The Shambat Bridge was a bridge in Sudan which crossed the Nile connecting Omdurman to Khartoum North .
82-650: The bridge was built from 1963 to 1966 by the Italian company Recchi. It was the first prestressed concrete bridge built abroad by an Italian company. On 11 November 2023, the bridge was destroyed amid intense fighting in the Battle of Khartoum . The Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces blamed each other for its destruction. 15°38′39″N 32°30′24″E / 15.64417°N 32.50667°E / 15.64417; 32.50667 This article about
164-557: A conflict in the western region of Darfur displaced two million people and killed more than 200,000 others. By the turn of the 21st century, Sudan's western Darfur region had endured prolonged instability and social strife due to racial and ethnic tensions and disputes over land and water. In 2003, this situation erupted into a full-scale rebellion against government rule, against which president and military strongman Omar al-Bashir vowed to use forceful action. The resulting War in Darfur
246-612: A 2013 uprising in South Darfur and deployed RSF units to fight in Yemen and Libya . During this time, the RSF developed a working relationship with the Russian private military outfit Wagner Group . These developments ensured that RSF forces grew into the tens of thousands and came to possess thousands of armed pickup trucks which regularly patrolled the streets of Khartoum. The Bashir regime allowed
328-1124: A bridge in Africa is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about a building or structure in Sudan is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . War in Sudan (2023) ( Detailed map ) [REDACTED] Government of Sudan [REDACTED] Sudanese Armed Forces [REDACTED] Popular Defence Forces Popular Resistance [REDACTED] SPLM-N (Agar) [REDACTED] SLM (Tambour) (since August 2023) [REDACTED] Joint Darfur Force (since November 2023) [REDACTED] JEM [REDACTED] Rapid Support Forces [REDACTED] SPLM-N (al-Hilu) (since June 2023) [REDACTED] SLM (al-Nur) [REDACTED] Abdel Fattah al-Burhan [REDACTED] Minni Minnawi [REDACTED] Hemedti [REDACTED] Abdelaziz al-Hilu [REDACTED] Abdul Wahid al-Nur Battles War crimes Humanitarian crisis Other A civil war between two major rival factions of
410-622: A ceasefire culminated in the Treaty of Jeddah in May 2023, which failed to stop the fighting and was ultimately abandoned. Over the next few months, a stalemate occurred, during which the two sides were joined by rebel groups who had previously fought against Sudan's government. By mid-November, the Minni Minnawi and Mustafa Tambour factions of the Sudan Liberation Movement officially joined
492-591: A ceasefire, and clashes resumed in Geneina , causing more casualties. The United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Martin Griffiths expressed frustration at the lack of commitment from both sides to end the fighting. The situation remained volatile, with both sides trading blame for attacks on churches, hospitals, and embassies. Casualties mounted, particularly in Geneina, where Arab militias loyal to
574-447: A civilian Prime Minister, Abdalla Hamdok , with elections to be held in 2023 . In October 2021, the military seized power in a coup led by Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Hemedti. The Transitional Sovereignty Council was reconstituted as a new military junta led by al-Burhan, monopolizing power and halting Sudan's transition to democracy. The Sudan Liberation Movement (or Army; SLM, SLA, or SLM/A)
656-710: A coup d'état , ending his three decades of rule; the army established the Transitional Military Council , a junta . Bashir was imprisoned in Khartoum; he was not turned over to the ICC, which had issued warrants for his arrest on charges of war crimes . Protests calling for civilian rule continued; in June 2019, the TMC's security forces, which included both the RSF and the SAF, perpetrated
738-563: A meeting with the Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi . Following this visit al-Burhan went on a tour of numerous countries, heading to South Sudan, Qatar, Eritrea, Turkey, and Uganda. He then proceeded to New York City as head of the Sudanese delegation to the 78th United Nations General Assembly , where he urged the international community to declare the RSF a terrorist organization. The Abdelaziz al-Hilu faction of
820-481: A peace agreement was signed between the Sudanese government and Agar's faction, with Agar later joining the Transitional Sovereignty Council in Khartoum. Al-Hilu held out until he agreed to sign a separate peace agreement with the Sudanese government a few months later. Further steps to consolidate the agreement stalled following the 2021 coup, and the al-Hilu faction instead signed an agreement with
