History of darfur:
In 1919 Darfur was forced to merge with Sudan and was put under a joint British-Egyptian rule and did not get independence until 1956 after a civil war. The British ruled southern Sudan while the Egyptian ruled the northern part. Following Sudan’s independence, the country was ruled by a number of short-term leaders.
During the time Sudan was a British-Egyptian colony Darfur remained undeveloped; and after independence was gained, the government did not invest in re-development of the region. In 2003, two Darfuri rebel movements: the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) created an alliance and rebelled against the Sudanese government. They complained of marginalization and failure of the government to protect sedentary people from attacks by nomads.
In response, Omar al-Bashir unleashed Arab militias known as Janjaweed, or “devils on horseback”. Sudanese forces and Janjaweed militia attacked hundreds of villages throughout Darfur. Over 400 villages were completely destroyed and millions of civilians were forced to flee their homes.
During the time Sudan was a British-Egyptian colony Darfur remained undeveloped; and after independence was gained, the government did not invest in re-development of the region. In 2003, two Darfuri rebel movements: the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) created an alliance and rebelled against the Sudanese government. They complained of marginalization and failure of the government to protect sedentary people from attacks by nomads.
In response, Omar al-Bashir unleashed Arab militias known as Janjaweed, or “devils on horseback”. Sudanese forces and Janjaweed militia attacked hundreds of villages throughout Darfur. Over 400 villages were completely destroyed and millions of civilians were forced to flee their homes.