Darfur

Map of Sudan showing location of Darfur

Setting the scene: Sudan Population: 39 million (2007) Capital: Khartoum Ethnic groups: 52% Black, 39% Arab, 6% Beja (nomadic tribesmen), 4% others Major religions: Islam (mainly Sunni in the north); indigenous beliefs; mostly Christian in the south (some Christians in Khartoum) Internal conflict: North–South war raged from 1985 to the present

Setting the scene: Darfur Darfur, meaning ‘land of the Fur’, is the size of France, or Texas It is bordered by Chad, Libya and the Central African Republic The north is mostly sandy desert, whereas the south is mostly bush forest Population: approximately 6.5 million (4 million non-Arabs, 2.5 million Arabs) Non-Arab African tribes: Fur, Zaghawa, Masalit (3 largest tribes). Mainly settled farmers who have animals Arabs: mainly nomadic herders

Living in Darfur Darfurians have developed complex systems to survive in these difficult conditions: All families own plots of land and cultivate crops Families store sacks of grains and seeds to survive during periods of drought People communally own livestock, which provide food and transportation and can also be used as disposable income The markets serve as a place to buy and trade goods

Roots of the conflict Long history of neglect by Khartoum Ruling elite in Khartoum feel that Arabs are racially and culturally superior to non-Arabs Famine in 1984–85 — 95,000 died Dwindling natural resources — decreased rainfall, desertification, less area for planting and grazing Local groups began arming themselves: the non-Arab groups (SLA and JEM); Arab groups (Janjaweed)

Allegations made The Janjaweed have been actively supported by the Khartoum government There have been aerial bombings with planes and helicopters; heavy shelling by tanks and other artillery; ground attacks with small arms on foot, on camels and on horseback; the bulldozing and burning of villages; arrests and extrajudicial execution; kidnapping, torture and rape The Sudanese government has supported genocide

Outcomes of the conflict 300,000 dead Up to 90% of non-Arab villages destroyed Over 2 million displaced and homeless Hundreds of thousands at risk of disease and malnutrition Thousands live in displaced-persons camps in Sudan or refugee camps in Chad More than 3.5 million people are reliant on international aid for survival

Genocide? In 1948 the United Nations passed the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which vowed to both prevent and punish genocide (it entered into force in 1951) Article II: Genocide means any act committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group Starvation or subsistence diet Systematically expelling people from their homes Withholding sufficient living accommodations Reducing essential medical services below the minimum requirement Rape Conditions that may constitute genocide under Article II: All of these are said to be occurring in Darfur

The situation in 2008 Darfur Peace Agreement signed in May 2006 Approximately 8,000 UN/African Union (AU) peacekeepers on the ground An acute shortage of helicopters Security situation deteriorating — aid groups evacuating Rebel groups have fractured Ongoing investigation of crimes by the ICC — warrant for the arrest of the Sudanese president for genocide

For the AQA examination Darfur is a major international conflict. You should identify the social, economic and environmental issues associated with this conflict