Darfur Conflict

Perpetrators

Omar al-Bashir(1944-present)

President of Sudan since 1989Main weapons supplier of Janjaweed Militia

Janjaweed Militia(1973-present)Nomadic tribes

people

• When: April 25, 2003 – February 24, 2010* *Officially signed CPA in 2006 however hostilities

continue today• Who: Sudanese Government and Janjaweed Militia

Victims

• Dead: ~400,000 people• Causes: Execution, rape, starvation, dehydration

• Targets: Non-Arab Sudanese (Fur, Zeghawa, and Masalit tribes)

• Refugees: 2.5 - 2.7 million

Summary of Conflict - Timeline

May 5, 2006: Sudanese government and SLA sign a peace deal.

1980

1980s: Climate change, famine, and tension between Arab and non-Arab Sudanese perpetuated political instability.

1990s: A lack of response from the Sudanese government concerning the drought and internal conflicts, led to frustration from non – Arab Sudanese.

April 25, 2003: Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) and Justice Equality Movement (JEM) attack airport destroying Sudanese Air Force planes.

July 12, 2010: ICC issues arrest warrant for President al-Bashir.

July 14, 2011: The Doha Document for Peace in Darfur was finalized and signed by Sudanese government and LJM.

November 16, 2006: Establishment of the African Union – United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID).

February 2015: HRW reports mass rape and possible crimes against humanity in Northern Darfur.

What’s Happening Now?

• July 2011: South Sudan gains independence and the conflict in Darfur fades into the background.

• 2013: Aicha Elbasri, the former spokesperson for the UNAMID mission in Darfur resigned, accusing the UN of a “conspiracy of silence” over the world’s biggest forgotten war.

• June 25, 2014: HRW calls for the United Nations to investigate alleged cover-ups and manipulation of human rights reporting by UNAMID officials.

• February 11, 2015: HRW releases a report called “Mass Rape in Darfur: Sudanese Army Attacks Against Civilians in Tabit” which documents Sudanese army rapes at least 221 women and girls.

• March 11, 2015: UNAMID peacekeeping force to be cut back amid accusations of incompetence.

Resources

• Human Rights Watch: http://www.hrw.org/africa/sudan • Timeline: Five Years On:

http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/features/darfur/fiveyearson/timeline.html

• “They Shot at Us as We Fled: Government Attacks on Civilians in West Darfur”: http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/reports/darfur0508webwcover.pdf

• Eyes on Darfur: http://www.eyesondarfur.org/

• “The Devil Came on Horseback” the documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_BJOfpJ8qVE