The Fight for Darfur: Gold, Oil, Water and the Geopolitics Shaping Sudan’s Future

• Why are world powers interested in Sudan, the land of secrets, ‘Darfur’?
  
  Much has been written about the ongoing civil war in Sudan between the government army and the rebel militia RSF since April 2023, but the short story is that the center of all this fighting is Darfur province. Which is also the hometown of the Rapid Force, the rebel militia. The Darfur war is not new, but even in the nineties, the massacres played out in Darfur had disturbed the Islamic world. This time, the scope of the fighting has spread from the capital Khartoum to Darfur. Darfur means the land of the Fur tribe.
  
  This area has actually been the center of the Darfur Islamic Empire, where the ‘Fur’ tribe ruled for centuries. This region is about one-third of the total area of Sudan, with an area of 511,000 square kilometers, which is almost the size of France. Darfur has been blessed with immense wealth and resources by nature, which is why wars of power and occupation have always continued here in history. Various research reports show that during the Ottoman Empire, the governor of Darfur was entrusted with the responsibility of supervising Mecca and the Kaaba, and the famous ruler of that time, Ali bin Dinar, made Darfur a center of Islamic service in 1898. There are some facts about Darfur that the general public does not know. Mount Murrah in Darfur is considered one of the wonders of the planet. Its length is 165 kilometers and its width is 65 to 80 kilometers, while its height is 10,000 feet. This mountain has a natural system where all four seasons occur simultaneously. There are springs, lakes, agriculture and greenery at the foot of the mountain. An entire natural region whose area is equal to Lebanon. According to experts, if it is developed, it could become the world's largest tourism project. Some researchers believe that Mount Mara is possibly the same Mount Tur mentioned in the Holy Books, but this theory is historically unproven. According to the report, this mine is located in the southern part of Darfur, where there are about five billion tons of copper. In addition, gold and other precious metals are also found in abundance. Darfur's Mount Amir is said to be the source or cause of the province's problems. According to reports, Darfur has uranium reserves of about six million tons. A former official said in 2000 that about 100,000 UN personnel were present in Darfur, whose primary responsibility was to protect these mineral areas. Later, in 2010, Mount Amir was discovered, where an estimated 3,000 tons of gold are present and about 150 kilograms of gold were extracted daily. In 2014, the mountain was occupied by the Forces of Rapid Support. According to the report, Darfur is also one of the richest regions in the world in terms of natural oil. There are two major oil reserves here. One reaches the Red Sea and Sudan through Russia, Iran and the Gulf, while the other starts in Nigeria and ends in Darfur. This revelation was broadcast on Al Jazeera channel about 27 years ago, but it was allegedly deleted shortly after. According to the report, the underground ‘Al-Hawz al-Nubian’ in Darfur is considered the largest natural water reservoir in the world. According to research, even if the rains stop for years, this reservoir system can provide water to 140 million animals and humans for 500 years. This same treasure extends to many other parts of Sudan. The story of Darfur is incomplete without Jabal Amir. When Jabal Amir was discovered with the help of satellites in 2010, the gold reserves there surprised experts. Later, the tribes and the government formed the Jabal Amir Council, which included 100 leading figures. This mountain is still considered the center of Sudan's gold wealth. Darfur has deposits of diamonds, precious stones, rare metals, zinc, lead, titanium and even meteorites. This region is a natural wonder in terms of minerals.
  According to the report, Darfur's livestock wealth is so vast that it is said that the number of animals is ten times greater than the human population.