This is the Georgia Chapter page for the Save Darfur Coalition. Membership recruitment, the seeking of likeminded, intelligent, outspoken individuals interested in bringing attention and acknowledgement to the genocide now occuring in the Darfur region of Sudan.
(photo by: kelli guinn) (photo by: kelli guinn) (photo by: kelli guinn) (photo by: kelli guinn) (photo by: kelli guinn) (photo by: kelli guinn) (photo by: kelli guinn)
Watch video on YouTubeWhere is Darfur?Darfur is a region in western Sudan, an eastern African country half the size of the United States.History of the Conflict in DarfurThe largest region in Sudan, Darfur is home to some 36 ethnic tribes, composed of two major blocks Arabs and non-Arabs the latter known as blacks. The Fur and the Masalit ethnic groups, who dominate the African population in Darfur, have a long history of clashes over land with Arab camel- and cattle-herding tribes. Initially, such hostilities were monitored through negotiation between community leaders. In the 1970s, however, competition over fertile land and dwindling resources intensified dramatically due to the desertification of the region and the lack of good governance. Traditional conflict resolution mechanisms were soon replaced with bloody and politicized clashes and ethnicity soon became a major mobilizing factor.Rivals began identifying themselves as Arabs and non-Arabs for the first time during the 1987-1989 Fur-Arab conflict, when nomads of Arab origin and Fur clashed over grazing lands and water resources. During this time, some 27 Arab tribes grouped themselves under the previously unknown Arab Gathering. Reports at that time already refer to the nomad militia Janjawid (armed men on horses), which was known for attacking Fur as well as other non-Arab tribes. An estimated 2,500 Fur lost their lives and 400 villages were burned, causing tens of thousands to flee their land in search for safety.A 1994 administrative reorganization by the government of President Omar El Bashir equipped members of the Arab tribes with new power, and was perceived by the African Masalit, Fur and Zaghawa as an attempt to debilitate their traditional leadership role and authority in the region. The decision lead to the resurgence of fighting, culminating in the 1996-1998 Masalit-Arab conflict, where the torching of Masalit villages instigated the flow of 100, 000 refugees into Chad. The fighting received little international attention.Why are people being killed?
Ethnic African rebel groups in Darfur launched a war for independence, sighting a lack of life saving government funds in the region. President Omar Al-Bashir responded with a brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing against civilians. He has used proxy militia groups to torch whole cities, rape and kill thousands of women and children. The violence continues today.
