Understand Issues

For the past three years, a deadly conflict has ravaged Darfur, a western region of Sudan. At least 400,000 people have been killed and over two million people have been forced to flee their homes and their country. Thousands of men, women, and children have been dehumanized by horrific crimes.

Here’s the break down:

After Sudan gained independence from Great Britain in 1956, resulting poverty and political tensions between numerous ethnic groups ultimately led to the Sudanese Civil War. As the war drew to a close, several people who lived in Darfur felt that the peace talks were not thorough and did not address different important issues.

Thus, in 2003, the Sudanese Liberation Army and the Justice and Equality Movement declared war on the Sudanese government. These rebel groups were mainly comprised of non-Arabic people from the Darfur region.

Countering the movements, the government supported the formation of the Janjaweed, a militia that has slaughtered, raped, and displaced villages of innocent civilians. Publicly, the Sudanese government has denied that they support the militia, but it has become apparent that they have provided funding for the Janjaweed’s raids.

Even now, after much international pressure and several peace talks, the conflict has not ended.