About

Board of Directors
Background

DRP Newsletter

Calendar of Events
Contact Us
 



Bearing Witness


Seeking Justice


Sowing the seeds
of Peace


Educational
Support

 

What You Can Do


Become A Member
Or Donate

 
Support DRP's
Work


DRP's Online
Gallery

 

DRP's Events
Videos

 

Other Resources
 

FAQ's



 

 


Background of Darfur Conflict

   

2008 and  Current Situation

 

  •  January '08, the Sudanese government appointed the controversial Darfurian/Arab militia leader, Musa Hilal, as special advisor to the minister of governmental affairs

    He is a man referred to as the "poster child for Janjaweed atrocities in Darfur" by Richard Dicker of Human Rights Watch. 

     Hilal has admitted to recruiting local Janjaweed militias and rights groups that allege that Hilal ran training camps and was present for several raids on Darfur villages.

    El Bashir's appointment of Hilal is viewed as another way to thwart the already fragile peace process 
 

      International Criminal Court against President Bashir     

  • On July 14, 2008, the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Luis Moreno- Ocampo requested that the court issue an arrest warrant against Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir for the following:

    Several accounts of genocide

    Crimes against humanity

    War crimes for the government’s role in implementing genocidal violence in Darfur

    For “masterminding and implementing” a strategy that intended to destroy  three ethnic groups in Darfur: the Fur, Zaghawa, and Masaalit.
 

  • This is the first time, the ICC prosecutor has requested charges against a  sitting head of state

     
  • The Sudanese Government claims that it will resist the ICC and that  President Bashir is innocent

     
  • Tension in Sudanese Politics are high, which may hamper humanitarian efforts, peace negotiations, and even disturb the UN peacekeeping force
     
  • The ICC continues to review evidence and is deciding whether or not to
    issue the warrant

 

      Sudanese Politics:
 

  • Political settlement remains distant

     
  • The National Congress Party (NCP) in Khartoum denies the gravity of the situation and continues to carry out destructive policies in Darfur: 

    Resisting key provisions in the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended the North-South Civil War
 

    Resettling key allies on cleared land

 

    Defying Security Council resolutions by integrating its Janjaweed soldiers into official security structures instead of disarming them
 

 

  • The Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) has failed because   

    The government and few rebel factions that have signed are      hampering the peace process
 

    The new strategy is difficult for the African Union to cope with
 

    Rebel DPA signatories, specifically the Sudan Liberation Army faction of Minni Minawai, continue attacking civilians, humanitarians, the AU mission (AMIS), and IDP camps

           Continuing corruption, these Rebel DPA Signatories has also
      attained government jobs and land as supporters of the
      government’s status quo.          
 

** Consequently, peace talks with the Sudanese Government have been put on
     hold.


 
UNAMID’s Role

  • The Hybrid UN-AU peacekeeping force in Darfur (UNAMID) is failing to  stabilize the region with security

     On July 8, 2008, the worst attack was done against UNAMID

   Approximately 200 gunmen on horseback and in SUVS ambushed
   
UNAMID peacekeeping force in a North Darfur State
 

  • UNAMID lacks the resources, staff, and troops

    It is only equipped with 10,000 personnel of the 26,000 announced

   As of mid-March, a hybrid AU-UN peacekeeping force of 7,000 out of 26,000 has been deployed
 

  • The mission is continually hampered by the Sudanese government and its internal challenges
     
  •  The UNAMID must

    Be more pro-active in protecting civilians and responding to cease-fire violations

    Engage itself in international peace talks

    Attain more financial and diplomatic support from the international community against ceasefire violations and a humanitarian crisis
   

      Continued Violence

  • The violence has become multi-dimensional

    Rebel groups oppose the Sudanese government, but also fight amongst each other over for territorial regions and are growing in number. 

   Paramilitary forces exert their independence from Khartoum 

   Hostility between Chad and Sudan is increasing
 

  • The Sudanese Government and their proxy militia, the Janjaweed, returned to the violent tactics that they used between 2003 and 2005
     
  • Insecurity has increased the number of displaced persons.

    2.7 million Darfurians live in refugee camps  (90,000 more than in 2005)

    Although the number of deaths has decreased, 75,000 Darfurian civilians have been displaced since the beginning of 2008
 

  • The region continues to have conflict amongst government forces, proxy militias, rebels, and bandits

    The Sudanese government launched major aerial bombardments and ground attacks in West Darfur, during February 2008

    In reaction, in May, Darfurian rebels of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) attacked government soldiers in Omdurman, a suburb of Khartoum (the 1st military strike against the capital in 30 years)

    Consequently, Khartoum accused Chad of assisting the JEM rebels in an attempted coup and reacted with attacks against civilians and JEM rebels
 

  • The IDP camps are increasingly violent because they are surrounded by danger

      

  • Additionally, internal conflict in Arab tribes is adding new volatility

    The NCP refuses to guarantee their long-term interests. 

    Consequently, the Arab tribes are now taking matters into their own hands. 

     This conflict may lead to an Arab insurgency and its alliances with non-Arab rebel groups.
 

     Continuing Threat at Chad-Darfur Border

  • This humanitarian crisis is linked to the increase of violence in the border between Chad and Sudan

    On February 2, 2008, Chadian rebels attacked Chad’s capital
of N’djamena after a French-led EU force was due to deploy to
the Chad-Sudan border

  • Although the Sudanese President al-Bashir and Chadian President Idriss Deby signed peace agreement to end support for rebel groups in the region, cross-border violence is killing and displacing both Chadian and Sudanese civilians
     

     What Actions Are Necessary?

  • Broadening international participation in the peace talks
     
  • International efforts towards increasing the number of troops and providing resources to the peacekeeping forces in
     
  • Attacking the root causes of the humanitarian crisis in the Darfur Darfur Dialogue:

    Land tenure and use 

    Grazing rights

    Role and reform of the local government and administrative structures
 

  •  Social institutions as the Ceasefire Commission, Judicial Court, the UN, AMIS, AMID, and AU must

    Establish penalties against violators of human rights and
the Ceasefire agreement  

    Monitor the Chad-Sudan border  

     Attempt diplomacy by convincing the Sudanese government to cooperate 

     Protect civilians, IDP camp refugees, and displaced individuals

 

 

 

General Information about Sudan

Genesis of the Conflict

Reports on Conflict

  1. 2003 - 2005

  2. 2006

  3. 2007

  4. 2008 and Current Situation

     

News Links:

Sudan Tribune

All Africa

United Nations News Service

BBC News Service

New York Times

Washington Post
























































 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 






 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

















 


Search DRP Website

 
 

© 2011 Darfur Rehabilitation Project, Inc. All Rights Reserved