THE DARFUR CONFLICT

Analysis Of The Impact Of Culture, Religion, And Politics On The Conflict In Darfur

Analysis Of The Impact Of Culture, Religion, And Politics On The Conflict In Darfur Province Of The Sudan

Impact Of Culture, Religion, And Politics On The Conflict In Darfur

All the people of Darfur are Muslims, and all are black. The nomadic tribes are mainly of Arab origin and the rebels belong mostly to African tribes. There are two main rebel movements in Darfur. The major one is the Sudan Liberation Army/Movement. Its leaders come from the major African tribes. Its policies are to a great extent a reflection of the mainstream policies of the Sudanese opposition to the regime. It has good relations with the National Democratic Alliance, the umbrella that groups all opposition forces including the Sudanese Communist Party. A small group split off recently, over personality issues. (Walker 2008)

The second group is the Justice and Equality Movement. It has strong links with the Islamic leader Hassan El Turabi who engineered the 1989 coup that brought the present government to power, but who was removed in a palace coup in 1999. It is difficult at this stage to envisage separation of Darfur from Sudan. No one in the rebel movements is advocating independence. But also it cannot be ruled out if a solution proves difficult to achieve.

The cultural impact is that it is rather difficult to pass a judgment on the agreement reached on Darfur. But it is not a good omen that not all factions have signed. Even if all sign on, it will take a long time to see results. The people on the ground are also important and may have a different view of what has to be done. That is why it is important that the AU and the so-called mediators should try to accommodate the requests of the groups involved, imploring the government to give more concessions with regard to sharing genuine power, ensuring security on the ground and wealth-sharing. (Walker 2008)

I think Sudan as a country is in danger, but the danger is coming from the government, which refuses to implement the peace agreement signed last year with the SPLM of the South. The government is playing with fire that can burn the unity of the country.

The political impact is seen since 1955 there has been an almost constant civil war between the north (where the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, is located) and the south, alleviated only by an 11-year hiatus starting in 1972, when a peace agreement gave southerners limited regional autonomy. But fighting, led by the main southern rebel group, the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), and its political arm, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), resumed in 1983 after the president, Ja'far Numayri, dissolved the regional government and imposed sharia (the sacred law of Islam) nationwide. (Dizikes 2009)

Since February 2003, millions of innocent Darfuri civilians have been killed or forced from their villages, which were then destroyed. What can be done to stop the genocide? The answer, ...