902-557: A widening divide between him and al-Burhan. Tensions between the RSF and the SAF began to escalate in February 2023, as the RSF began to recruit members across Sudan. Throughout February and early March the RSF built up in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum , until a deal was brokered on 11 March and the RSF withdrew. As part of this deal negotiations were conducted between the SAF, RSF, and civilian leaders, but these negotiations were delayed and halted by political disagreements. Chief among
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#1732902582046984-592: Is a rebel group active in Darfur, primarily composed of members of non-Arab ethnic groups and established in response to their marginalization by the Bashir regime. Since 2006, the movement has split into several factions due to disagreements over the Darfur Peace Agreement , with some factions joining the government in Khartoum. By 2023 the three most prominent factions were the SLM-Minnawi under Minni Minnawi ,
1066-600: Is considered the founder of the Keira dynasty . Darfur became a great power of the Sahel under the Keira dynasty, expanding its borders as far east as the Atbarah River and attracting immigrants from Bornu and Bagirmi . During the mid-18th century conflict between rival factions wracked the country, and external war pitted Darfur against Sennar and Wadai . In 1875, the weakened kingdom
1148-515: Is covered with plains and low hills of sandy soils , known as goz , and sandstone hills. In many places the goz is waterless and can only be inhabited where there are water reservoirs or deep boreholes . While dry, goz may also support rich pasture and arable land . To the north the goz is overtaken by the desert sands of the Sahara . A second feature are the wadis , which range from seasonal watercourses that flood only occasionally during
1230-461: Is largely a semi-desert plateau with the Marrah Mountains ( Jebel Marra), a range of volcanic peaks rising up to 3,042 meters (9,980 ft) of elevation above sea level, and a topographic prominence of 2512 m, in the center of the region. The region's main towns are Al Fashir , Geneina , and Nyala . There are four main features of its physical geography. The whole eastern half of Darfur
1312-718: The British government suspected that the Sultanate of Darfur was falling under the influence of the Ottoman government , an expedition was launched from Egypt to capture and annex Darfur into the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. The colonial government directed financial and administrative resources to the tribes of central Sudan near Khartoum , while the outlying regions such as Darfur remained mostly forgotten and ignored. Since gaining independence, Sudan has experienced 19 military coup attempts ,
1394-605: The Fur , Masalit , and Zaghawa peoples. Leaders of the RSF have been indicted for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court (ICC), but Hemedti was not personally implicated in the 2003–2004 atrocities. In 2017, a new law gave the RSF the status of an "independent security force". Hemedti received several gold mines in Darfur as patronage from al-Bashir, and his personal wealth grew substantially. Bashir sent RSF forces to quash
1476-566: The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Famine Review Committee (FRC) concluded famine conditions in parts of North Darfur . Sudan has been inhabited since prehistory and has seen many conflicts , with foreign invasions and resistance, ethnic tensions , religious disputes , and disputes over resources throughout antiquity and the Middle Ages. Sudan was conquered by Egypt in 1821 , and in 1881
1558-662: The Janjaweed , a collection of Arab militias that were drawn from camel-trading tribes which were active in Darfur and portions of Chad . In 2013, al-Bashir announced that the Janjaweed would be reorganised as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and he also announced that the RSF would be placed under the command of the Janjaweed's commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo , more commonly known as Hemedti. The RSF perpetrated mass killings, mass rapes, pillage, torture, and destruction of villages. They were accused of committing ethnic cleansing against
1640-579: The Khartoum massacre , in which more than a hundred demonstrators were killed and dozens were raped. Hemedti denied orchestrating the attack. In August 2019, in response to international pressure and mediation by the African Union and Ethiopia, the military agreed to share power in an interim joint civilian-military unity government (the Transitional Sovereignty Council ), headed by
