A LOOK AT THE DARFUR CONFLICT:

A look at the Darfur conflict:
THE REGION: Largely arid plateau in western Sudan about three-quarters the size of Texas with a population estimated at about 8 million.
HISTORY OF CONFLICT: Decades of low-level tribal clashes over land and water erupted into large-scale violence in early 2003 when some in the region took up arms, accusing the central government of neglect.
VICTIMS: Government authorities are accused of responding to the uprising with aerial bombings and Arab tribal militias known as Janjaweed, who murdered and raped civilians and destroyed villages. National officials deny backing Janjaweed.
SCOPE OF TRAGEDY: United Nations says Darfur fighting has caused one of the world's worst humanitarian disasters. Chaos has now spread to neighboring Chad, where hundreds of thousands of Darfur refugees are sheltering. Estimates say 180,000 people have died, many from deprivation; about 2 million are displaced.
PEACE TALKS: The African Union has deployed peacekeepers to Darfur and sponsored two years of peace talks that resulted in a cease-fire.
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