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Conflict In Darfur:
A Timeline Of Atrocities
Pre-Crisis background
Environmental degradation and competition over resources are principal causes of communal conflict in Darfur. The ongoing tensions are also a product of a long history of ethnic marginalization and manipulation by Sudan’s ruling elites.
Major Events
25 February 2003: Darfur Liberation Front attacked Golo
Small conflicts had broken out when rebels attacked police stations, army outposts and military convoys. The government also engaged in a massive air and land assault on the rebel stronghold in the Marrah Mountains.
25 April 2003: Sudan Liberation Movement and the JEM attacked Al-Fashir.
The two groups attacked the garrison in the city, killing 75 soldiers. This attack followed a series of fracas between the rebel groups and the military. The events marks a major escalation of the government’s campaign against rebel groups in Darfur.
March 2004: UN warn of violence committed by the Janjaweed
UN says pro-government Janjaweed militias are carrying out systematic killings of African villagers in Darfur.
March 2005: UNSC imposes sanctions
UN Security Council authorises sanctions against those who violate ceasefire in Darfur.
September 2006: Sudan demands AU departure
Sudan says African Union troops must leave Darfur when their mandate expires at the end of the month.
November 2006: AU extends mandate in Sudan
African Union extends mandate of its peacekeeping force in Darfur for another six months.
October 2007: Darfur peace talks begin
Darfur peace talks open in Libya and the government declares an immediate unilateral ceasefire, but important anti-government groups are absent.
May 2008: JEM attacks the capital
Jem fighters make a lightning attack that reaches outskirts of Khartoum. About 65 people are killed.
March 2009: ICC orders arrest of al-Bashir
ICC order the arrest of al-Bashir on seven charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur, the first warrant issued for a sitting head of state.
March 2009: Sudanese government expels aid workers
Al-Bashir expels 13 international aid organisations accusing them of working with the ICC on the arrest warrant.
March 2009: JEM rebels leave peace talks
Jem rebels pull out of second round of peace talks scheduled to be held in Doha in April and demand that the aid groups are allowed to return.
July 2011: Signing of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD)
Signed between the government of Sudan and the Liberation and Justice Movement. The agreement established the creation of compensation for victims of the Darfur conflict. The agreement also established a new Darfur Regional Authority to oversee the region until a referendum could determine its permanent status.
October 2017: US lifts part of sanctions.
The United States permanently lifted a raft of sanctions on Sudan on Friday, saying the African nation had begun addressing concerns about terrorism as well as human rights abuses against civilians in the country’s Darfur region.
2017: UNAMID gradually downsizes and withdraws from Sudan.
More than a third of the nearly 19,000 troops and police officers of the joint United Nations-African Union peacekeeping Mission in Darfur (Unamid) were withdrawn, the UNSC decided in resolution 2363 that was unanimously adopted.
March 2018: Sudanese Attacks on Darfur.
UNAMID indicate that Sudanese government forces were attacking communities in the Jebel Merra area.
11 April 2019: Sudan’s army ousts al-Bashir in a coup d’etat.
The Sudanese army launched the coup after popular protests demanded his removal from office.
Pre-2000
1980s and 1990s
Darfur and surrounding areas hit by droughts, desertification and population growth. This began to strain resources.
1990s
Abolition of the traditional conflict resolution system in Darfur. This damaged the Fur’s connection to the Sudanese government.
March 1991
Bashir’s government imposed Islamic Law and corporal punishment.
2000
Bashir won the presidency
2001-2010
25 February 2003: Darfur Liberation Front attacked Golo
Small conflicts had broken out when rebels attacked police stations, army outposts and military convoys. The government also engaged in a massive air and land assault on the rebel stronghold in the Marrah Mountains.
25 April 2003: Sudan Liberation Movement and the JEM attacked Al-Fashir
The two groups attacked the garrison in the city, killing 75 soldiers. This attack followed a series of fracas between the rebel groups and the military. The events marks a major escalation of the government’s campaign against rebel groups in Darfur.
January 2004: The military begins a campaign to combat the uprising in Darfur.
Utilised the Janjaweed and other groups to end the conflict. Created a refugee crisis by forced displacement of villagers.
March 2004: United Nations warns of systematic killings.
The UN accused the Janjaweed of attacking villages and civilians. The UN began warning against the continued aggression and lobbied al-Bashir for calm.
March 2004: Army officers and opposition politicians are detained.
Government claimed they were plotting a coup. Consolidation of the Bashir regime was marked by numerous arrests.