1722-421: The Marrah Mountains and Daju Hills , volcanic plugs created by a massif , that rise up to a peak at Deriba crater where there is a small area of temperate climate , high rainfall and permanent springs of water. Remote sensing has detected the imprint of a vast underground lake under Darfur. The potential water deposits are estimated at 49,500 km (19,110 sq mi). The lake, during epochs when
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#17329025820461804-483: The Masalit population of Geneina, leading to accusations of ethnic cleansing . On 4 August the RSF claimed that it had taken full control over all of Central Darfur . Darfur Darfur ( / d ɑːr ˈ f ʊər / dar- FOOR ; Arabic : دار فور , romanized : Dār Fūr , lit. 'Realm of the Fur ') is a region of western Sudan . Dār is an Arabic word meaning "home [of]" –
1886-403: The Masalit massacres . The war began with attacks by the RSF on government sites as airstrikes, artillery, and gunfire were reported across Sudan. The cities of Khartoum and Omdurman were divided between the two warring factions, with al-Burhan relocating his government to Port Sudan as RSF forces captured most of Khartoum's government buildings. Attempts by international powers to negotiate
1968-682: The National Museum of Sudan and the Yarmouk Military Industrial Complex . Acute food insecurity affected a significant portion of Sudan's population. By July, al-Burhan was still trapped at the Army Headquarters and unable to leave, and to break him out the SAF elected to send a column of troops to lift the siege of the base. This force was ambushed by the RSF and defeated, with the paramilitary claiming it had killed hundreds of soldiers and captured 90 vehicles, along with
2050-635: The South Sudanese vote for independence in 2011 . These forces then led a rebellion in the southern states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile a few months later. In 2017, the SPLM-N split between a faction led by Abdelaziz al-Hilu and one led by Malik Agar , with al-Hilu demanding secularism as a condition for peace while Agar did not agree with this. During the Sudanese Revolution, al-Hilu's faction declared an indefinite unilateral ceasefire. In 2020,
2132-576: The Sudan People's Liberation Movement–North (SPLM-N) broke a long-standing ceasefire agreement in June, attacking SAF units in Kadugli , Kurmuk and Dalang , the latter coinciding with an attack by the RSF. The SAF claimed to have repelled the attacks, while the rebels claimed to have attacked in retaliation for the death of one of their soldiers at the hands of the SAF and vowed to free the region from "military occupation". More than 35,000 were displaced by
2214-572: The military government of Sudan , the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) under Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and its allies (collectively the Janjaweed coalition) under the Janjaweed leader Hemedti , began during Ramadan on 15 April 2023. Three minor (neutral) factions have participated in the fighting: Darfur Joint Protection Force , SLM (al-Nur) under Abdul Wahid al-Nur , and SPLM-N under Abdelaziz al-Hilu . Fighting has been concentrated around
2296-499: The wet season to large wadis that flood for most of the rains and flow from western Darfur hundreds of kilometres west to Lake Chad . Many wadis have pans of alluvium with rich heavy soil that are also difficult to cultivate. Western Darfur is dominated by the third feature, basement rock , sometimes covered with a thin layer of sandy soil. Basement rock is too infertile to be farmed, but provides sporadic forest cover that can be grazed by animals. The fourth and final feature are
2378-448: The Binga, Banda, etc. As the historic dynasty's physical appearance became more "Africanized" from intermarriage with black wives and concubines, the appearance of the sultans darkened correspondingly and they became known by the appellation of their subjects, Fūr . Darfur covers an area of 493,180 square kilometers (190,420 sq mi), approximately the size of mainland Spain . It
2460-595: The Government of Sudan over the withdrawal of UNAMID , the peacekeeping force , which is the largest in the world. Other UN agencies (such as the WFP ) might exit. During the existence of the Calais Jungle refugee camp, Darfur was listed as a major source of the camp's inhabitants. The Government of Sudan and the Sudan Liberation Movement of Minni Minnawi signed a Darfur Peace Agreement in 2006. Only one rebel group,
