Since early 2003, Sudanese government soldiers and their proxy militia, known as Janjaweed, have fought rebel groups in the western region of Darfur. In a genocide campaign that lasted from 2003 to 2005, at least 200,000 civilians died from violence, disease, and starvation. Since 2003, thousands of women have been raped and more than 2.5 million have been driven from their homes, their villages burned and property stolen.
Although rebel groups have contributed to the region’s insecurity, the Sudanese government bears primary responsibility for the danger to civilians.
A pattern of government sponsored actions include:
Backing Janjaweed militias in systematic attacks against civilians from the same ethnic groups as the rebel forces, primarily the Fur, Zaghawa, and Masaalit ethnic groups;
Bombing civilians from aircraft;
Committing massive human rights abuses including: murder, rape, and persecution based on race, ethnicity, and religion;
Impeding international humanitarian access, resulting in deadly conditions of life for displaced people;
Harassing internally displaced persons.
Although large-scale government attacks against civilians have declined since 2005, millions remains at risk as the fighting continues. Most of the displaced have not returned home for fear that their villages will be attacked again. In March 2005, the UN Security Council referred the case of Sudan to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for investigation of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. In July 2008, ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo requested the court issue an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, charging him with genocide among other crimes for the government’s role in orchestrating violence in Darfur. Authorized in August 2006 by the Security Council, a hybrid UN-AU peacekeeping force (UNAMID) is on the ground in Darfur, although it remains underfunded, understaffed, and vulnerable to attacks.
