An examination of the Dafur crisis and the role of United Nations and the African Union toward its resolution

Abstract

It has been argued that most violent conflicts in Africa are over material resources, whether these resources are actual or perceived. The objective of this paper is to reexamine the complex social structures in Darfur, the history of the people, their ecology and geographical setting, economy, culture and socio-political affiliations. The objective is also to trace and bring to light the remote and immediate causes of the seemingly endless conflict which has claimed thousands of lives, destroyed property, caused hunger, epidemic and diseases, death and forceful migration of the people as refugees to neighbouring countries; and has been described as “the world‟s worst humanitarian crisis” or “genocide” by the United Nations and the United States. The paper argues that the Darfur crisis is not simply a humanitarian crisis, but an explosion of structural violence rooted in constant struggles for control of natural wealth and power between the Sudan‟s central government in Khartoum and its peripherals. The paper further argues that, not being highly developed and technically industrialized, African States are vulnerable; that the advanced nations of the world should always be quick in helping troubled African States in achieving peace rather than escalating the crisis or delaying the peace process. The methodology adopted is based on primary and secondary sources as well as internet sources, BBC news commentaries, reports from the UN and Security Council, and oral interviews at Sudan embassies in Nigeria.

Keywords: Dafur Crisis, United Nations, African Union, Conflict Resolution, Sudan