Darfurian resistance fighters launched an attack on a Sudanese military garrison. The next day, they claimed responsibility for several other attacks on military targets. These strikes were a response to years of discrimination and marginalization under Omar al-Bashir’s dictatorship. The Sudanese government, however, responded with brutal force. Bashir deployed the Janjaweed, a paramilitary death squad, to crush the resistance.
A Region Rich in Resources but Stricken by Poverty
Darfur is one of Sudan’s most resource-rich regions. Despite this, its people lived in poverty under Bashir’s rule. Darfur’s population is largely non-Arab, while Sudan’s majority identifies as Arab. Racial discrimination and systemic marginalization defined life for non-Arabs in Sudan. This oppression led to the rise of resistance groups such as the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM). These groups opposed Bashir’s rule and demanded justice for Darfurians.
The Janjaweed and the Beginning of Genocide
Bashir’s government had long prepared for an armed rebellion. It had been funding and training the Janjaweed, a paramilitary force made up of Sudanese Arabs. The Janjaweed was led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti. When the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) struggled to defeat Darfurian resistance, Bashir called on the Janjaweed.
With the Janjaweed’s arrival, the conflict turned into mass slaughter. By 2004, thousands of Darfurian civilians had been murdered. Entire villages were burned to the ground. Survivors fled to Chad, only for Janjaweed forces to cross the border and attack refugee camps. Bashir’s regime had begun a campaign of extermination.
Systematic Ethnic Cleansing and Sexual Violence
The Janjaweed’s attacks were racially motivated. UN reports confirmed that Arab villages remained untouched while non-Arab settlements were destroyed. Fighters used rape as a weapon against Darfurian women and girls. Survivors recounted brutal assaults committed by Janjaweed militants. Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan condemned these crimes, stating that rape was being used as a deliberate strategy of war.
Mass Murder, Displacement, and Starvation
Between 2003 and 2005, over 200,000 Darfurians were killed. Starvation, disease, and direct violence wiped out entire communities. Over two million people were forced to flee their homes. Many international organizations believe these numbers are underestimated. The UN and The Lancet have suggested the true death toll is much higher. What remains certain is that Bashir’s government knowingly committed genocide.
International Indictments and Continued Impunity
The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Bashir in 2009 and 2010. These included three charges of genocide. However, Bashir remained in power until 2019. By then, much of Darfur’s non-Arab population had been forcibly displaced. Arab communities had taken over their lands. Ethnic cleansing had reshaped the region.
The Janjaweed never faced punishment. Instead, Bashir rewarded them by formalizing their forces into the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Hemedti became the leader of this newly established military group. The RSF was granted high levels of autonomy and control over Darfur. The cycle of violence against Darfurians only intensified.
Sudan’s Revolution and the Military’s Power Struggle
In 2018, Sudanese citizens rose against Bashir’s rule. Their revolution led to his removal in 2019. However, military elites hijacked the uprising. A new power struggle emerged between the RSF, led by Hemedti, and the SAF, led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan.
This rivalry plunged Sudan into a brutal civil war. Both factions sought to control the country’s wealth and resources. As the war escalated, the genocide in Darfur continued. The RSF used its power to further oppress the non-Arab population. Violence and mass displacement reached new levels.
Foreign Involvement and the Role of the UAE
The RSF secured international backers. One of its strongest allies became the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The RSF and UAE collaborated in smuggling gold from Darfur’s mines. In return, the UAE provided weapons and technology. As one of the world’s biggest gold importers, the UAE profited from Darfur’s destruction.
The influx of weapons allowed the RSF to intensify its campaign of terror. Villages were burned, civilians were massacred, and the suffering deepened. The pursuit of gold and wealth fueled war crimes. The genocide in Darfur persisted with no end in sight.
An Ongoing Humanitarian Catastrophe
Despite the ICC’s focus on 2003 to 2008, the genocide in Darfur never stopped. Ethnic cleansing continues as the war between the RSF and SAF escalates. The humanitarian crisis worsens daily. More Darfurians are displaced. Famine threatens millions. The region remains one of the most dangerous places in the world.
International efforts to hold war criminals accountable have failed. While Bashir sits in prison, the RSF holds control over Darfur. The same forces responsible for past atrocities continue to commit new crimes. The world watches as history repeats itself.
A Call for Action
Darfur’s people have endured over two decades of genocide and war crimes. Governments and international organizations must act. Without urgent intervention, the violence will escalate further. The international community cannot ignore the ongoing extermination of an entire people.
Justice for Darfur must go beyond historical accountability. The world must confront the forces still enabling genocide. The suffering in Darfur is not just a chapter of the past—it is a crisis unfolding today.
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