Magnum Blog / The Forgotten War? - the photo blog of Magnum Photos

Central African Republic. February 2007. Anti-government rebels living in the bush. Same area as makeshift camps for displaced civilians, suspected of harboring or sympathizing with the rebels, who fled after their villages were torched by government forces. Thomas Dworzak/Magnum Photos

In the 1983 movie "Under Fire," an American weekly news magazine publishes a photo of an African conflict with the headline "The Forgotten War." In response, the writer jokes to the photographer that the headline is a way for the editors back home to feel less guilty about not knowing about the war themselves.

With neighbors such as Chad, Sudan and the DRC, the tiny Central African Republic has not received intense media coverage, as Thomas Dworzak commented on his return from the country.

Reader comments (8)

Subscribe to this article's comments via RSS

In a couple of weeks I m gonna leave to Guinea-Bissau, a very small country in the West Coast of Afrika, behind Senegal. Almost 10 years ago there was a civil war there and you were unable to find informations about it if not in some catholic kind of newspapers.Now the situations is pretty calm even if not stable yet.Just to give an idea, the president they fight against during the civil war is now in power again...I m a young woman wanna be photographer, I don't know what I m gonna find down there, but I think that maybe is just in those covering-media-gaps that new or different way to inform people could be built as well as it s just in those gaps that you can find concrete opportunities to keep photo-reportages still alive.

Comment posted by lisa on March 30, 2007

i was hoping to see more photos on central african republic. i was there for about 2-3 wks. as part of my organization mission to assess the impact of the conflict on the civilan population in Nov-Dec 2006. our trip was mostly focused on the northwest part of the country where government troops, rebel groups and bandits prey off the pop. the bandits come to some of these villages to steal goods, followed by rebels trying to get whatever is left. i also heard some live around the area. and finally the government forces drove into villages, accuses the pop. of suporting the rebels and burn down completly thier homes and in some cases entire villages. here, most refer the conflict as the forgotten war which i think is such a cliche. instead it's a reflection of our total lack of interest. for the people who have to go through the violence on daily basis, and who continue to live on fear of being attacked, robbed and raped [the UN put one of four women have been raped] it is definitely not forgotten. i do have couple of photos i took that i am happy to share. would apreciate if you suggest any outlets.
a final thought responding to ur comment about the rebels' interest for attention. of course, they'd love it. u have seen the country, esp. outside the capital where there is little or no public service and infrastructre. one of the reasons for rebels to take arms is the govt. neglect of the provinces in providing services schools, hosptials, roads, water, electricty, jobs just to mention a few.
yemisrach

Comment posted by yemisrach on March 30, 2007

Lisa, I'm sorry but you 're probably being a bit naive!

It is not because you a "young gun" is going there and even doing the work of your life in Guinea that will bring the issue to the media and therefor to the public attention.

Sorry but it is not like that things work.

To give you an example a friend of mine photojournalist for 12 years was there 4 years ago quite after the coup done a several of extraordinary works on the society and the post coup and manage to publish 0!!!

The editorial market is going through a dark phase where very few mags publish photo stories and that is the truth.

But don't let this get you down, just go there and do your best, just don't have to much expectations on what comes after.

Many cheers,

Armando

Comment posted by Armando Ribeiro on March 31, 2007

Il ya des choses encore pire c est l indifference et l intolerance , de plus nous sommes pas aider par nos confreres qui font de la photo un outil vulgaire , vendre par prostitution , alors ou est l art de la photo , l humanisme et les valeurs morales !

Comment posted by DEGHIA FAIROUZ on March 31, 2007

I think these conflicts that don't get much attention should be covered more. We know about the major conflict areas of the world, but there are many more places that could become much worse in the upcoming years if we don't take note of them and try to do something. lisa, I think that its a great idea to go looking for a new story to tell, they are everywhere, someone needs to show them.

Comment posted by Mike on March 31, 2007

D ' autres donnent de l ' emotion comme Robert Capa , et d ' autres photographes , que je ne comprends pas d ' ailleurs ont ce besoin de travailler autour de la sexualite ! Le monde souffre t 'il vraiment , ou est t' il entrain de changer contre tout sens morale §

Comment posted by DEGHIA FAIROUZ on April 2, 2007

it's sad to see underage people becoming soldier and get killed in battlefield, thanks for bringing this subject to our attention, to make the rest of world knows

Comment posted by Igor Firdauzi on April 19, 2007

“Do you Need to believe in a God to think that sincerity is better than the lie, than generosity is better than selfishness, than courage is better than cowardice, than softness and the compassion are better than violence and cruelty, than the love is better than hatred?”

Comment posted by deghia fairouz on April 20, 2007

The Forgotten War?

Notifications:

More articles:

Categories:

Recent Comments:

Authors: