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Is There a Connection Between Climate Change and Conflict in Darfur?

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Is There a Connection Between Climate Change and Conflict in Darfur? 1 Is there a connection between Climate Change and Conflict in Darfur? Master Thesis in Sustainable Development Jonathan Sturdivant Institutionen för geovetenskaper Uppsala Universitet 2012 1 2 Is there a connection between Climate Change and Conflict in Darfur? JONATHAN STURDIVANT Sturdivant, J., 2012: Connection between Climate Change and Conflict in Darfur. Master Thesis in Sustainable Development at Uppsala University. pp, 39 Abstract: This project involves studying the connection between climate change and conflict within Darfur. This has been accomplished by initially giving a summary of the history of Sudan, and Darfur Sudan, while ending with a chronology of events leading up to 2002/3 when large scale conflict between ethnic groups and the state occurred in Darfur. This is followed by an analysis of the events leading up to conflict, focusing on the group vs. group and group vs. state interaction over resources in the area which climate change brought about. Succeeding this discussion section in which relevant connections between the conflict in Darfur and outside forces are discussed. The conclusion lends to the fact that the conflict in Darfur is related to flawed policies of managing conflict emitted from Khartoum. Keywords: Conflict, Darfur, Sustainable Development, Climate Change. 2 3 Is there a connection between Climate Change and Conflict in Darfur? Keywords: Conflict, Darfur, Sustainable Development, Climate Change. Jonathan Sturdivant The conflict in Darfur, Sudan, gained international attention in 2002/3 not only with the brutality of its killings, but its distinct ethnic tone. Reports vary with how many people have actually been killed in this conflict, though the numbers vary between 200,000 and 400,000 while displacing around 2.5 million people. (Press A. , 2008). In relation to the ethnic tone of the t killings, while Arab militias have been carrying out systematic killings the region while non-Arab groups have been attacking government militias and air bases that triggered the large scale conflict in 2002. (Waal J. F., 2008, pp. 86-87). Hence the conflict in Darfur is one with extreme violence, with distinct ethnic tones. The reasons behind this conflict are disputed, with calls of ethnic marginalization being emitted from certain ethnic groups (the JEM) Justice and Equality Movement (Security, Global Security, 2011), while others giving the perspective that climate change is partly to blame as it contributed to conflicts in the 1980’s and separated, politicised, and militarized the different ethnic groups in the region. (Faris, The Real Roots of Darfur, 2007) Jonathan Sturdivant, Department of Earth Sciences, Uppsala University, Villavägen 16, SE- 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden 3 4 Is there a connection between Climate Change and Conflict in Darfur? 4 5 Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction/Background of the Problem ..................................................................................................... 7 2.0 Methodology ............................................................................................................................................................ 7 2.1 Results ..................................................................................................................................................................... 7 2.1.1 Sudan’s History ................................................................................................................................................ 8 2.2 Darfur’s History ....................................................................................................................................................... 8 2.2.2 The Demise of Native Administration .................................................................................................................. 9 2.2.2 Darfur’s Ethnic and Ecological Makeup State Formation related to identity formation .................................. 9 2.2.3 The Ethnic Makeup/Migration Habits of Darfurians/Economic Production .................................................. 10 3.0 The Influence of Sea Surface Temperatures on the Sahel Region ......................................................................... 12 4.0 Low Level Frictions in Darfur leading up to 2002/3 ............................................................................................. 20 4.1 The 1984/85 Drought/ frictions and low level violence ........................................................................................ 23 4.1.2 The Arab-Masaleet (or Masalit/Malishiat is militia in Arabic) also known as the Fur-Arab conflict between 1987 and 1989 ......................................................................................................................................................... 23 4.1.3 Time Period between 1996 and 2001 ............................................................................................................. 23 4.1.4 The Zaghawa and Aulad Zeid dispute (2001) ..................................................................................................... 24 5.0 The Climate Change Conflict Connection beginning with the 1984/85 drought. ............................................. 24 5.2 The Arab-Masaleet Conflict .............................................................................................................................. 24 5.3 Time Period between 1996-2001 ...................................................................................................................... 25 5.4 Zaghawa and Aulad Zeid Conflict .................................................................................................................... 25 5.5 The Effect of Migration as a part of continual environmental conflict .................................................................. 26 5.6 Khartoum’s behavior in relation to the groups in Darfur .................................................................................. 26 5.7 Large Scale Conflict .......................................................................................................................................... 27 6.0 Discussion ......................................................................................................................................................... 27 6.1 The Sahel Drought ............................................................................................................................................ 27 6.2 Libya Chad Conflict .......................................................................................................................................... 28 6.3 Internal Problems within Sudan ........................................................................................................................ 29 6.4 The Black Book ................................................................................................................................................. 30 6.5 Formation of Rebel Groups in Darfur ............................................................................................................... 31 6.6 General economic issues ........................................................................................................................................ 31 7.0 Conclusion......................................................................................................................................................... 32 Works Cited ................................................................................................................................................................. 33 5 6 6 7 1.0 Introduction/Background of the Problem In February of 2003, a group of Fur and Zaghawa tribes were in northern Darfur preparing to attack a Sudanese Government military garrison. They accomplished their goal, destroying government planes, helicopters, and left with a stash of weapons (Waal J. F., 2008, p. 75). As a response to this, the government of Sudan launched a counter offensive using air raids by the Sudanese air force (attacking the villages of the previously mentioned tribes), which was followed by a loyal Arab tribe called the Janjaweed entering the previously attacked villages, raping women, killing men, poisoning wells, culminating with a village being completely destroyed. (Olsson, 2010, p. 5) This pattern of conflict continued for years climaxing with 300,000 people being killed (Smith, 2005) with another 2.7 million Darfurians displaced (BBC T. , Q&A: Sudan's Darfur conflict, 2010). In spite of the previously mentioned start date to the conflict, interethnic relations between African, Arab, and the state in Khartoum have been simmering with differing levels of violence since the mid 1980’s in Darfur over land and water use in Darfur. The violence, which fluctuated for many years, reached an unprecedented level in 1984/85, and escalating in 2003. This study is a focus on the relationship between the previously mentioned violence, and the climate in Darfur. Specifically the droughts that occurred in the region from 1984 to 2001, with large scale ethnic violence appearing at the end of this time frame. The relevance of this subject is critical in today’s political climate, as climate change is forcing itself on the agenda of the developing and developed countries. As such, the purpose of this paper is to see if a link exists between large scale violence in Darfur and Climate Change. Hence the research question is attempting to find a link between connection
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