Darfur Land Research
An examination of Darfur
Violence in Darfur has attracted considerable attention, but the local dimension remains a gap in studies of the crisis. Instead, most analyses focus on national and regional issues and their interplay with economic neglect, climatic variability, and the political marginalization of Darfur. The local factors that have driven the deepening social polarization and disharmony in the region for decades have drawn far less consideration. Key neglected local issues include agricultural change and the related changes to the land-rights and land-use system. This paper examines the dynamics of agricultural change, the processes of competition and exclusion associated with this change, and the role of these processes in the collective violence that has raged over the region for decades. Understanding these questions is essential for successful resolution of political and policy debates in Darfur.