists across the political spectrum, from conservative Republicans like Brownback, Wolf, and and Rep. Henry Hyde (R-IL), to Congressional Black Caucus members like Reps. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) and Bobby Rush (D-IL). In the last two weeks the movement to take action against Sudan has gained momentum. According to the The Guardian, Tony Blair is reviewing options for sending troops to Sudan for peacekeeping and relief work.
In a bipartisan press conference on July 13, Brownback laid out a course of action for the United States and the United Nations. There was an urgent tone to the conference because of the mounting devastation. The approaching rainy season will only worsen the conditions in refugee camps. Brownback bluntly warned, "The world must not forget them in their time of need like we did in Rwanda about a decade ago"
Thursday (Aug 5) President Bush issued a renewed call for peace in Sudan. Unfortunately Sudan presents many of the same factors that have complicated US involvement in Iraq–UN cowardice, warring religious factions, lack of multilateral support, and the prospect of accusations of fighting for oil. Proponents of American action in Sudan argue that the lack of international interest in the plight of the black African Muslims is merely racism masquerading. If this sort of ethnic cleansing were happening to Europeans the international community would be up in arms.
You can see my coverage of the Sudan story for KRT in News photos #3 gallery.