An assessment of the African union conflict management mechanisms in Darfur region of Sudan

Abstract

The conflict in Darfur region of Western Sudan began in February 2003 when the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) rebel groups took up arms against the government of Sudan which they accused of oppressing Darfur's non-Arab black ethnic population. The armed conflict has resulted in over 300,000 deaths and exacerbated a humanitarian crisis resulting in the displacement of more than 2.7 million people from their homes. The conflict in Darfur region between the government and rebel groups is multi-dimensional in nature involving economic, political, social, cultural and environmental factors. However, this study intends to focus on the conflict management mechanisms employed by the African Union in resolving the conflict. Findings revealed that the conflict mechanisms adopted by the African Union were not effective and inadequate in managing the conflict in Darfur region. The study adopted descriptive and narrative qualitative research design. The research used purposive non probability sampling technique and the main research instruments adopted was semi structured in-depth interview used to generate data from 24 respondents. The researcher also explored various literature on the issue from scholars using journals, textbooks, official bulletins and internet sources. The paper recommend that the African Union need a robust conflict management tools and adequate funding to manage conflict in Darfur region of Western Sudan in particular and African continent in general.