2542-505: The Omar al-Bashir government. Hemedti saw the appointment of these officials as a signal that al-Burhan was attempting to maintain the dominance of Khartoum's traditional elite over Sudanese politics. This was a danger to the RSF's political position, as said elites were hostile to Hemedti due to his ethnic background as a Darfuri Arab. Hemedti's expression of regret over the October 2021 coup signalled
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2624-524: The RSF and other armed groups to proliferate to prevent threats to its security from within the armed forces, a practice known as " coup-proofing ". In December 2018, protests against al-Bashir's regime began, starting the first phase of the Sudanese Revolution . Eight months of sustained civil disobedience were met with violent repression. In April 2019, the military (including the RSF) ousted al-Bashir in
2706-552: The RSF over the next few days caused significant damage to infrastructure, but failed to dislodge RSF forces from their positions. Following further threats to his life from Hemedti, al-Burhan gave a public video address from his besieged base at the Army Headquarters, vowing to continue fighting. On 19 May, al-Burhan officially removed Hemedti as his deputy in the Transitional Sovereignty Council and replaced him with former rebel leader and council member Malik Agar . With al-Burhan trapped in Khartoum, Agar became de facto leader of
2788-597: The RSF were accused of atrocities against non-Arab residents. A temporary ceasefire was signed and faced challenges as fighting persisted in Khartoum, and the agreed-upon ceasefire time saw further violence. Between 28 and 97 people were reportedly killed by the RSF and Arab militias when they attacked the predominantly Masalit town of Misterei in West Darfur on 28 May. As June began, Khartoum witnessed tank battles resulting in casualties. The RSF took control of several important cultural and government buildings, including
2870-457: The SAF brought in artillery and heavily bombarded SPLM-N positions. Further attacks by the group largely petered out after this, with an assault on Kadugli in September being pushed back by the SAF. In Darfur, fighting and bloodshed were particularly fierce around the city of Geneina , where hundreds died and extensive destruction occurred. RSF forces engaged in frequent acts of violence against
2952-527: The SAF has made gains in Omdurman. Since June 2024, the RSF has made gains in Sennar State . Further negotiations between the warring sides have produced no significant results, while many countries have provided military or political support for either al-Burhan or Hemedti. As of September 2024, the SAF has made notable gains in Khartoum and Khartoum North (alternatively referred to as Bahri). In August 2024,
3034-580: The SLM-al-Nur and the Sudanese Communist Party , agreeing to co-operate to draft a 'revolutionary charter' and remove the military from power. In the months after the 2021 coup the already weak Sudanese economy steeply declined, fueling wide protests demanding that the junta return power to civilian authorities. Tensions arose between al-Burhan and Hemedti over al-Burhan's restoration to the office of old-guard Islamist officials who had dominated
3116-491: The SLM-al-Nur under Abdul Wahid al-Nur , and the SLM-Tambour under Mustafa Tambour . The SLM-Minnawi and SLM-Tambour signed the 2020 Juba Peace Agreement , ceasing hostilities and receiving political appointments, but the SLM-al-Nur refused to sign and kept fighting. The SPLM-N was founded by units of the predominantly South Sudanese Sudan People's Liberation Movement /Army stationed in areas that remained in Sudan following
3198-648: The Southern Darfur Arab Rizeigat tribe led by Sheikh Madibbo , defeated the Ottoman forces led by Slatin Pasha (that had just invaded Egypt earlier that year) in Darfur. When Ahmad's successor, Abdallahi ibn Muhammad , himself an Arab of Southern Darfur from the Ta’isha tribe , demanded that the pastoralist tribes provide soldiers, several tribes rose up in revolt. Following the defeat of Abdallahi at Omdurman in 1899 by an Anglo-Egyptian expeditionary force,
3280-553: The Sudan Liberation Movement, subscribed to the agreement; the Justice and Equality Movement rejected it, resulting in a continuation of the conflict. The agreement includes provisions for wealth-sharing and power-sharing and established a Transitional Darfur Regional Authority to help administer Darfur until a referendum could take place on the future of the region. The leader of the Sudan Liberation Movement, Minni Minnawi,
3362-527: The Sudanese Armed Forces Headquarters was placed under RSF siege, rendering him unable to leave Khartoum. In an interview with Al Jazeera , Hemedti accused al-Burhan and his commanders of forcing the RSF to start the war by scheming to bring deposed leader Omar al-Bashir back to power. He called for the international community to intervene against al-Burhan, claiming that the RSF was fighting against radical Islamic militants. Following
