How long did the darfur conflict last

A number of regionally and ethnically-based rebel movements emerged in the s and the s, particularly in the South where a civil war raged for several decades. In Darfur, an organization called the Darfur Development Front was formed in the mids to advocate the region's demands for economic development and greater autonomy, but it remained a relatively small movement. Nonetheless, a strong sense of deprivation continued to prevail among Darfurians and continued to shape their relationship with the Khartoum governments.

If internal tensions were not enough, Darfur has also suffered from the instability and conflicts that have plagued its neighbors, particularly Chad and Libya. A number of Darfur ethnic groups such as the Zaghawa, Masalit, and Mahiriyya also live in Chad, which has made it easier for conflicts to spread across borders. Porous, ethnically intertwined borders affected Darfur during the Chadian civil wars of the s, in which Libya became heavily involved.

In addition to mounting a series of military adventures in Chad, Libya supported various Chadian factions who used Darfur as a rear base, pillaging local farmers and cattle-herders and pouring large quantities of arms into the region. His goal was to ensure Libya's hegemony in the region. The scheme involved recruiting and arming discontented Arabic-speaking and Tuareg groups in the Sahel into what came to be known as the "Islamic Legion" as the spearhead in Libya's offensive in Chad.

Some of the legion's members were also drawn from the Arabic-speaking pastoralists in Darfur. Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective gratefully acknowledges the generous support of the Stanton Foundation. Skip to main content. The Ohio State University. Department of History. Home Topics Africa. Middle East. North America. International Relations Religion Education Sports. Search form Search. Connecting History.

Hot off the Press. History Talk. Editor's Note : Since , the Darfur region of western Sudan has been the site of terrible violence, death, and displacement; what the United States has labeled 'genocide. Prelude to Conflict: The Environment The current Darfur conflict is a product of an explosive combination of environmental, political, and economic factors. Pastoralists and Sedentaries Conflict between pastoralists and sedentary farmers, caused in part by environmental pressures and changing land ownership patterns, was an important cause of the Darfur violence.

Ethnic Tensions and Porous Borders Environmental degradation and competition over resources can be understood as principal causes of communal conflict in Darfur, but the ongoing carnage is also a product of a long history of ethnic marginalization and manipulation by Sudan's ruling elites. Readers may also be interested in the following Book Reviews:. Livingstone, I Presume? To discuss and comment on this article, please visit our Facebook page.

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All remaining village men, women, and children are either murdered or forced to flee. Looting, burning food stocks, enslaving and raping women and children, and stealing livestock are common.

Dead bodies are tossed in wells to contaminate water supplies and entire villages are burned to the ground. Bush called for the number of international troops in Darfur to be doubled. In addition, the US has imposed economic sanctions on Sudan since However, after working and talking with the Sudanese government for years, the US formally revoked its sanctions on Sudan in On September 17, , British Prime Minister Tony Blair wrote an open letter to the members of the European Union calling for a unified response to the crisis.

Both China and Russia have blocked many United Nations resolutions on Darfur because of their support for the Sudanese government, a big trading partner. China invests heavily in Sudanese oil.

Russia and China opposed UN peace keeping troops in Sudan. Since the ousting of Omar al-Bashir in early , the Sudanese government has established and retained a transitional government.

Although this government recently did agree to turn to turn over al-Bashir to the ICC, its next steps and transition to a permanent government remain to be seen. Arbitrary detention, torture, limitations of the freedom of press, and gender-based violence continue to be seen in both Darfur and Sudan as a whole under this new government.

Sudan — Darfur. Pro-government militia in Darfur. SLM combatants. President Omar al-Bashir. Arab Janjaweed. Darfur refugee camp in Chad. Darfur children in an IDP camp. Contact us We want to hear from you. Every part of Sudan, north, south, east and west is underdeveloped and Darfur has been the focus of considerable government attention. These claims should be assessed against the information and figures given below.

Political participation: Since coming to power in , the Sudanese government has sought to introduce a federal model of government. Darfuris are very well represented within Sudan's political structures. There are seven federal government ministers from Darfur and Darfuris also hold, amongst other positions, a cabinet-rank presidential adviser position. There are also four Darfuri state governors and Darfuris are also members of the supreme and constitutional court.

Darfuri representation in the National Assembly is second only to the southern states. Education: There has been a continuous increase in education facilities in Darfur. For example, the number of primary schools in was , increasing to schools in There were schools in and this increased under the present government to schools in , in addition to mixed schools.

Secondary schools have increased from2 schools in to schools in The present government also established three universities in Darfur. Health: The number of hospitals in greater Darfur has increased under this government from 3 hospitals in to 23 hospitals by ; health centres have similarly increased from 20 to 24 and medical laboratories from 16 to Water Supplies: Water production levels have risen from 6 million cubic meters in to 11 million cubic meters in in addition to increased in natural water reserves from 1 ,, cubic meters in to12 ,, cubic meters in Water pump production in greater Darfur has also increased from1 ,, cubic meters in to 3,, cubic meters in During , the following water projects were implemented in greater Darfur: the installation of deep ground wells, the rehabilitation of ground wells, the building of 43 dykes and 30 dams, the drilling of hand pumps and the rehabilitation of hand pump wells.

Power Supplies: The total power generation in greater Darfur has risen under this government from2 , kilowatts in to4 , kws by Southern Darfur's power generation in particular grew in the same time from 3 to 7 megawatts in Nyala.

Transport infrastructure: Greater Darfur accounts for 40 percent of airport and aerodrome infrastructure outside of the national capital. There are three international airports in Al-Fasher, Nyala, and al-Gineina with smaller airports elsewhere. All these were built under this government. Prior to there was no real road infrastructure in Darfur.

The government has initiated a number of road and bridge building programs to assist with communications in greater Darfur.

The conflict in Darfur presents a very complex situation with very complex problems, and understanding of which has already been made more difficult by the propaganda, which invariably accompanies war.

The region is home to some 80 tribes and ethnic groups divided between nomads and sedentary communities. The rebels appear to have been identified within two or three communities of the Fur, Massalit and the Zaghawa tribes which straddle the Sudan-Chad border.

There are many dimensions to the conflict, regional, national and international. But, environmental factors - such as encroaching desertification - have led to considerable tension between nomads and more established farming communities.

The inter-tribal violence that has taken place in Darfur has, nevertheless, been portrayed by some anti-government activists and some international media and NGOs as "ethnic cleansing" and even "genocide". The activities of nomadic Arab tribesmen known as the "Janjaweed" have come into sharp focus. It is claimed that they are sponsored by the Government, which is not true. It is unclear exactly how much control anyone has over the "Janjaweed" gunmen, except their tribal leaders.

All wars lead to human rights violations. The conflict in Darfur has been no exception. And as is so often the case in war, the conflict has inevitably been caught up in the propaganda and misinformation that comes with it and that has certainly characterized previous coverage of Sudan. In its wake, efforts at conflict resolution will be hampered and the palpable presence of ethnic hostility will indeed constitute a concrete and tangible cause of future violent confrontations.

The international community has shown considerable attention to the Darfur crisis, especially given the humanitarian and security situation. Sudan has welcomed, hosted and facilitated a wide range of missions and delegations from western countries, and international and regional organisations. Sudan has accepted and facilitated United Nations involvement at all levels in addressing and resolving the Darfur crisis, from the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr.

Kofi Anan, downwards. The Sudanese Government has also facilitated international human rights missions by non-governmental organisations, including that of Amnesty International in September , and the UN fact finding mission this month of November