ABSTRACT
The crisis in Darfur is the result of the interaction of many factors: political, social, ecological and regional, notwithstanding the crucial role of the internationalization of the crisis. In essence, however, it is a crisis of the ruling elite in Sudan. The policy of the current regime in Darfur is a continuation of the long-standing political, economic and social marginalization of the region by the successive centralized and exclusivist political regimes (military and civilian) since independence. But the complexity of the situation in Darfur during the past few years and the confusion it generated within international society over how to deal with the regime in Khartoum and with the Darfurian armed groups should be comprehended largely in the light of two important realities: first, the power struggle within the leaderships of these parties; and second, the way both sides have engaged with international society. These two facts are essential components of the Darfur problem and have greatly influenced the recent foreign policy of the regime and the external relations and lobbying of the Darfurian rebels.
