Since I came to Darfur in late 2009, it has been the first time I captured a picture like this one. A woman, accompanied by her children, shows her rifle with an unusual pride. For her, and for many of her tribe, having a gun in their hands is a sign of power that makes them raise a higher degree in the society. In ironic addition, I took this shot during an event organized by the United Nations to promote peace in El Sereif, an area in North Darfur, Sudan, affected by serious tribal clashes since early last year, which ended with thousands of displaced people and hundreds killed .
This armed lady becomes exceptional, but in El Sereif many other civilians, young and old, walk around the village carrying machine guns and rifles, some of them dated back to the World War II. And they do so with the satisfaction that gives them the option to shoot to kill at any time.
The arms culture and, above all, the arms market are very much alive in Darfur, from which few get profits and many suffer the consequences.
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