Echoes of Freedom: The Mission To “Save Darfur” & Implications For Africa

Since 2003, armed groups from Darfur, western Sudan have waged a civil war against the Government of National Unity in Khartoum. Shortly after its genesis, the conflict garnered international recognition when it was labeled genocide. The designation facilitated the efforts of many advocacy groups. This critical case study examines the largest of such groups, the Save Darfur Coalition (SDC). In the years following its creation, the campaign and its member organizations have become an influential voice on the crisis at the elite and grassroots levels. This work examines the campaign’s policy positions and strategies through a conflict transformation and development lenses. It draws on primary document review, as well as structured and semi-structured interviews with prominent members in the campaign and a Fur lecturer from Khartoum University. Further research was collected from secondary data available in the public sphere, conference calls and debriefings between campaign members. Results highlight SDC’s potential towards contributing to sustainable peace and development in Darfur. One the other hand, this potential seems hampered by the campaign’s policy positions and the lack of diversity in its media strategy