Sudanese Genocide

2003 …

Basic Facts of Darfur

 Roughly the size of Texas  Divided into three states  Approximately 6 million people lived in this region before crisis started in 2003

Race

50% black or African 40% Arab 10% other

Religion

70% Sunni Muslim 5% Christian 25% traditional belief systems

Main Ethnic Groups in Darfur

 Fur, Massaleet & Zaghawa  African farmers  Nomadic Arabs  survival travelers

Centuries of Darfur Land Tensions

 Ethic African farmers and nomadic Arabs have a conflict of interest when it comes to land and grazing rights of Darfur.

Fur, Massaleet & Zaghawa

vs.

Nomadic Arabs

Genocide Players

1. Sudanese Gov’t

– Arab system of rule led by Omar Al-Bashir and a few other elite members - Supports/ enforces an Islamic Front for Sudan

Islamic Front

 It supports the maintenance of an Islamic state run on sharia and rejects the concept of a secular state

2. Janjaweed

Devils on horseback

 Arab militia  Bandits  Racist ideologues  Said to be backed by the gov’t  Motivation: take land & livestock

 Sudanese African ethnic groups   Members of the 3 main African ethnic groups Some former gov’t soldiers

3. Rebels

 SPLA 

S

udanese

P

eople’s

L

iberation

A

rmy  JEM 

J

ustice and

E

quality

M

ovement

Early 15

th

Century to 20

th

Century

 Darfur was a prosperous independent kingdom for the people of the Fur tribe  Fur leaders (sultans) extended their kingdom southward from the Sahara

1899

 Colonialism put boarders on Sudan’s diverse geography.



Britain takes the South



Egypt takes the North

 Result: Two regions developed unique cultural and religious characteristics

Egyptian North British South

Egyptians encouraged the spread of Islamic values The British developed a “Southern Policy” to reduce Islam’s influence.

They also encouraged Christian missionaries to work and promote the English language.

 British gov’t extends its control to include Darfur and the land ruled by the sultans

1916

 A so-called “Native Administration” ( backed by the British ) loosely controlled Darfur at this time.

1945

End of WWII  British gov’t withdraws from Sudan  North & South are reconnected  British give control to northern elites  they replace British administration in south  People of Darfur & southerners become suspicious of any central authority in Khartoum (capital of Sudan)

1955

 Battle lines are drawn just before Sudan’s independence was granted on Jan. 1, 1956  Christian-Muslim civil war begins  Sudan’s first civil war

1972

 Peace agreement (Addis Ababa) is signed

1978

 Islamists renege on the peace agreement after a large oil supply was found in the south  Gov’t steals oil proceeds from the south and plans to pipeline oil from the south to the north

1983

 Southerners express their frustration with northern soldiers that were stationed in the south  Jan. Gov’t gets worried and orders the southern-based battalion to abandon their weapons and redeploy to the north  May Gov’t sends troops to attack insubordinate troops & the insubordinate troops flee to Ethiopia where SPLA is formed Sudan People’s Liberation Army

1983

 Addis Ababa agreement is completely annulled by gov’t  South is completely under northern gov’t control  Arabic is now south’s official language  “September Laws” transform Sudan into a Islamic state  Islamic Sharia Law is reinstated = non-Muslims subjected to harsh penalties  Civil War breaks out again

1989

 Both sides (gov’t & SPLA) realize that a total victory would be nearly impossible  Rebels (SPLA) take control and put a civilian gov’t into place  June 30 th Omar al-Bashir takes control after a military coup  Reinstates the Islamic Law

Islamic Front

 Application of Sharia Law  Uses Islamic sloganeering  State sponsored brutality  Systematic hoarding of wealth and power by elites usually in state capital  Endless violent campaign to silence a deprived and angry population

1989 - 2003

 al Bashir gov’t  Cracks down on opposition political parties      Abolishes parliament Bans opposition political parties Arrests opposition political leaders Non-Muslims were forced to convert Clamps down on press • Anyone who posed a threat to Islamists faced arbitrary detention, torture and/or death



Violence Escalates in an Already Tense Region of Sudan

Feb. 2003

 Two rebel groups in Darfur attack an airport (killing 75) as a protest against years of neglect and suppression  2 groups accused the gov’t of favoring Arabs and oppressing Africans oppress- to burden with cruel or unjust impositions or restraints; subject to a burdensome or harsh exercise of authority or power *

Government’s Response

 Gov’t army strikes down on uprising in the Darfur region of Sudan  Most attacks began before dawn   Gov’t dropped crude bombs on villages as the people slept Then gov’t troops and Janjaweed fighters sweep into the village for a chaotic aftermath

According to the Gov’t

 Gov’t admits to mobilizing “self defense militias” following the rebel attacks  Gov’t denies an link to Arab Janjaweed militia who are accused of trying to drive out black Africans from large strips of land

What Has Happened to Darfur’s Civilians?

Destruction / Theft

 Arson  Over 400 villages have been destroyed  Poisoning of wells  Looting   Livestock Anything of value

 Members of the Janjaweed militia rape women and adolescent girls.

 The militia often tells the women that they will give birth to Arab children.

Rape

Displacement

 Janjaweed drive survivors into the desert.

 Members of the Fur, Massaleet & Zaghawa tribes become refugees at camps in Darfur and Chad.

 Approximately 2.7 million people have been displaced

Displacement

 Living conditions at refugee camps  Sand storms at camp

 Gov’t bombs kill anyone in the area where they are dropped.

Murder

 Janjaweed mainly target men and adolescent boys.

 Approximately 500,000 people have been killed.

 UN officers report that systematic killings on villagers are taking place.

March 2004

NEVER AGAIN?

History

 1820 – Sudan conquered by Turkey & Egypt  1881 – Sudanese people rebel  1882 – British Invade  1885 – Islamic state is founded  1889 – Sudan governed by British-Egyptian rule  1955 – Revolt = Christian-Muslim civil war

Independence

 1956 - Sudan gains independence  1958 Military coup = civilian gov’t removed  1962 - southern civil war breaks out  1964 people of Sudan rebel / national gov’t is formed  1969 - Jaafar Numeiri comes to power by a coup  1972 - Peace Agreement is signed by Numeiri = southern Sudan is now partly self-governed

Ingredients for War

 1978 - Large oil findings in southern Sudan  1983 - Numieri introduces Islamic Sharia law = civil war with Christian south  1985 - Numieri is overthrown  1986 civilian gov’t is made to restore peace  1989 - Al-Bashir and his Islamic Front (NIC) take power

US Attack on Sudan

 1998-1999 - US assumed WMD development = missile attack  2001 internal struggle in gov’t leads to arrest of ideological leader who is making peace attempts with SPLA

New Hope For Peace

 Jan. 2002 ceasefire between gov’t and SPLA  Jul. 20, 2002 gov’t & SPLA sign to end war  Jul. 31, 2002 gov’t attack SPLA again  Oct. 2002 - ceasefire confirmed again