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3444-685: The Sudanese Government rejected the idea of a single region headed by a vice-president from the region. On 29 January, the leaders of the Liberation and Justice Movement and the Justice and Equality Movement issued a joint statement affirming their commitment to the Doha negotiations and agreement to attend the Doha forum on 5 February. The Sudanese government had not yet agreed to attend the forum on that date and instead favoured an internal peace process without
3526-418: The Sudanese government took action against international envoys. The Saudi embassy in Khartoum was attacked and evacuations from an orphanage were carried out amid the chaos. Amidst the turmoil, Sudan faced diplomatic strains with Egypt, leading to challenges for Sudanese refugees seeking entry. With al-Burhan out of Khartoum for the first time since the start of the war, he was able to fly to Egypt and hold
3608-478: The Sudanese government, assuming responsibility for peace negotiations, international visits and the day-to-day running of the country. International attention to the conflict resulted in the United Nations Human Rights Council calling a special session to address the violence, voting to increase monitoring of human rights abuses. On 6 May, delegates from the SAF and the RSF met directly for
3690-731: The UN came to regard the conflict as one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the world. Insurgency and counter-insurgency have led to 480,000 deaths (the Khartoum government disputes the numbers). This has been labeled as the Darfur genocide . "By 2010 about 300,000 had died, according to the UN best estimate, and about 3,000,000 were forced into refugee camps." Over 2.8 million people have become displaced since 2003, many of whom were children (see Lost Boys of Sudan ). Many of these refugees have gone into camps where emergency aid has created conditions that, although extremely basic, are better than in
3772-446: The beginning of May the SAF claimed to have weakened the RSF's combat capabilities and repelled its advances in multiple regions. The Sudanese police deployed its Central Reserve Forces in the streets of Khartoum in support of the SAF, claiming to have arrested several hundred RSF fighters. The SAF announced it was launching an all-out attack on RSF in Khartoum using air strikes and artillery. Air strikes and ground offensives against
3854-496: The capital city of Khartoum (largest and initial battle of the war) and the Darfur region. As of 14 November 2024, at least 61,000 people had been killed in Khartoum State alone, of which 26,000 were a direct result of the violence. As of 5 July 2024, over 7.7 million were internally displaced and more than 2.1 million others had fled the country as refugees, and many civilians in Darfur have been reported dead as part of
3936-524: The city of Merowe as well as in Khartoum . Government forces ordered them to leave and were refused. This led to clashes when RSF forces took control of the Soba military base south of Khartoum. On 13 April, RSF forces began their mobilization, raising fears of a potential rebellion against the junta. The SAF declared the mobilization illegal. On 15 April 2023, the RSF attacked SAF bases across Sudan, including Khartoum and its airport . There were clashes at
4018-520: The city. The RSF laid siege to the SAF's Armoured Corps base, breaching its defences and taking control of surrounding neighbourhoods. The SAF also made offensives, with the RSF-controlled Republican Palace and Yarmouk Complex coming under SAF air bombardment. An offensive was launched against Yarmouk, but this was beaten back after the RSF shipped in reinforcements. One of the few remaining bridges between Khartoum and Khartoum North
4100-431: The column's commander. In response to the escalating violence in Khartoum, the SAF increased the intensity of their airstrikes and artillery bombardment, leading to heightened civilian casualties often numbering in the dozens per strike. Shelling by the RSF also increased in intensity, leading to many civilian casualties in turn. Heavy fighting continued in Khartoum throughout August, with clashes breaking out across
4182-457: The disputes was the integration of the RSF into the military: the RSF insisted on a 10-year timetable for its integration into the regular army, while the army demanded integration within two years. Other contested issues included the status given to RSF officers in the future hierarchy, and whether RSF forces should be under the command of the army chief rather than Sudan's commander-in-chief, al-Burhan. On 11 April 2023, RSF forces deployed near
