Where is Darfur?
Darfur is a huge and largely arid swath of western and south-western Sudan that has suffered recurrent conflict, drought, famine and many other problems for decades. It covers 500,000 sq km, is split into five states, and has a population of about 10 million, of which up to a tenth are living in camps for those displaced from their homes. Conditions vary, but much of the region is a lawless zone where militias and other armed groups attack civilians with virtual impunity. Darfur is also a regional hub for trafficking routes and a centre of gold mining.
