The 2003 conflagration in Darfur, Sudan : an empirical analysis

Many studies in the area of sources of conflict, conflict resolution and peacekeeping in Africa tend to overemphasize realist power-centred explanations or neo-liberal explanations, which focus more on the role of power relations and constellations of interests, respectively, in conflict situations. By so doing, they neglect the social and cultural factors which shape events and actors' perceptions and behaviours in international relations and are thereby limited in their ability to provide adequate explanations for Africa. This inadequacy has been addressed in this study by reinforcing the constructivist sociological approach to understanding the security dilemma in Africa. This study does away with the over-simplistic descriptions of the causes of conflict in general and Darfur in particular. It provides a statistical basis for analysis of the sources of conflict in Sudan from where inferences are made for Darfur and points policy makers in the direction of the multiple factors, both structural and psycho-cultural, that sustain the conflict in Darfur and which should have ideally informed the substantive nature, mandate and structure of the AU Mission.