Sudan’s Darfur Conflict

Emily Lam
Maps
 Darfur?
 The war in Darfur is a conflict that is in the
Darfur region of western Sudan
 The current lines of conflict are seen to be
ethnic, rather than religious
 There was much controversy over whether
or not the conflict involves a genocide
 When did it start?
 Broke out in the dry and poor Darfur region
early in 2003 after the SLA (Sudanese
Liberation Association) and Jem (Justice
and Equality movement) began attacking
government targets, accusing Khartoum
( captial of Sudan) of oppressing black
Africans in favor of Arabs.
 Darfur?
 The Sudanese government, while publicly denying
that it supports the Janjaweed, has provided
money and assistance to the militia and has
participated in joint attacks targeting the rebels
 The conflict began in February 2003. Since the
start of the conflict, about 450,000 people have
been killed, and 3,000,000 people have been
displaced
 The Warring Sides
 One side of the armed conflicts is composed
mainly of the Sudanese military and the
Janjaweed
– - they are mainly camel-herding nomads
 Theother side comprises a variety of rebel
groups, notably the Sudan Liberation
Movement/Army and the Justice and
Equality Movement
 Present Situation
 The Darfur conflict has changed radically in the
past year and a half.
 Attacks by both government and rebel forces
continued throughout the year, including major
aerial bombardments and ground attacks launched
by the government in West Darfur
 Meanwhile the ruling National Congress Party
(NCP) in Khartoum continued to deny the
seriousness of the situation and pursue destructive
policies in Darfur
 Violence
 The United Nations
says more than 2.7
million have fled their
homes and now live in
camps near Darfur's
main towns
 Men are killed and
women raped if they
venture too far in
search of firewood or
water.
 Violence (con’t)
 The United Nations says up to 300,000
people have died from the combined effects
of war, famine and disease.
 Relief organizations have faced many
difficulties, including staff shortages, and
killings of peacekeepers
 Is Anyone Trying to Stop the
Fighting?
 The Doha meeting where Khartoum and Jem signed an
agreement in February 2009 to pave the way for broader
peace talks were sponsored by Qatar, the United
Nations, the African Union and Arab League.
 The joint African Union-UN peacekeeping mission,
Unamid, took over from January 2008 from an African
peace force.
 But the mission is currently at only 60% of its mandated
strength, with just 15,000 of the 26,000 planned troops
and police on the ground.
 Some say even the full force would not be enough to
cover the remote area.
President of Sudan
 Al-Bashir ordered the
expulsion of 13
international aid
groups from the Sudan
in early Feb after he
was indicted by the
International Criminal
Court on charges of
war crimes
 Obstacles
 Sudan views actions of international aid
organizations as empty threats
 China and Egypt, powerful member of the
Security Council, are allies of Sudan
 US has its own internal interests in Sudan
 Arab countries are protecting Sudan
 What Can We Do?
 Write to your member of parliament and tell
them to continue funding humanitarian
assistance and peacekeeping operations in
Darfur
 Make connections with students worldwide
 Educate people about the situation in Darfur
http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/393146/Darfur-Now/trailers
 QUIZ
 Where is Darfur located and when did the conflict
start?
 Who are the two warring sides?
 Is anyone trying to stop the fighting? Name two
groups.
 Who is the president of Sudan and what was he
charged with?
 How many people have died in the fighting
according to the UN?