We’re dead citizens - Haitians in Dominican Republic

The mention of Carribean often brings to mind sunny beaches and tanned smiling European tourists in beautiful and idylic holiday resorts.

In this news clip for Al Jazeera, Rob Reynolds reports on the lesser known aspect of the Dominican Republic - the plight of Haitian immigrant workers who are sometimes smuggled into the country as cheap labour for the sugar industry.

In his report, he claims that at least 500,000 to a million Haitian immigrants work back breaking 15 to 18 hours day in these sugar cane plantations, for a miserable average daily wage of 3 dollars. The workers chop, carry, load and reload these sugar canes which are then shipped directly to U.S.

It is estimated that the country imported 185,000 tons of Dominican sugar worth 74 million dollars in 2006; of which little goes back to the workers.

One of the workers who was interviewed said, “It’s very tough work but I don’t have other options.” Another worker who has an injury on one of his hands said he has to continue working despite having no medication “because if I don’t work, I don’t eat”.

The workers live in shanty towns, with no water supplies except a single pump and “medical care rudimentary at best”. They also face racial discrimination and violence as they are illegal immigrants and as such, possess few rights in the country.

Says one of the human rights campaigners who best sums it up, “We are being deprived of our civil and political rights. It’s as if we don’t exist. We’re dead citizens.”

More violence in Darfur and region

According to a Reuters report dated October 9, a Sudanese army attacked and killed at least 45 people in the Darfur town of Muhajiriya. It does not include the number of 80 people missing and injured. The statement came from the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA). SLA had signed a May 2006 peace deal with Khartoum and became part of the government.

In a separate report from AFP, the Sudanese military denied that it was responsible for the assaults and the attacks were caused by inter- tribal rivalry.

The region seems to be heading for more violence.

Amnesty International has urged the UN to sent troops to the area after it cited reports that shows the Sudan military is gathering “in large numbers” in at least six towns in northern Darfur, including Tine, Kornoy, Um Baru and Kutum.

Tawanda Hondora, deputy director of Amnesty’s Africa programme, was quoted in an AFP article, “

“The northern area of North Darfur is under the control of armed opposition groups and it looks as though the Sudan Armed Forces want to attack this area before peace talks scheduled to take place in Libya before the end of the month,”

A senior U.N. official, the peacekeeping chief, Jean-Marie Guehenno has also expressed similar sentiments about escalating violence in the region. In a news conference, he said,”There is a serious risk of the Darfur situation going beyond Darfur.”

Human Rights Violations in Darfur Deserves Attention

The situation in Darfur deserves immediate attention. That is why the UN has approved a 26,000 strong keeping force to expand the 7,000 African Union (AU) troops.1 The UN Secretary General, Mr Ban, will also be visiting Darfur, Chad and Libya to “promote a political solution to the conflict in Darfur and test the Sudanese government’s commitment to speedy deployment of a 26,000-strong force in the region.” according to Associated Press.2

According to Amnesty International, the Sudanese government has continued to breach the UN arms embargo and peace agreements by using weapons supplied by the Russia and China to attack innocent civilians3.
Reports from UN and other human rights organisations indicate that serious human rights violations are still occurring. They include include bombing villages and water points; allowing the Janjaweed militia to enter villages and slaughter men, rape the women and carry out looting.

Oxfam America, in its updated July 2007 report on Darfur4, says that as many as “2.5 million people have fled their homes and are living in vast, crowded camps both in Darfur and across the border in Chad. More than 4.5 million people are now affected by the conflict and depend on humanitarian assistance. Thousands more flee their homes each month.”

The UN has also highlighted how the Sudanese government and affiliated armed groups systematically carried out sexual and gender based violence on women during a large attack in South Darfur in late 20065 and urges amongst a list of recommendations, “the government and rebel factions to cease all attacks against civilians, especially women and children.” Amnesty International also reports on how such violence targeted towards women have spilled unto the region in Chad, traced to the Janjawid.6 The number of deaths caused by the conflict, while difficult to estimate, according to the UN, stands at 400,000 as of September, last year.7

Refugee camps are by no means a safe respite. As many as 1.2 million refugees are feared to possess arms8 which means possible clashes and more bloodshed. In addition, aids organisations working in Darfur face constant threats from armed groups attacks.