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#17329025820464264-545: The fighting. Speculation arose as to whether the attacks were part of an unofficial alliance between al-Hilu and the RSF or an attempt by al-Hilu to strengthen his position in future negotiations concerning his group. Civil society organizations supporting the SPLM-N claimed its operations sought to protect civilians from possible attacks by the RSF. Al-Hilu's faction launched further offensives in July, moving into South Kordofan and gaining control of several SAF bases. In response
4346-510: The first few days of war the SAF brought in reinforcements from the Ethiopian border. Although a ceasefire was announced for Eid al-Fitr , fighting continued across the country. Combat was described as particularly intense along the highway from Khartoum to Port Sudan and in the industrial zone of al-Bagair. Intercommunal clashes were reported in Blue Nile State and in Geneina . By
4428-573: The first historical attestable kingdom . They were centered in the Marrah Mountains and left records of valuable rock engravings, stone architecture and a ( orally preserved ) list of kings. The Tunjur replaced the Daju in the fourteenth century and the Daju established new headquarters in Abyei, Denga, Darsila and Mongo in the current Chad. The Tunjur sultans intermarried with the Fur and sultan Musa Sulayman (reigned c. 1667 – c. 1695 )
4510-561: The first time in Jeddah , Saudi Arabia , for what was described by Saudi Arabia and the United States as "pre-negotiation talks". After diplomatic lobbying from the Saudis and Americans the warring sides signed the Treaty of Jeddah on 20 May, vowing to ensure the safe passage of civilians, protect relief workers, and prohibit the use of civilians as human shields . The agreement did not include
4592-466: The following languages are spoken in Darfur according to Ethnologue . The region is divided into five federal states : Central Darfur , East Darfur , North Darfur , South Darfur and West Darfur . The Darfur Peace Agreement of 2006 established a Transitional Darfur Regional Authority as an interim authority for the region. The agreement stated that a referendum on the status of Darfur should be held no later than 2011. Minni Minnawi
4674-488: The headquarters of the state broadcaster, Sudan TV , which was later captured by RSF forces. Bridges and roads in Khartoum and its hinterland were closed by RSF command. The next day saw a SAF counteroffensive, with the army retaking Merowe Airport alongside the headquarters of Sudan TV and the state radio. The Sudan Civil Aviation Authority closed the country's airspace as fighting began. Telecommunications provider MTN shut down Internet services, and by 23 April there
4756-402: The involvement of rebel groups. Later in February, the Sudanese Government agreed to return to the Doha peace forum with a view to complete a new peace agreement by the end of that month. On 25 February, both the Liberation and Justice Movement and the Justice and Equality Movement announced that they had rejected the peace document proposed by the mediators in Doha. The main sticking points were
4838-641: The issues of a Darfuri vice-president and compensation for victims. The Sudanese government had not commented on the peace document. At the Doha Peace Forum in June, the Joint Mediators proposed a new Darfur Peace Agreement , which would supersede the Abuja Agreement of 2005 and if signed, would halt preparations for a Darfur status referendum. The proposal included provisions for a Darfuri Vice-President and an administrative structure that includes both
4920-457: The mid-1980s disrupted many societal structures and led to the first significant modern fighting amongst Darfuris. A low-level conflict continued for the next fifteen years, with the government co-opting and arming Arab Janjaweed militias against its enemies. The fighting reached a peak in 2003 with the beginning of the Darfur conflict , in which the resistance coalesced into a roughly cohesive rebel movement. In March 2004, human-rights groups and
5002-411: The most of any African nation. Sudan has usually been ruled by the military, interspersed with short periods of democratic parliamentary rule. Two civil wars – the first from 1955 to 1972 and the second, 1983 to 2005 – between the central government and the southern regions , which led to the independence of South Sudan in 2011, killed 1.5 million people, and
