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Article: Subtle, complex causes underlie crisis.(Report From Darfur)(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- National Catholic Reporter
- Article date:
- April 1, 2005
- Author:
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The roots of the crisis in Darfur are subtle and complex. Longtime observers of Sudan say the popular shorthand "black African versus Arab" explanation for the Darfur crisis--one repeated frequently by the international media in 2004--has grossly simplified a complex reality.
Members of the Janjaweed militias have roots in nomadic groups and have been described as Arab or "Arabized"--but characterizing ethnic distinctions between Darfur nomads and farmers, who are often labeled black African, is not always easy.
Darfur, like Sudan itself, has long been a locale of "shifting, multiple identities," said Alex de Waal, currently a fellow at Harvard ...