UNCLASSIFIED DARFUR FACT SHEET 3 June 15 2004 RELEASED IN FULL Background - Situated in the western pait of Sudan home to an estimated 7 million people Ethnic con ict 1s endemic the nomadic Arab Muslim minority has disputed access to water and land with 1esident black Afiican Muslim fa1 meis for centuries - Kha1toum long neglected Da1fur as government mestled with Southern iebels - Widespread circulation of small arms and light weapons aggravates the situation - The dry season ends in June making it more difficult to move around the region Current Conflict In Feb 2003 the Sudan Libe1ation Army SLA captured a government town seeking socio economic attention from govemment Khartoum responded militarily Rebels resumed attacks against majo1 towns as a second black A ican movement the Justice and Equality Movement J EM emerged and joined the SLA - Government unleashed Arab linjaweed militias in a scorched earth campaign in the Darfur regions population - The Parties signed an April 8lh cease re agreement that is essentially unsuccessful Regional Implications - Daifur c1isis has spilled into neighboring Chad which shares a 1 000 km long border with Sudan Chad 5 single infanti battalion on the border 15 incapable of preventing Jinjaweed cross b01der1nc11rsions and Sudan has not closed it_borders with Chad despite having almost a division of troops deplbyed along the border region - The government of Chad is incapable of dealing with the escalating humanitarian crisis and 90 000 refugees have crossed the boider and am in rough camps while another 60 000 are still waiting on the border UN of cials expect that a110t11e1 100-200K will arrive in Chad over the next 6- 8 month- International 1elief agencies including the UN me on scene but are overwhelmed by the magnitude of the problem Humanitarian Situation In Darfur - Humanitarian c1isis deterior ates as Jinjaweed attacks continue unabated - Attacks have increased both 111 scale and brutality Between 10 000 and 30 000 have been killed since Feb 2003 Over 2 2 million internally displaced persons - Destruction of villages and other infrastructure exacerbate the situation - Blurring of natural resource redistribution by force and genocide like indicators Worst case estimates of potential loss of life due to disease starvation and- violence in icted by the government forces is estimated to reach 350K by the end of the summer Projected loss could reach 30% of the total 2 2M refugee and IDP population i e 660 000 by the end of 2004 - UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE REVIEW AUTHORITY JOHN BLODGETT ID 19 FEB 2008 200704771 UNCLASSIFIED                     National Security Archive    Suite 701  Gelman Library  The George Washington University    2130 H Street  NW  Washington  D C  20037    Phone  202 994‐7000  Fax  202 994‐7005  nsarchiv@gwu edu