April 2004: Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) and Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) agree to a ceasefire.
The ceasefire came into effect on the 11th April 2004. Chad brokered the negotiations in N’Djamena. However, the National Movement for Reform and Development (a splinter group of the JEM) did not participate in the talks or the agreement. Janjaweed attacks also continued following the agreement.
September 2004: UN pressures the Sudanese government to disarm the pro-government militias.
US Secretary of State begins to call the killings of civilians in Darfur a genocide. The UN believed that the pro-government group’s possession of weapons allowed for the proliferation of conflict within Darfur.
January 2005: UN report accuses the government and militias of systematic abuses in Darfur.
Does not include the genocide term, but the report condemned the government and called for moves towards a settlement.
9 January 2005: Sudanese government and rebels sign the comprehensive Peace Agreement.
Also known as the Naivasha Agreement, it was signed by the SPLM and the Government of Sudan. The agreement called for power sharing, wealth sharing, the Resolution of the Abyei Conflict, the resolution of the Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile conflicts and security arrangements between the parties. The agreement remained until 2007 when both sides accused the other of violations.
31 March 2005: UN Security Council imposes sanctions on those abusing the ceasefire.
Submits UNSC Resolution 1593 in which the UN “Determin[es] that the situation in Sudan continues to constitute a threat to international peace and security.”
March 2005: UN Security Council refers their evidence to the International Criminal Court.
June 2005: Sudanese government and exiled opposition grouping National Democratic Alliance (NDA) sign reconciliation deal.
This would allow the NDA into power-sharing administration.
July 2005: John Garang is sworn in as vice-President.
John is a former rebel leader. The new constitution also gave more autonomy to southern Sudan.
August 2005: John Garang is killed in a plane crash.
Six of his companions and a crew of seven had died after the helicopter left Uganda’s capital on Saturday evening.
May 2006: Sudanese government and the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLA) sign a peace accord.
Rival small groups in the SLA and the JEM refuse to comply.
August 2006: Sudanese government rejects UN Resolution 1706.
Resolution calls for the deployment of UN peacekeeping forces to Darfur.
September 2006: Sudanese government condemns the African Union and demands they leave.
Demands the AU troops leave Darfur at the end of their mandate.
September 2006: Protests in Sudan demanding the government allow entry of the UN.
This is following the Sudanese Government’s decsion to expell African peacekeepers.
October 2006: Jan Pronk, the senior UN official in Sudan is expelled.
Following recent UN actions to lobby the government of Khartoum to cease hostilities.
November 2006: African Union extends its mandate for six months.
The AU also announces their intentions to probe for evidence of a “Darfur massacre”. They believe at least 30 civilians were killed by armed militiamen who attacked an IDP camp at Sirba (near Kulbus, West Darfur).
December 2006: Sudanese government partially accepts the deployment of UN troops.
From 2006 onwards, President Bashir was at best
a reluctant host to UNAMID and UN troops, more often acting as
an overt barrier to the mission’s success.
5 May 2006: Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) is signed.
Signed by the government of Sudan. The agreement called for the disarmament and demobilisation of the Janjaweed by October 2006. The agreement also called for the reduction of the Popular Defence Forces (PDF). Democratic measures were also established to allow the citizens of Darfur to elect their leaders.
February 2007: International Criminal Court names two war crime suspects in Darfur.
Sudanese government rejects the ICC’s arrest warrants.
May 2007: US imposes sanctions on Sudan.
Calls for an arms embargo.
August 2007: UN Security Council authorised the deployment of 26,000 troops.
Approves the use of force to protect civilians. The Resolution 1769 (passed on the 31st July 2007) would permit the immediate deployment of peace-monitoring forces.
October 2007: Darfur peace talks open in Libya.
Some anti-government groups abscond.
May 2008: JEM fighters attack near Khartoum.
65 people were killed in the conflict, with dozens more injured. The government quickly condemned the attack and called for a reaction.
July 2008: ICC requests arrest warrant for al-Bashir.
Luis Moreno-Ocampo requests a warrant for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
October 2008: al-Bashir pledges more cooperation with UNAMID to allow aid convoys.
$350 million pledged for development spending in the region.
November 2008: al-Bashir pledges for a ceasefire in Darfur, but JEM refuses to accept.
December 2008: Sudanese government sends more troops to Darfur.
They claim it was a preventative measure against the rebel threat. The troops were criticised by the international community as they allowed further government crackdowns on IDPs.