Within the first six months of 2006, “30 NGO and UN compounds were directly attacked by armed groups. More than 400 humanitarian workers have been forced to relocate 31 times from different locations throughout the three Darfur states… … Assets have been looted and staff threatened and physically harassed.”9

Foreign diplomats also face being expelled. Paul Barker of the U.S.-based CARE aid organization was told to leave for “doing something related to intelligence or state security”.10 Canada’s acting charge d’affaires in Khartoum, Nuala Lawlor and the envoy of the European Commission, Kent Degerfelt of Sweden, was also expelled. The latter was allowed to stay on for another three weeks to finish his term, after an apology was issued.11 This is not dissimilar to the threats by the dictatorial Zimbawean Mugabe regime which issued similar threats to foreign diplomats for “meddling in internal affairs.”12

As the Sudan government battles with the international community for its human rights violations in Darfur, it faces the internal problem of floods, which has killed at least 89 people according to its civil defence agency as at 22nd August.13 The flood has also destroyed at least 300,000 homes and caused water borne diseases such as malaria, cholera, and dengue fever.

While it is a good sign that Mr Ban will personally be going to Sudan to “promote a political situation”, the UN has to show some teeth as well. It has to step in and warn Russia and China against supplying arms to the Sudanese government while ensuring and getting the assurance from the Sudanese government that aid organizations be allowed to work unimpeded on the grounds, and without any fear of attack or harm. The Darfur crisis, which erupted as early as 2003 has seen enough death and casualties as it is.

Footnote:
1. A Sudan Darfur’’s Conflict, BBC, Wednesday, 1 August 2007, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3496731.stm
2. UN Chief to Visit Darfur, Chad and Libya, Associated Press, Wednesday 29 August 2007, Edith M. Lederer, http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6882091,00.html
3. New photos expose Sudan arms violations, Amnesty International, extracted on Wednesday 29 August 2007, http://web.amnesty.org/pages/sdn-240807-news-eng
4. The Current Situation in Darfur: July 2007, Oxfam America, extracted on 30 August 2007,http://www.oxfamamerica.org/whatwedo/emergencies/sudan/current_situation
5. Sudan : Women And Children Must Be Protected From Sexual and Gender-based Violence, Says High Commisioner for Human Rights, UN, 21 August 2007, http://www.unhchr.ch/huricane/huricane.nsf/view01/02EED4D378F34A0CC125733E003112B8?opendocument
6. No Protection from rape and violence for displaced women and girls in eastern Chad, Amnesty International,
27 July 2007, http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?lang=e&id=ENGAFR200082007
7. Annan welcomes extension of African Union mission in Darfur, UN Newswire, 21 September 2006, http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=19948&Cr=sudan&Cr1=
8. UN fears armed refugees joining Darfur violence, ABC, 30 August 2007, http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/08/30/2019074.htm?section=justin
9. UN Agencies Warn Of Threat To Humanitarian Work In Darfur, Medical News Today, 21 Jan 2007, http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/60998.php
10.Sudan expels head of CARE for country, aid organization says, Associated Press, Monday, 27 August 2007, http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/27/africa/ME-GEN-Sudan-CARE-Expelled.php
11.Sudan to Let ‘Expelled’ EU Diplomat Stay, Associated Press, Saturday, 25 August 2007, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/08/25/AR2007082501515.html
12. Zimbabwe threatens diplomats with expulsion, Independent, Basildon Peta in Johannesburg, 20 March 2007, http://news.independent.co.uk/world/africa/article2374345.ece
13. Thousands suffer in Sudan floods, Al Jazeera, Mohammed Adow, Saturday, 25 August 2007