Historical Overview 

Since its independence from British imperialism in 1956, Sudan has been plagued by chronic civil war between the Arab-dominated government and the primarily non-Arab population located in southern Sudan.   Darfur, an ethnically diverse province located in the western region of Sudan, has become a critical site in Sudan’s civil war.  Throughout much of Darfur’s history, considerable tension has existed amongst its various Arab and non-Arab populations.  Recent competition over access to land and water has aggravated the strife between Arabs, who are primarily nomadic herdsmen, and non-Arab farmers. 

In February 2003, two rebel groups – the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the Sudanese Liberation Movement (SLM) – struck out against the government, accusing it of oppressing non-Arabs in favor of Arabs.  The government responded by arming an Arab militia, the Janjaweed, to wage an assault against the JEM and SLM rebels.  Although both sides have been accused of committing human rights violations, the better armed and government backed Janjaweed have engaged in a large scale campaign of ethnic cleansing that includes the destruction of hundreds of villages, the murder of thousands of people and the rape of thousands of women and girls.  

Since 2003, over 2 million people have been displaced by the conflict.  Some refugees have fled to camps in neighboring Chad, but the vast majority live in camps in Darfur, which are vulnerable to attacks by the Janjaweed militias.  Despite international attention, the Sudanese government has resisted U.N. appeals for intervention.  Instead, it continues to support the Janjaweed’s systematic assaults against non-Arab Darfurians. 

 Bibliography

Websites

1. Washington State Holocaust Education Resource Center -  www.wsherc.org/highlight/Darfur_Education.asp

   • Contains links for updates and information on the crisis in Darfur.  Provides access to a well-written Sudan curriculum and also several pdf files that provide updates on the conflict and also book reviews on the current literature regarding Sudan. 
      

2. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum - www.ushmm.org/conscience/alert/darfur 

   • Provides information and updates and also a link to all of the news stories around the country that relate to Sudan, which is updated regularly.  The site also provides information on what people can do about the crisis. 
      

3. United Nations Children Fund - www.unicefusa.org/darfur

   • Contains information on the crisis in Darfur by paying particular attention to the children of the area.  The site also contains video clips and related links. 
      

4. CIA Fact book - www.cia.gov/cia/publications/fact book/geos/su.html 

   • General information relating to Sudan.
      

5. BBC News In Depth - Sudan: A Nation Divided - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_depth/africa/2004/sudan/default.stm

   • Backround information, news, analysis, special features and related links.
      

6. PBS Online NewsHour - Crisis in Sudan -  http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/africa/darfur/index.html

   • Contains news, analysis, background information, related links and video clips.
      

7. Human Rights Watch Q & A: Crisis in Darfur - http://hrw.org/english/docs/2004/05/05/darfur8536.htm

   • Contains general background information and related links.
      

8. Darfur: A Genocide We Can Stop - http://www.darfurgenocide.org/learn.php#start

   • Contains photographs, stories, songs, news articles, analysis and information about the situation in Darfur.
      

9.  Facing History and Ourselves - www.facinghistory.org/darfur  

   • Contains resources and general background information along with providing ways people can become involved in the situation in Sudan.   

10. "Documenting Atrocities in Darfur" - http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/36028.htm 

    • This September 2004 State Department document is the result of interviews conducted by the U.S. government with over 1,000 Sudanese refugees in Chad.

11. Eric Reeves - www.sudanreeves.org  

    • Eric Reeves has spent the past eight years working full-time as a Sudan researcher and analyst, publishing extensively both in the US and internationally. He has testified several times before the Congress, has lectured widely in academic settings, and has served as a consultant to a number of human rights and humanitarian organizations operating in Sudan.

12. ENOUGH: The Project to Abolish Genocide and Mass Atrocities - www.enoughproject.org

    • The mission of ENOUGH is, "To, stop and prevent genocide and mass atrocities by promoting Peace, providing Protection, and Punishing the perpetrators. We use field and policy analysis and strong policy advocacy to empower a growing activist movement for change." (www.enoughproject.org)

13. Genocide Intervention Network - www.genocideintervention.net

    • This website has three main focuses related to genocide: education, advocacy, and fundraising.  While the site is about genocide in general, there is a current focus on Darfur.  This is a great resource for suggestions on what can be done to help end the genocide in Darfur.

14. USHMM + Google Earth, "Crisis in Darfur" - www.ushmm.org/googleearth

    • The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has joined with Google in an unprecedented online mapping initiative. Crisis in Darfur enables more than 200 million Google Earth users worldwide to visualize and better understand the genocide currently unfolding in Darfur, Sudan.

Lesson Plans

Anti-Defamation League
Genocide in Darfur: Is the World Doing Enough?

• This lesson is part of The Promise of Never Again series of lessons that examine efforts to prevent genocide in the Post-Holocaust era.

National Geographic
What’s Happening in Darfur?

• This lesson is designed for middle school students and offers students both background and recent information (as of August 2004) about the current conflict between the people of Darfur and the Janjaweed militia, its historical and religious roots, its impact on neighboring countries, and the international response. 

Darfur and the Janjaweed

• This lesson is designed for high school students and offers students both background and recent information (as of August 2004) about the current conflict between the people of Darfur and the Janjaweed militia, its historical and religious roots, its impact on neighboring countries, and the international response.

PBS
Crisis in Sudan: Responding to Medical Emergencies

• This lesson addresses the health concerns that pertain to the humanitarian crisis in Darfur.

Sudan -- Efforts to Avert Genocide in the Making

• This lesson explores the legal implications of using the term "genocide" and the role of human rights organizations in calling attention to human rights abuses.

United Nations
Sudan Lesson Plans

• The UN offers 4 lesson plans that introduce students to the crisis in Darfur, the role of the UN, NGOs providing aid and how students can get involved to support aid to Darfur.

American University Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law
The Genocide Teaching Project
Crisis in Darfur: Is Genocide Happening

• This 45 minute lesson plan for grades 10-12 has students explain what genocide is, identify examples of genocide from the 20th century, explain key events in Sudan's history, and think critically about the U.S. role in preventing genocide.
   

Books

de Waal, A. (2005). Famine that kills : Darfur, Sudan. New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press

Flint, J. & Waal, A.  (2006).  Darfur: A short history of a long war.  New York: Zed Books.

• This book describes the history of Darfur, its conflicts and the designs on the regions by the government.  It investigates the Janjaweed militia and the nature of the insurrections.  Furthermore, the book describes the current crises and the international response and