Sudan, an impoverished African nation has been in the throes of an ongoing civil war. The present crisis in Darfur is a result of action by some ethnic tribes and the brutal reaction of the Sudanese government, which have invoked widespread international criticism. This essay aims to explain the causes of the present crisis in Darfur, the actions of the main actors involved, and the response of the International community.
The major non-Arab tribes of African origin in Darfur are the Fur, Zaghawa and the Massaleit who have traditionally been farmers. In contrast, the Arab tribes have been nomads. The non-Arabs tribes have for long complained against the discrimination and exploitation of their lot by the Arab tribes who have their support from the Arab-dominated Sudanese government. In addition to discrimination, frequent droughts in Sudan had brought about famine condition and the economic plight of the people living in Darfur had become serious. The present crisis in Darfur has therefore been viewed by some, as a fight over scarce resources. This view is affirmed by the US Congressional Research Service report that states; “The largely nomadic Arab ethnic groups often venture into the traditionally farming communities of Darfur for water and grazing, often triggering armed conflict between the two groups”(2). Thus the causes of the present crisis in Darfur are a mix of historical enmities, discrimination, poor economic conditions and resource rivalry between the Arab and the non-Arab tribes.
The present rebellion has its genesis in the formation of two rebel groups – The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) in 2003, who comprise of some members of the Fur, Zaghawa and the Massaleit tribes. The armed raids on Sudanese authorities conducted by these groups resulted in a Sudanese military offensive involving indiscriminate aerial bombardment ordered by the government led by President Omar al-Bashir. The government also took the assistance of an Arab Militia known as the Janjaweed militia who committed major human rights violations and mass killings of the non- Arabs in the Darfur region. Estimates of casualties vary from over 2.5 million deaths, 7 million refugees and over 1,500 villages razed (Cheadle &Prendergast,1). The continued onslaught on the rebel groups forced one faction of the SLM led by Minni Minnawi to sue for peace with the Sudanese government.
Due to widespread condemnation, the UN Security council in 2004, passed resolution 1564 calling for an inquiry into Darfur. In March 2005, the UN Security council formally referred the Darfur situation to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC found evidence against a number of Sudanese government officials including the President of Sudan, al-Bashir and in 2008, the ICC “concluded that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Omar Hassan Ahmad AL BASHIR (hereafter referred to as “AL BASHIR”) bears criminal responsibility under the Rome Statute for the crime of genocide”(3). The ICC ruling has been rejected by Sudan as it has not yet ratified the Rome Statute. It is appreciated that despite international condemnation, the Sudanese President is not likely to be brought to justice because of powerful veto-holding friends like China who have a thriving oil and gas business in Sudan. Presently, though the atrocities have lessened, the conflict drags on with no end in sight.
Works Cited
Cheadle, Don and Prendergast, John. “Omar Hassan al-Bashir”. 2008. Web.
International Criminal Court. “Situation in Darfur, The Sudan”. ICC. 2008. Web.
US Congressional Research Service. 2004. “Sudan: The Crisis in Darfur”. 2008. Web.