The Darfuri have Not had the Peace they Hoped For

Two years after the Sudanese revolution, hundreds of thousands of people have been internally displaced as violence in Darfur continues. Many hoped a hard-earned peace agreement would put an end to the decades-old conflict, but the region’s bloody legacy continues. The absence of joint UN-African Union (Unamid) peacekeepers is being felt by many in West Darfur. After 13 years on the ground, experts say their gradual withdrawal since December has been met with a surge of violence.Some 20,000 Sudanese troops were promised to take their place, but they are yet to arrive. The war in Darfur began in 2003 after ethnic African rebels revolted against former President Omar al-Bashir’s Arab-dominated government. Bashir responded by arming local Arab militias – infamously known as the Janjaweed – who targeted non-Arab tribes accused of supporting the rebels. Hundreds of thousands of people died and many villages were burnt and pillaged. Many people who spoke to the BBC don’t feel safe. They say the government, including the RSF, which grew out of the Janjaweed, are untrustworthy. With no end in sight for the violence that has engulfed West Darfur, the peace process is beginning to show signs of cracks.