Abstract
Examines the ethnic and religious conflict in Sudan, particularly between the Muslim north and the Christian south, and in the western province of Darfur.
Description
Sudan is Africa's largest country, encompassing an area five times the size of France. Rich in natural resources, Sudan is also a nation with great potential. Nonetheless, a combination of political, religious, and ethnic factors have made Sudan a near perfect example of a failed state, as well as the scene of ethnic cleansing, which some have even termed genocide. Against an ethnically diverse backdrop, Sudan has fallen victim to intense civil conflict between the Muslim north and the predominantly Christian south. In the western region of Darfur, Arab militias known as the Janjaweed launched a widespread slaughter of black Africans that claimed tens of thousands of lives and created hundreds of thousands of refugees. Despite collective calls to action from the international community, the U.N., while labeling the situation in Darfur the world's worst humanitarian disaster, declined to intervene in the conflict. What is the situation in Darfur? What form should American policy towards the country take, and what, if anything, can the U.S. do to encourage a peaceful settlement? In this episode, host Peter Krogh sits down with Chester Crocker, former Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs and Chairman of the U.S. Institute of Peace, to discus the conflict in Sudan.
LOCATION
Africa; East Africa; Sudan;