February 2009: Sudanese army captures a town in Darfur.
Sudan’s army said it had captured a strategic Darfur town after three weeks of clashes with rebels that U.N. officials say have killed at least 30 people and forced thousands of civilians to flee.
February 2009: Qatar hosts peace talks between Sudanese government and the JEM.
Two sides agree on “good faith” measures. No major progress was made, with both sides accusing the other of violations soon after.
March 2009: The ICC orders the arrest of al-Bashir.
Seven charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
March 2009: al-Bashir expels 13 international aid organisations.
Accused them of assisting the international criminal court (ICC). He further stated that “If they want to bring in aid, they will have to leave it at the airport.”
March 2009: JEM rebels withdraw from Doha peace talks.
They demanded that international aid groups be allowed to return to Darfur. The ongoing IDP crisis has led to mass starvation and food insecurity.
2011-2020
February 2010: ICC encourages judges to insert “genocide” into their charges against al-Bashir.
Omar Hassan Ahmad Al Bashir for his alleged criminal responsibility in
the commission of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes against
members of the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa groups in Darfur from March 2003 to July
2008.
February- March 2010: JEM signs a peace accord with the government, prompting President Bashir to declare the Darfur war over.
Clashes continued and the parties failed to adhere to their peace agreements. The government continued to police the region and displace civilians.
July 2010: ICC issues second arrest warrant for President al-Bashir.
“Genocide” was now included in the warrant.
2010: Voting begins in Sudan’s first multi-party elections.
The elections were held from the 11th to the 15th April. Positions were for the Presidential role and for the National Assembly of Sudan. The election brought the transitional period to an end. Results on the 20th April showed that President Omar al-Bashir’s party National Congress was well ahead, going on to win a 68% majority.
December 2011: Government forces kill key Darfur rebel leader Khalil Ibrahim.
The leader of the JEM was killed in a missile strike. Ibrahim founded the JEM and made it the most powerful and most heavily armed rebel group in Darfur.
July 2011: Signing of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD)
Signed between the government of Sudan and the Liberation and Justice Movement. The agreement established the creation of compensation for victims of the Darfur conflict. The agreement also established a new Darfur Regional Authority to oversee the region until a referendum could determine its permanent status.
December 2014: ICC halts investigations into war crimes in Darfur.
The ICC’s prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said on Friday she was halting investigations to “shift resources to other urgent cases”, and criticised the UN security council for failing to push for Bashir’s arrest.
October 2017: US lifts part of sanctions.
The United States permanently lifted a raft of sanctions on Sudan on Friday, saying the African nation had begun addressing concerns about terrorism as well as human rights abuses against civilians in the country’s Darfur region.
2017: UNAMID gradually downsizes and withdraws from Sudan.
More than a third of the nearly 19,000 troops and police officers of the joint United Nations-African Union peacekeeping Mission in Darfur (Unamid) were withdrawn, the UNSC decided in resolution 2363 that was unanimously adopted.
March 2018: Sudanese Attacks on Darfur.
UNAMID indicate that Sudanese government forces were attacking communities in the Jebel Merra area.
11 April 2019: Sudan’s army ousts al-Bashir in a coup d’etat.
The Sudanese army launched the coup after popular protests demanded his removal from office.
February 2020: Sudan Government agrees that al-Bashir can stand trial at the ICC.
31 August 2020: Sudanese Government agrees peace deal with five rebel groups.
Last August, the Sudanese government signed a peace deal with five rebel factions in Darfur. Some notorious rebel groups including a subdivision of the SLA refused to attend, demanding the government to allow the return of humanitarian organisations, disarms militias, and prosecute al-Bashir. The exclusion of active rebel groups hinders any disarmament programmes and confidence-building measures.
October 2020: Juba Peace Agreement (JPA) signed.
Signed between the Transitional Government of Sudan and the SLM/A and the JEM. The agreement called for the rebel’s commitment to a peaceful transition.
2020- Present
31 March 2021: Security Council Delegation arrives in North Darfur.
The Security Council travelled to El-Fasher/ Juba to investigate regional security concerns.
3 – 6 April 2021: Violent clashes in El-Geneina.
Members of Arab militia groups and Masalit tribal communities conflicted. Local humanitarian agencies claim that 87- 200 civilians had been killed or injured during the conflict. Hospitals in the area were also attacked and are struggling to tend to the injured.
5 April 2021: the Security and Defence Council declared a state of emergency.
State of emergency declared in West Darfur, with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) deployed.
