Conflict explainer: What’s going on in Darfur?
Revolt...
Conflict in Darfur is complicated, with decades of intermittent war and peace. When President Omar al-Bashir came to power through a military coup in 1989, he exploited ethnic tensions and local grievances to 'divide and conquer', leading to ethnic cleansing in the early 2000's. The Conflict has ethnic and economic interlinkages with conflicts in Libya, Chad and CAR.
and revolution.
In 2019, Bashir was ousted by his own generals following mass street protests, then the military-civilian transitional government signed a peace agreement with local rebel groups. The aims of the Juba Peace Agreement were ambitious, but then the transitional government was overthrown by the military. Violence has continued to grip both Darfur and the streets of Khartoum.
Displacement...
More than 150,000 people have been displaced according to the International Organization for Migration, adding to already intense competition between farmers and pastoralists over scarce resources. South Darfur also hosts 20,000 refugees from CAR and 30,000 refugees from South Sudan.
and poverty.
Overall security in Darfur is precarious. People are grappling with poverty and inflation, and the rule of law is weak. The UN peacekeeping force UNAMID has departed and there has been an increase in inter-ethnic violence. Cyclical flooding, drought and desertification only add to already acute and chronic food insecurity.
Concordis is on its way to South Darfur...
Our programme is working on the root causes of conflict in South Darfur, and finding solutions that will make everyone better off. We will be helping our national staff and partners to resolve conflicts between different groups of herders, as well as between herders, farmers and artisanal gold miners.
and we'll be keeping you up to date.
For all the news from our programme in South Darfur, as well as our work elsewhere, be sure to follow us on social media, and look out for more weekly updates.