Darfur: a new history of a long war

Flint, Julie; De Waal, Alex

Book

Darfur: a new history of a long war

Zed Books ; Distributed in the USA exclusively by Palgrave Macmillan • London • Published In 2008 • Pages: xiv, 320

By: Flint, Julie, De Waal, Alex.

Abstract
This book is a history of the many causes and consequences of civil war in Darfur. When the crisis started in the late 1990s, the main protagonists appeared to be the central government of Sudan that imposed pro-Arab Islamic Laws nationwide, and a coalition of ethnically-based insurgent movements that sought to end racial and religious discrimination against Darfur’s many indigenous black African communities. Over the years, however, the number of warring factions increased as splinter groups emerged within some of the insurgent groups and pro-government Arab militias. A great deal of the book is devoted to critically examining many controversial topics, such as the origins of the warring factions, how combatants fought and comported themselves during a number of battles, human casualties and the plight of civilians in both government and insurgency controlled areas, and the unexpected (and often disappointing) outcomes of intervention by foreign powers, including the United Nations and the African Union. The discussion draws on rich information from both written sources and interviews with civilians, combatants, politicians, and supporters of all warring parties.

Cultural identity and pride

Inter-community relations

Inter-ethnic relations

Tillage

Annual cycle

Land use

Military organization