Timeline Of The Conflict In Darfur

Many consider the violence that has swept southern Sudan in the last seven years to be genocide — but the world has responded slowly to the crisis. Here are key developments since the fighting began in 2003:

2003: The Sudanese government unleashes military force against rebel groups in Darfur that have attacked government property. Militias known as Janjaweed, believed to be backed by the government, join the fighting and target civilians as well as fighters.

2004: The United Nations reports that more than 70,000 have been killed and more than 2 million driven from their homes in Darfur. The U.N. drafts a resolution threatening unspecified penalties if the Sudanese government does not rein in Janjaweed within 30 days. The United States government declares the crisis a genocide.

2005: A U.N. report declares that the violence in Darfur does not constitute genocide. Peace talks between government and rebels drag, while neighboring Chad declares itself in “a state of war” with Sudan as refugees flee across the border.

2006: The Sudanese government signs a peace agreement with the Sudanese Liberation Army, backed by the U.S. and the African Union, calling for the Janjaweed to be disarmed and the rebel forces to disband. Violence in Darfur continues throughout the year, however, and the government refuses to admit a U.N. peacekeeping force of about 20,000 troops. Bush signs the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act, imposing sanctions on Sudan and individuals deemed complicit in the genocide.

2007: A cease-fire between the government and rebel groups quickly dissolves. Amnesty International accuses Russia and China of supplying arms to the government, while the International Criminal Court charges Sudan’s humanitarian affairs minister and a Janjaweed leader with war crimes. Some call for boycott of 2008 Olympics in Beijing due to China’s support of Sudan.

2008: Violence between the government and rebels reaches the streets of the capital, Khartoum. The U.N. states that more than 300,000 people have died in Darfur in the last six years. However, a U.N. report declares that it will take many months to fully implement a 26,000-member peacekeeping force due to insecurity and logistical problems.

2009: The U.N.’s military commander in Darfur says war has effectively ended between the government and rebels, and that the region’s remaining problems are mostly due to banditry, and ongoing disease and starvation. The government agrees to a 2011 referendum on independence for southern Sudan.

2010: The government signs a truce with a major rebel group in February, although other rebel groups do not take part. The medical journal Lancet reports that even after fighting ends, millions of Darfur refugees will be at risk of death from malnutrition, diarrhea and other waterborne diseases.

Source: Los Angeles Times and BBC News reports.