The War in Darfur Begins
13While the Second Sudanese Civil War was still ongoing, a different set of rebel groups launched attacks against the government forces of Sudan, in response to oppression of Darfur's non-Arab population.
In response, along with direct military intervention the government also armed and supported militias who then carried out what has been described as a campaign of ethnic cleansing, mass rape and genocide against Darfur's non-Arab, African population, resulting in millions of refugees and many years of famine.
Despite the eventual intervention of the African Union, the UN and George Clooney hundreds of thousands of people were killed or died of disease and starvation in the brutal conflict which still simmers today.
Quick Fact: The war is sometimes known as the Land Cruiser War because of the widespread use of the Toyota SUV in the conflict for transport of soldiers and supplies and as a platform for medium and heavy weapons.