11 Facts About Darfur

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1. Darfur is a region in Sudan, Africa, that had a population of approximately 6 million people prior to 2003.^["United Human Rights Council." United Human Rights Council. http://www.unitedhumanrights.org/genocide/genocide-in-sudan.htm (accessed July 31, 2014).]
2. In 2003, two rebel groups, Sudan Liberation Army/Movement (SLA/M) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) launched a full-scale rebellion against the Sudanese government for reasons of ongoing economic marginalization and insecurity.^["Darfur: A Brief History of Conflict, 2003-2006 | Enough Project." Darfur: A Brief History of Conflict, 2003-2006. http://www.enoughproject.org/blogs/darfur-brief-history-conflict-2003-2006 (accessed August 1, 2014).]
3. The Sudanese government responded to the rebellion with the Arab militia (aka Janjaweed) with violent attacks on villages throughout the country. Since beginning in 2003, an estimated 400,000 people have died directly or indirectly from the attacks.^["Darfur conflict." Darfur conflict. http://www.trust.org/spotlight/Darfur-conflict (accessed August 1, 2014).]
4. A genocide is the deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political, or cultural group. The violence in Darfur is considered a genocide because it is racially based. The Arab Sudanese displaced and murdered the Black Sudanese.^[Cable News Network. "Powell calls Sudan killings genocide." CNN. http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/africa/09/09/sudan.powell/ (accessed August 1, 2014).]
5. In September 2004, US Secretary of State Colin Powell deemed the Darfur conflict a genocide and called it the worst humanitarian crisis of the 21st century. This is the first time the US has ever declared genocide as it was still occurring.^[Cable News Network. "Powell calls Sudan killings genocide." CNN. http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/africa/09/09/sudan.powell/ (accessed August 1, 2014).]
6. In 2009, Sudanese President Omar al Bashir, became the first sitting president to be indicted by International Criminal Court for directing a campaign of mass killing, rape, and pillage against civilians in Darfur.^["United Human Rights Council." United Human Rights Council. http://www.unitedhumanrights.org/genocide/genocide-in-sudan.htm (accessed July 31, 2014).]
7. Approximately 2.5 million people survived the attacks but were displaced to Internally Displaced Persons camps.^["United Human Rights Council." United Human Rights Council. http://www.unitedhumanrights.org/genocide/genocide-in-sudan.htm (accessed July 31, 2014).]
8. In 2004, the Sudanese government denied that a genocide had taken place.^["Darfur conflict." Darfur conflict. http://www.trust.org/spotlight/Darfur-conflict (accessed August 1, 2014).]
9. Soon after, the Sudanese government expelled 13 international agencies from Sudan and three local agencies from Darfur.^[Cable News Network. "Powell calls Sudan killings genocide." CNN. http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/africa/09/09/sudan.powell/ (accessed August 1, 2014).]
10. The number of aid workers in Darfur more than halved between 2009 and 2014.^["Darfur conflict." Darfur conflict. http://www.trust.org/spotlight/Darfur-conflict (accessed August 1, 2014).]
11. More than a million people have been displaced by the hostilities, fleeing to other places in Sudan or across the border to Chad.^["Darfur conflict." Darfur conflict. http://www.trust.org/spotlight/Darfur-conflict (accessed August 1, 2014).]