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#17329025820465084-586: The movement had accepted the core proposals of the Darfur peace document proposed by the joint-mediators in Doha; the proposals included a $ 300,000,000 compensation package for victims of atrocities in Darfur and special courts to conduct trials of persons accused of human-rights violations. Proposals for a new Darfur Regional Authority were also included; this authority would have an executive council of 18 ministers and would remain in place for five years. The current three Darfur states and state governments would also continue to exist during this period. In February 2011
5166-463: The new Anglo-Egyptian government recognized Ali Dinar as the sultan of Darfur and largely left the Dar to its own affairs except for a nominal annual tribute. In 1916, after the British government suspected that the sultan was falling under the influence of the Ottoman government , an expedition was launched from Egypt to capture and annex Darfur into the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan. The colonial government directed financial and administrative resources to
5248-487: The post on 20 September 2011. The regional authority was dissolved in July 2016 following a referendum , on the status of the Darfur region within Sudan. As part of the Sudanese transition to democracy , a Darfur Regional Government was created in August 2021 with Minni Minawi as Regional Governor. In 2008, Darfur's population was 7.5 million. This in an increase by nearly six times from 1973 (1.3 million). 52% are aged 16 years or younger. Darfur's budget
5330-422: The region was more humid, would have contained about 2,500 km (600 cubic miles) of water. It may have dried up thousands of years ago. Most of the region consists of a semi-arid plain and thus appears unsuitable for developing a large and complex civilization . But the Marrah Mountains offer plentiful water, and by the 12th century the Daju people , succeeding the semi-legendary Tora culture , created
5412-429: The region was named Dardaju (Arabic: دار داجو , romanized: Dār Dājū ) while ruled by the Daju , who migrated from Meroë c. 350 AD , and it was renamed Dartunjur (Arabic: دار تنجر , romanized: Dār Tunjur ) when the Tunjur ruled the area. Darfur was an independent sultanate for several hundred years until 1874, when it fell to the Sudanese warlord Rabih az-Zubayr . The region
5494-509: The religious leader Muhammad Ahmad led a nationalist revolt and established an "Islamic and national" Mahdist State in much of the territory of modern Sudan. After Ahmad's death, a British-Egyptian force commanded by Lord Kitchener retook Sudan . In 1899, the country became a condominium of Egypt and the United Kingdom , but was de facto ruled by the UK alone and would remain under British control until 1956, when it gained independence and inherited its pre-1911 borders. In 1916, after
5576-418: The rivalry between farmers and herders. The first historical mention of the word Fur occurs in 1664 in the account by J. M. Vansleb , a German traveler, of a visit to Egypt (Petermann (1862-3). Mitteilungen, Erganzungsband II). It is claimed that, like sūdān , fūr means "blacks", and was the name given by the early light-colored Berber sultans of Darfur to the original inhabitants of the country such as
5658-428: The three states and a strategic regional authority, the Darfur Regional Authority , to oversee Darfur as a whole. The new agreement was signed by the Government of Sudan and the Liberation and Justice Movement on 14 July. The Sudan Liberation Movement and the Justice and Equality Movement did not sign the new document at that time but had three months in which to do so if they wished. A comprehensive peace agreement
5740-468: The tribes of central Sudan near Khartoum - while the outlying regions such as Darfur remained mostly forgotten and ignored. K. D. D. Henderson was the last British governor of Darfur. A pattern of skewed economic development continued after Sudan achieved political independence in 1956. The governor at the time of independence was Ali Abdallah Abu Sinn , who had joined the civil service in 1923 and served in Darfur since 1946 . In August 1958 he
5822-416: The villages, which offer no protection against the various militias that operate in the region. Nearly two-thirds of the population continues to struggle to survive in remote villages. Virtually no foreigners visit the region because of the fear of kidnapping, and only some non-governmental organizations continue to provide long-term grass-roots assistance. As of 2015 the United Nations is in discussion with
