Darfur Conflict, How it Started, 2003

Category: Genocide

How It Started:
The starting point of the conflict in the Darfur region is said to be on February 26, 2003, when a group calling itself the Darfur Liberation Front (DLF) attacked the town of Golo, Sudan. This attack was an act of rebellion. Earlier in the year, two local rebel groups, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM)accused the government of oppressing black Africans (non-Arabs), and was in favor of Arabs. Also, the rebels claimed that the region of Darfur was being neglected by the government and the capital, Khartoum. After years and years of neglect and oppression by the gov't, droughts, and small conflicts in Darfur, the two rebel groups started to challange the Sudanese government and president, Omar al-Bashir. The rebel groups started attacking other government targets also besides ones just in Golo.

Important People:
Minni Minnawi, commander of the SLM.
Ibrahim Khalil, commander of the JEM.
Sudanese President Omar al-Fashir

Victims(at these raid - 2003): Workers at the headquarters of Jebel Marra District in Golo, Government officials and workers.

Additional Thoughts:
From what we've heard from others, many claim to think as the conflict in Darfur as not a genocide, and that it isn't genocidally intended. Now, we can see why because there was many small conflicts prior to the beginning of the Darfur conflict between the non-Arab farmers and villagers and the Sudanese government. Many can see this genocide as the Sudanese government merely fighting back and riding their country of the insurgency.