7 May 2021: UNAMID surrenders its headquarters in Central Darfur.
The UNAMID programme completed its mandate in December 2020 and formally gave its offices in Central Darfur and West Darfur to the Sudanese Government.
24 May 2021: ICC hears the first war crimes cases.
The ICC launches its investigation into war crimes in Darfur. The war crimes prosecutors said that Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman was also known as Ali Kushayb, a senior commander of thousands of government-backed “Janjaweed” fighters during the height of the conflict between 2003 and 2004.
7 June 2021: Tribal Clashes in West Darfur
Tribal clashes in the area killed about 26 people. The clashes were started following a land dispute between the Arab Taaisha and non-Arab Falata tribes.
19 July 2021: Artillery attack on Sortony camp in Kabkabiya
Five people have been killed and around ten injured. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack but some have accused former government troops of perpetrating the strike.
14 August 2021: US Embassy Delegation visits Darfur
US Embassy delegation visits Central Darfur to discuss peace and security issues.
October 2021: Government of Sudan warn of violence
Spate of armed robberies and violence in Darfur escalates during the early weeks of October.
19 October 2021:The North Darfur state government declared a State of Emergency
State of emergency declared in Tawila and Dar El Salam localities on Tuesday for security reasons. The emergency measures prohibit carrying of weapons, wearing a kamadol (scarf covering the face) and unofficial toll collection on roads, in addition to firing weapons into the air and the use of motorcycles.
Mid November 2021: Reports suggest attacks on villages in West Darfur continues to rise
The West Darfur Humanitarian Aid Commissioner reported the number of victims of the attacks in the Jebel Moon area of West Darfur was approximately 35. 16 villages were also destroyed.
The West Darfur Doctors Committee reported 17 dead and 12 wounded from both sides of the conflict.
Officials say the dispute between Arab herdsmen was sparked by a ‘dispute over camel looting’.
25 December 2021: Curfew imposed in North Darfur following the looting of a UN food warehouse
UN claimed that their warehouse contained up to 1,700 tonnes of food destined for hundreds of thousands of people in the area as part of their aid mission. UN officials denounced the attacks during a visit to El Fasher, the state capital of North Darfur.
5 February 2022: Small clashes in Darfur between rebel groups
Locals claim that the attacks occurred around the perimeter of the headquarters of the former African Union-United Nations peacekeeping mission UNAMID in El Fasher, North Darfur, but said the number of casualties was unclear.
10 March 2022:At least 19 people killed amid fresh fighting
Violence between rival groups has left dozens dead. Fresh clashes broke out between armed groups in the Jebel Moon mountains of West Darfur.
21 April 2022: Conflict breaks out in Kreinik
The clash killed at least 168. The Janjaweed have been unoficially designated as the responsible party.
Early June 2022: 100 killed in local conflicts.
Approximately 100 people were killed in the first weeks of June. UN advised that clashes have occurred in Kulbus after armed groups attacked multiple villages.
Flooding in Darfur Floods triggered by seasonal torrential rains in Sudan’s western Darfur region killed at least seven people, including children, the UN and an aid group advised
Heavy rains started late Friday in the Kass locality in South Darfur province, according to the General Coordination for Refugees and Displaced in Darfur.
17 July 2022: Flooding kills 7 – 10 people
The group said the dead included a pregnant woman and two boys ages 2 and 8. It said at least 100 houses in camps for displaced people collapsed or were partly damaged.
Bir Saliba — An armed group, believed to be Chadian, ambushed and killed 18 people tracking their stolen camels in the Bir Saliba area of West Darfur on Thursday.
4 August 2022: 18 Killed in attack
The Arab herdsmen were ambushed by the Chadian gunmen while investigating the tracks of camels stolen from them on Wednesday. The attack wounded at least 17 others. The Coordination of Shepherds and Nomads holds the Sudanese government fully responsible for the attack.
5 August 2022: 5 Security service personnel killed in attack
Five Sudanese security forces were killed in an ambush therestive Darfur region, police said in a statement Friday. The attackkilled five security forces including a police lieutenant.
15 August 2022: Gunmen kill and kidnap in North Darfur
Gunmen reportedly killed at least eight, kidnapped nine near Kutum town, allegedly in retaliation for killing of two in same area.
Section 1400: Terrorism Links: Groups & Individuals
Ongoing Conflict In Darfut: A Timeline Of Atrocities
Last Update: 09/2024
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