5904-600: The war in support of the SAF, alongside the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM). In contrast, the Tamazuj movement joined forces with the RSF, while the Abdelaziz al-Hilu faction of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement–North attacked SAF positions in the south of the country. Starting in October 2023, momentum began to swing toward the RSF, as the paramilitary defeated army forces in Darfur and made gains in Khartoum State , Kordofan , and Gezira State . Since February 2024,
5986-531: Was a near-total Internet outage attributed to attacks on the electricity grid. Sudanese international trade began to break down, with Maersk , one of the largest shipping companies in the world, announcing a pause on new shipments to the country. Hemedti directed his forces to capture or kill al-Burhan, and RSF units engaged in pitched and bloody combat with the Republican Guard . Ultimately al-Burhan managed to evade capture or assassination, but his base at
6068-432: Was also destroyed by the SAF, in an attempt to deny the RSF freedom of movement. On 24 August an SAF operation successfully rescued al-Burhan from his besieged base at the Army Headquarters, allowing him to head to Port Sudan and hold a cabinet meeting there. Ceasefires between the warring parties were announced but often violated, leading to further clashes. The SAF and RSF engaged in mutual blame for incidents, while
6150-646: Was appointed Senior Assistant to the President of Sudan and Chairman of the transitional authority in 2007. In December 2010, representatives of the Liberation and Justice Movement , an umbrella organisation of ten rebel groups, formed in February of that year, started a fresh round of talks with the Sudanese Government in Doha , Qatar . A new rebel group, the Sudanese Alliance Resistance Forces in Darfur,
6232-520: Was destroyed by the Egyptian ruler set up in Khartoum , largely through the machinations of Sebehr Rahma , a slave-trader, who was competing with the dar over access to ivory in Bahr el Ghazal to the south of Darfur. The Darfuris were restive under Egyptian rule, but were no more predisposed to accept the rule of the self-proclaimed Mahdi , Muhammad Ahmad , when in 1882 his Emir of Darfur, who came from
6314-420: Was formed and the Justice and Equality Movement planned further talks. The talks ended on December 19 without a new peace agreement, but participants agreed on basic principles, including a regional authority and a referendum on autonomy for Darfur. The possibility of a Darfuri Vice-President was also discussed. In January 2011, the leader of the Liberation and Justice Movement, Dr. Tijani Sese , stated that
6396-522: Was later invaded and incorporated into Sudan by Anglo-Egyptian forces in 1916. As an administrative region, Darfur is divided into five federal states : Central Darfur , East Darfur , North Darfur , South Darfur and West Darfur . Because of the War in Darfur between Sudanese government forces and the indigenous population, the region has been in a state of humanitarian emergency and genocide since 2003. The factors include religious and ethnic rivalry, and
6478-493: Was marked by widespread state-sponsored acts of violence, leading to charges of war crimes and genocide against al-Bashir. The initial phase of the conflict left approximately 300,000 dead and 2.7 million forcibly displaced; even though the intensity of the violence later declined, the situation in the region remained far from peaceful. To crush uprisings by non-Arab tribes in the Nuba Mountains , al-Bashir relied upon
6560-447: Was signed on 31 August 2020 in Juba , South Sudan, between the Sudanese authorities and rebel factions to end armed hostilities. However, further tribal clashes have continued during 2021. Languages of Darfur include Daju , Erenga (or Sungor ), Fongoro , Fulbe (or Fulfulde ), Fur (thus the name of the region), Masalit , Sinyar , Tama , Midob , and Zaghawa . Other than Fur,
6642-476: Was succeeded by Ahmad Makki Abdo , who remained in power despite the coup d'état of that year, until he was finally dismissed in December 1959 and replaced by al-Tijani Sa'd . The proxy wars between Sudan , Libya and Chad added an element of political instability. Darfurians began to respond to the ideology of Arab supremacy propagated by Libyan leader Muammar al-Gaddafi (in power 1969–2011). A famine in
6724-626: Was the first chair of this authority, holding that office from April 2007 until December 2010, when he was succeeded by Shartai Jaafar Abdel Hakam . The peace agreement that was signed in July 2011 saw the Transitional Darfur Regional Authority reconstituted as the Darfur Regional Authority with executive and legislative functions. The chairperson of the Darfur Regional Authority, Tijani Sese , assumed
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