The Fight in Darfur for Control of Sudan’s Oil

 

The Fight in Darfur for Control of Sudan’s Oil 

Introduction:

The Darfur Conflict is identified as the ongoing civil war taking place in the Darfur region of southern Sudan. The conflict began in 2003 after the taking of arms by Justice and Equality Movement as well as Sudan Liberation Movement, following the accusation against the Sudanese government for supporting the Arabs instead of the Black Africans. One side of the conflict is made up of SLM/A as well as the JEM, while the other side of the conflict is made up of Janjaweed (De, 2007). This conflict is linked to a large number of deaths culminating from starvation, direct combat and diseases, large numbers of casualties, coercive migration, mass displacements and huge humanitarian crisis. Many causes are attributed to the war but the main causes include fighting for oil and land. In terms of fighting for oil, Sudan is rich in oil fields but the oil fields are majorly concentrated on the southern part that houses Darfur. Though the war started in 2003 due to the conflict between the Arabs and the Black Africans, it was also sparked by the conflict over oil fields between the Sudanese government and US. US funded the SPLA with the aim of creating a rift between Southern and Northern Sudan, while the Sudanese government funded Janjaweed to reduce the rebellion of SPLA. This sparked more conflict. In terms, the conflict is due to the loss of land by the Black Africans who are farmers to the Arabs who are nomads. The Arabs who migrated into southern Sudan felt that they were superior to the black Africans in the southern and hence decided to take over their land sparking the war. The war has taken its toll on the people of southern Sudan, but it can be solved through international intervention and the collaboration of the Arabs and the black Africans in southern Sudan. This is their land and they should be willing to protect it. Although the war in Darfur is based on fighting over land and oil, both the international community and the people of Southern Sudan can still forge peace in Darfur.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References:

De, W. A. (2007). War in Darfur and the Search for Peace. Cambridge, MA: Global Equity Initiative, Harvard Univ.

Flint, J., & De, W. A. (2008). Darfur: A Short History of a Long War. London, UK: Zed Books.

Johnson, D. H. (2004). The Root Causes of Sudan’s Civil Wars. Oxford, UK: Currey.

Mamdani, M. (2010). Saviors and Survivors: Darfur, Politics, and the War on Terror. New York, NY: Doubleday.

Levy, J. (2009). Genocide in Darfur. New York, NY: Rosen Pub.