CONFLICT IN SUDAN

Q&A: Sudan's Darfur conflict

The prosecutor at the International Criminal Court has asked judges to issue an arrest warrant against Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir for alleged war crimes during the conflict in Darfur.

What are the charges against President al-Bashir?

The chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo has alleged that “there are reasonable grounds to believe that Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir bears criminal responsibility in relation to 10 counts of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes."

The president is alleged to have "masterminded and implemented a plan to destroy in substantial part the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa groups, on account of their ethnicity. His motives were largely political. His alibi was a 'counterinsurgency.' His intent was genocide."

What happens now?

The request for an arrest warrant will be considered by a panel of three ICC judges. They are expected to take several months to give their opinion. If they issue the warrant, Sudan is supposed to hand over the president, since the court has a mandate from the Security Council, even though Sudan is not party to the ICC treaty.

What has been Sudan's reaction?

It has rejected the court's jurisdiction, indicating that it would not hand over the president if the warrant was issued. Sudan is hoping to get enough votes on the Security Council to postpone any warrant but such a move would have to get the agreement of the United States, Britain and France, all of which hold a veto in the Council.

How did the conflict start?

The conflict began in the arid and impoverished region early in 2003 after a rebel group began attacking government targets, saying the region was being neglected by Khartoum.

The rebels say the government is oppressing black Africans in favour of Arabs.

Darfur, which means land of the Fur, has faced many years of tension over land and grazing rights between the mostly nomadic Arabs, and farmers from the Fur, Massaleet and Zagawa communities.

There are two main rebel groups, the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) and the Justice and Equality Movement (Jem), although both groups have split, some along ethnic lines.

There are now more than a dozen rebel groups - making peace talks extremely difficult.

What is the government doing?

It admits mobilising "self-defence militias" following rebel attacks but denies any links to the Janjaweed, accused of trying to "cleanse" black Africans from large swathes of territory.

Refugees from Darfur say that following air raids by government aircraft, the Janjaweed ride into villages on horses and camels, slaughtering men, raping women and stealing whatever they can find.

Many women report being abducted by the Janjaweed and held as sex slaves for more than a week before being released.

The US and some human rights groups say that genocide is taking place - though a UN investigation team sent to Sudan said that while war crimes had been committed, there had been no intent to commit genocide.

Sudan's government denies being in control of the Janjaweed and President Bashir has called them "thieves and gangsters".

After strong international pressure and the threat of sanctions, the government promised to disarm the Janjaweed. But so far there is little evidence this has happened.

Trials have been announced in Khartoum of some members of the security forces suspected of abuses - but this is viewed as part of a campaign against UN-backed attempts to get some 50 key suspects tried at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

What has happened to Darfur's civilians?

Millions have fled their destroyed villages, with some two million in camps near Darfur's main towns.

The Janjaweed patrol outside the camps and Darfuris say the men are killed and the women raped if they venture too far in search of firewood or water.

Some 200,000 have also sought safety in neighbouring Chad, but many of these are camped along a 600km (372-mile) stretch of the border and remain vulnerable to attacks from Sudan.

The refugees are also threatened by the diplomatic fall-out between Chad and Sudan, as the neighbours accuse one another of supporting each other's rebel groups.

Chad's eastern areas have a similar ethnic make-up to Darfur and the violence has spilled over the border area. Both capitals have also been attacked this year by rebel groups.

Many aid agencies are working in Darfur but they are unable to get access to vast areas because of the fighting.

How many have died?

With much of Darfur inaccessible to aid workers and researchers, calculating how many deaths there have been in the past three years is impossible.

What researchers have done is to estimate the deaths based on surveys in areas they can reach.

The latest research published in September 2006 in the journal Science puts the numbers of deaths above and beyond those that would normally die in this inhospitable area at "no fewer than 200,000".

They have made no distinction between those dying as a result of violence and those dying as a result of starvation or disease in refugee camps.

UN officials say they believe the figure is now about 300,000.

Accurate figures are crucial in determining whether the deaths in Darfur are genocide or - as the Sudanese government says - the situation is being exaggerated.

Have there been previous peace talks?

Lots.

The leader of one SLA faction, Minni Minnawi, who signed a peace deal in 2006 after long-running talks in Nigeria, was given a large budget and became a presidential adviser.

But his fighters have been accused by Amnesty International of abuses against people in areas opposed to the peace deal.

Amid international threats of sanctions for those refusing to attend, many rebel groups briefly attended preliminary talks with the government in Libya in October 2007 - but there is little hope of a quick breakthrough.

Is anyone trying to stop the fighting?

The joint African Union-UN peacekeeping mission, Unamid, has about 9,000 troops in Darfur. It is due to be increased to about 26,000.

Some say even this new 26,000 force will not be enough to cover such a large, remote area - the size of France.

Others point out that peacekeepers cannot do much unless there is a peace to keep.

They say the fighting can only end through a deal agreed by all sides, which has yet to materialise.