1. Ethnic Conflict:
- Longstanding tensions and hostilities between Arab and non-Arab ethnic groups, primarily between the Arab government-backed militias known as the Janjaweed and African farming communities, particularly the Fur, Masalit, and Zaghawa people.
2. Resource Competition:
- The conflict was partly driven by competition for fertile agricultural land and water resources in Darfur. As the region experienced desertification and increasing scarcity, competition over these resources intensified.
3. Political Grievances:
- Marginalization and underrepresentation of non-Arab ethnic groups in the Sudanese government. Many ethnic groups, including those in Darfur, felt politically and economically excluded by the Arab-dominated central government.
4. Government Policies:
- Policies and discriminatory practices of the Sudanese government that favored Arab groups over non-Arab groups, leading to a sense of injustice and disenfranchisement among non-Arab communities.
5. Arms Proliferation:
- The spread of small arms and light weapons in the region facilitated violence and exacerbated tensions between ethnic groups. Arms proliferation increased the capacity of the government and its allied militias to carry out attacks on civilians.
6. Oil Interests:
- Some analysts suggest that the desire to gain control of oil reserves in Sudan, particularly in the neighboring region of South Kordofan, played a role in the conflict. However, this motive is disputed and debated.
7. International Inaction:
- Insufficient response and inaction from the international community emboldened the Sudanese government and its militias. The lack of timely and impactful international intervention allowed the genocide to continue.
The Darfur genocide involved a web of interrelated motives, with ethnic animosity, resource competition, grievances over political exclusion, the Sudanese government's policies, the influx of weapons, potential economic motives, and international inaction all contributing to the unfolding catastrophe.
