Darfur << dahr FOOR >> is a region on the western border of Sudan, in northeastern Africa. Darfur consists of five states: Central, East, North, South, and West Darfur. Most of Darfur is at the eastern edge of the Sahara, the world’s largest desert. Several million people live throughout the large, arid region. The people of Darfur are mostly Muslims from a number of ethnic groups. They speak several languages, including Fur, Zaghawa, and Masalit. Arabic is widely used as a second language.
A conflict between several rebel groups and the Sudanese government erupted in Darfur in early 2003. The Darfur rebels felt that a 2002 peace agreement between the government and rebels in southern Sudan excluded Darfur from the country’s services and wealth. In addition, an extended drought had lowered the production of farmers and nomadic herders in the region, leading to violence between the two groups. The control of oil reserves in southern Darfur also became an issue. The Sudanese government armed some of Darfur’s nomadic Arab groups to fight the rebels. These government-backed groups became known as the Janjaweed militia. The Janjaweed was accused of attacking and killing large groups of unarmed civilians.
In 2004, the African Union (AU)—an organization that promotes cooperation among African nations—sent a peacekeeping force to Darfur to protect civilians. In 2007, a number of United Nations (UN) troops arrived to support the AU force. Significant peace talks occurred in 2008, 2010, and 2011. The fighting slowed, but outbursts of violence continued.
In 2020, the transitional government of Sudan signed a peace agreement with the rebel groups. The agreement announced an end to fighting in Darfur and in Sudan’s southern regions of South Kordofan and the Blue Nile. The agreement included power sharing, the transitioning of rebel militants into the Sudanese army, and returning people displaced during the fighting to their homes.
In April 2023, fighting broke out between Sudan’s military and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group that developed from the Janjaweed militia. This violence occurred mainly in Darfur and Khartoum.
Since conflict broke out in Darfur in 2003, more than 300,000 people have been killed, and millions have been forced to flee their homes.
