War in Darfur

Where is Darfur? Darfur is a province located in Sudan, the largest country in Africa. Darfur is located on the northeast corner of the continent. The weather in Darfur is very hot and sunny and also has a very dry climate.

Where is Darfur? On the west side of Sudan the countries that surround it are Chad, Central African Republic, and Libya. To the south of Sudan are the countries Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Kenya, and Somalia. On the east side of Sudan is Eritrea and Ethiopia.

When did this happen? “Darfur…has been threatened by desertification since the 1970s. It experienced a famine in Dwindling fertile land combined with the lack of alternative economic development increased the potential for a conflict at a time when forces from outside began to intervene”(“Darfur” International Encyclopedia). This shows how the conflict of the genocide had technically started. Desertification is the process in which land becomes a desert usually from a lack of water. Famine is when there is a lack of food so people starve.

When did this happen? In 2003, the official start of the war happened. “In 2003, war broke out in Darfur … It started when two groups in Darfur rebelled against the government of Sudan...”(“Darfur” Global Issues). This shows when the event actually happened and how it started, which was the two organizations rebelling.

Who were the persecutors? The perpetrators of the genocide was the Sudanese government. They were bombing schools, burning down villages, terrorizing and killing people.

Who was the persecuted? The victims were the Fur, the Masalit, and the Zaghawa ethnic groups in Darfur. The Fur, The Masalit, and The Zaghawa were all an African American group. The prosecutor said, "In the camps al-Bashir's forces kill the men and rape the women. He wants to end the history of the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa people. I don't have the luxury to look away. I have evidence."(bringing Omar Al- bashir to justice). The Fur are Nilo-Saharan sedentary farmers who take most of the land of Darfur. The Masalit and the Zaghawa who are semi-nomadic pastoralists as well as various Arab camel and cattle-herding people. They are mostly muslim.

What exactly happened? The mid 1990s the Sudanese government split Darfur into different regions, favoring the Arabs over the Africans. “Sudan responded by launching a ‘scorched-earth’ strategy that targeted the civilian population they suspected to support the rebels”(“Darfur” Global). In the 2000’s things did not improve as deaths were still at large. “Despite peace talks … an estimated 200,000 had died during the conflict

Why did this occur? The War in Darfur genocide occurred because the government supported the militia. The militia is an Arabic army, they are also known to be called the janjawid, these people raped, killed, and pillaged African Americans in Darfur. 1,000 civilians used to die every week.

How: Short Term Effects In Darfur, women and children were often raped which can cause multiple physical health problems such as bruising. In fact, “ In South Africa one in four men claim to have raped a woman before they were eighteen” (Handrahan, Lori “War and Rape in Darfur, Sudan”). Families witness their homes being burnt down and can lose everything that they have had in their past life. The Sudanese government of course lost land and many lives that lived where they had controlled.

How: Long Term Effects Considering the women and little girls got raped in Darfur, they still face mental issues that have been brought upon them from the horrible tragedy they have experienced.If for instance, the women got raped, they would have to take care of the child for the rest of their lives. “ Journalists can probe why male violence, against women and men, is so accepted as standard behavior that it is rarely questioned or reported on” (Handrahan, Lori “War and Rape in Darfur, Sudan”). For the Sudanese government, they had lost the trust of their native people and may have caused war between neighboring nations.

How can we prevent similar events to happen again? There are many ways to prevent a genocide from reoccuring. Of course, fighting for democracy and not allowing dictatorship to take control is a bright idea. But, since the Sudanese government favored Arabs over Africans, the genocide occurred which caused many problems. The government could have provided equality all over the country instead of dividing it into different regions favoring an ethnic group over the other.

Works Cited "Ban Urges Govt to Cooperate With Prosecutors Probing Darfur War Crimes." Africa News Service 5 June Student Resources in Context. Web. 17 May "Bringing Omar Al-Bashir to Justice [analysis]." Africa News Service 15 June Student Resources in Context. Web. 20 May “Darfur.” Gale Student Resources In Context. Detroit: Gale, Student Resources In Context. Web. 17 May “Darfur.” Global Issues in Context Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, Global Issues in Context. Web. 13 May 2016.

Works Cited “Darfur.” International Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences. ED. William A. Darity, Jr. 2nd ed. Vol 2. Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA, Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 16 May Handran, Lori. “War and Rape in Darfur, Sudan.” International Herald Tribune. 24 Nov, 2004:7. Global Issues in Context. Web. 18 May Wakahui, Judy. “UN fails to act on genocide: Crisis in Darfur--History in the remaking.” New Internationalist. June 2004: 8 Global Issues in Context. Web. 18 May Sudan and South Sudan." Worldmark Modern Conflict and Diplomacy. Ed. Elizabeth Manar. Vol. 2. Detroit: Gale, Global Issues In Context. Web. 20 May 2016.