Over one million refugees, have been attributed to militias known as the Janjaweed. By February 2004, the ethnic devastation caused by Janjaweed raids had become so widespread and methodical that humanitarian agencies began to declare genocide in Darfur. What is the Janjaweed? Janjaweed ("Devils on Horseback") is an informal name for the armed militia that since 2003 have been the principal agents of mass murder, rape, and property destruction in the Darfur region of Sudan. The Sudan Liberation Army and the Justice and Equality Movement - took up arms against the Sudanese government, complaining about the marginalization of the area and the failure to protect sedentary people from attacks by nomads. The government of Sudan responded by unleashing the Janjaweed. Sudanese forces and Janjaweed militia attacked hundreds of villages throughout Darfur. Over 400 villages were completely destroyed and millions of civilians were forced to flee their homes. Their main goal is to wipe out the non-arabic population.

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