An Cosantóir

www.military.ie the defence forces magazine | 21 tribal divisions that had existed in Sudan for centuries. Areas were depopulated as government troops forcibly removed inhabitants and accusations of genocide were levelled against al-Bashir. In 2003, the crisis in Darfur erupted with the JEM and SLA launching attacks against government positions in the region. In order to combat this threat, al-Bashir armed and funded local Arab militias, such as the Janja- weed, to fight against anti-government forces. The strategy and tactics deployed by al-Bashir's forces are based on mobility, with militias utilising armed horsemen that can act on their own initiative as well as not being a burden on logistics. Reconnaissance and hit-and-run attacks against villages are used by both sides, with many innocent people being caught in the crossfire. Anti-government forces use a range of vehicles, mostly 'technicals'. These mobile weapon systems are usually mounted with a range of fire power provided by weaponry left over from Africa's Cold War battlefields of the '70s and '80s. These include 12.7mm DShk heavy machine guns, recoilless rifles, and 12-barrel 107mm rocket launchers. To deter government gunships and air support, heavy machine guns such as the Russian ZU-23 or 14.5mm KPV are also used. Government forces also have an array of weapons in their arsenal and have workshops in Khartoum that provide technical and logistical support for self- propelled howitzers, tanks, light aircraft, helicopters and trucks. The Sudanese government also provides training for militia personnel, which brings world- wide condemnation. In 2004, supported by the UN, the African Union launched a mission to restore peace in the region. Though peace agreements were signed by some of the antagonists in the years that followed, some groups refused to recognise the treaties and continued their campaigns of violence. In 2007 a joint UN/AU mission, UNAMID, was established to take over peacekeeping duties in Darfur. In 2009, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for President al-Bashir on several counts of crimes against humanity. He was also later accused of genocide. The warrant reduced his capability to travel and his movements were restricted to neighbour- ing countries. In 2011, a referendum resulted in the secession of South Sudan and it was granted independence. The world's newest country was also one of the poorest. This bitter and bloody war has continued for decades, with UN peacekeepers, observers, aid workers and countless international interventions all failing to bring peace or stability to a region that has been ravaged by drought, hunger and internal conflict. Now, despite the continuing conflict, the world is looking away from Darfur as new threats emerge and the region and its beleaguered people drift further from the world stage. A Rwandan officer with UNAMID participates in a road trip exercise, North Darfur, June 2010. Photo: © UN Photo/Albert González Farran UN peacekeepers patrol the streets of Abyei town. Photo: © UNMIS/Stuart Price A housing compound burns after an attack by the Janjaweed. Um Ziefa, South Darfur, December 2004. Photo: © Brian Steidle Military equipment allegedly seized during a battle in the contested area of South Darfur, Nyala, Sudan. Photo: © Marwan Ali/EPA

• Cover