The role of global energy policies on the internationalization of the Darfur question

The Question of Darfur started with the intertribal clashes in the western region of Sudan in 1980?s. These local clashes evolved into an international crisis after the rebel assaults in 2003. International mediadisregarded the historical context of the problem and depicted it as an Arab-versus-African conflict. In parallel with such media coverage, it was alleged that the Government of Sudan and Janjaweed militias carried out genocide on African tribes. From the United Nations to the International Criminal Court, a great deal of international institutions and foundations got involved in this problem. The most blistering campaign against Sudan was conducted in the USA. This campaign targeted both the Omar al-Basheer regime and the Chinese government having strong economic relations with Sudan. This conjuncture led us to scrutinize the reasons lying behind the international attention to Darfur. It is seen that some states which devoted unusual attention to Darfur followed a policy pursuant to their economic interests in the region. USA and France cared about their interests in the neighbouring Chad and Central African Republic on the one hand, China pursued a policy in order not to jeopardize its oil investments in Sudan on the other hand. When viewed from a broader perspective, the policies pursued over Darfur resemble the imperialist scramble for Africa before the First World War.Key Words: Question of Darfur, Sudan, Africa, Global Energy Competition