Glossary
a brief guide to the elements involved with the war in Darfur, Sudan
Sudan: North African country bordered by the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea. Natural resources include petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, and gold.
Khartoum is the northern capitol city of Sudan. The government there has a history of waging wars within the country that have displaces or killed more than 2 million people.
Darfur is an area in western Sudan where rebel factions are rebellion against the government's war on non-Muslim Sudanese. The uprising began in 2003.
Conflict in Sudan: Sudan has been in and out of wartime since it's creation in 1956, but a constant conflict has been raging since 1989. It started in the country's southern region, and as soon as things quieted down, rebellion broke out in the western area of Darfur. This is a war between Muslim and non-Muslim Sudanese, as well as rebel groups against the government army.
2.5 million: number of people displaced to other parts of the country and world because of the conflict in Darfur.
400,000 deaths in the past three years due to the conflict in Darfur. The United States and other bodies have accused the government militia of ethnic cleansing and genocide.
250,000 deaths in the past six months in Darfur (June 2006 - January 2007).
United Nations Secretary-General is the person charged with managing conflicts in the world. Ban Ki-moon of 
Ki-moonthe Republic of Korea became the 8th secretary-general January 1, 2007. Ki-moon, pictured left, has been involved with the United Nations since 1975. Ki-moon replaced Kofi Annan of Ghana. Annan's efforts to stop the genocide in Sudan were largely ignored.
Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir took office in 1989 after overthrowing Prime Minister Sadeq al-Mahdi and immediately banned all political parties, repressed the press and dissolved Parliament. He also assumed the positions of chief of state, prime minister, minister of defense and cheif of the armed forces. Al-Bashir has also refused to let United Nations peacekeeping troops into the country to enforce peace agreements in Darfur.
Janjaweed: Islamic militia supported by the government in Khartoum. The militia has been running people out of their homes and the country, committing genocide according to many countries and organizations.
MinnawiSudan Liberation Movement (previously Darfur Liberation Front). A loose association of rebel factions fighting the government sponsored Janjaweed militia. While these factions are under the auspices of SLM, the individual groups don't always agree. For example, Minni Minnawi, leader of an SLM army, was the only leader to sign the peace agreement with the government in Khartoum in May, 2006.