Type: World Mapping

• Conflict-prone region in western Sudan, affected by ethnic violence and resource conflicts since 2003.
• Site of one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with mass killings and displacement.
• Home to multiple ethnic groups, with tensions between Arab pastoralists and non-Arab farming communities.
• Janjaweed militias, backed by the Sudanese government, accused of genocide and mass atrocities.
• Rapid Support Forces (RSF), formerly Janjaweed, play a key role in ongoing instability.
• Renewed violence in 2023, worsening the humanitarian situation.

• Located in western Sudan, bordering Chad, Libya, and the Central African Republic.
• Covers an area of about 493,180 sq. km, nearly the size of France.
• Predominantly arid and semi-arid, with desert in the north and more fertile land in the south.
• Climate-driven water and grazing conflicts, worsened by desertification and climate change.
• Composed of five states: North, South, West, Central, and East Darfur.
• El Fasher is the capital and largest city, serving as an administrative and humanitarian hub.

• Politically marginalized for decades, leading to armed uprisings against Sudan’s government.
• Conflict escalated in 2003 with rebel groups like the Sudan Liberation Movement (SLM) and Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) demanding greater autonomy.
• Remains a stronghold of rebel activity, contributing to Sudan’s broader instability.
• Ongoing violence impacts regional security, affecting neighboring countries like Chad and the Central African Republic.

PYQ:

[2024] Consider the following statements :

Statement-I: There is instability and worsening security situation in the Sahel region.

Statement-II: There have been military takeovers/coups d’état in several countries of the Sahel region in the recent past.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statement?

a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I

b) Bothe Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I

c) Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect

d) Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Do you know about the Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod pipeline?

• The Urengoy-Pomary-Uzhgorod pipeline, also known as the Brotherhood pipeline, is a significant natural gas export route from Russia to Europe, primarily traversing Ukraine. The pipeline starts at the Urengoy gas field in northwest Siberia and extends southwest to Uzhhorod, Ukraine, near the Slovakian border.
• It spans approximately 4,500 kilometers (2,800 miles), with about 1,160 kilometers (720 miles) located in Ukraine.
• The pipeline was commissioned in 1984 and has been a crucial part of Russia’s gas export strategy to Europe.

Why is the US so much interested in Greenland?

• Greenland is strategically located in the North Atlantic Ocean, between Europe and North America, and across the Baffin Bay from Canada.
  • The US maintains a large air base in Greenland, the Pituffik Space Base (formerly Thule Air Base).
• From here, the US can monitor and counter missile threats from Russia, China, and North Korea.
• Greenland is abundant in rare earth minerals, critical for manufacturing electronics, electric vehicles, and weapons.
• Melting ice caps due to global warming are opening new shipping routes in the Arctic.
  • Greenland’s position is crucial for controlling these waterways, with the US seeking to limit Russian and Chinese influence in the region.

• World’s largest island, located in the North Atlantic Ocean between Europe and North America; part of the Kingdom of Denmark.
• An autonomous territory within Denmark, managing domestic affairs, while Denmark oversees defense, foreign policy, and some economic matters.
• Population: ~57,000, primarily Inuit communities, concentrated along the coast.
• Transitioned from a Danish colony to self-rule in 1979, gaining further autonomy in 2009.

• Covers 2.16 million square kilometers, with ~80% under the Greenland Ice Sheet, a critical focus for studying climate change and sea-level rise.
• Predominantly Arctic climate, with freezing temperatures most of the year; milder summers in the southern coastal areas.
• Rich in rare earth minerals, iron ore, zinc, lead, and uranium, making it geopolitically significant.
• Banned uranium mining in 2021 for environmental reasons.

• Has its own parliament (Inatsisartut) and prime minister overseeing domestic policies; Denmark controls foreign relations and defense.
• Closely tied to Denmark, with Danish subsidies accounting for ~60% of Greenland’s budget.
• Some political groups advocate for full independence, though economic dependence complicates this goal.

PYQ:

[2014] Consider the following countries :

1. Denmark
2. Japan
3. Russian Federation
4. United Kingdom
5. United States of America

Which of the above are the members of the ‘Arctic Council ‘?

(a) 1, 2 and 3

(b) 2, 3 and 4

(c) 1, 4 and 5

(d) 1, 3 and 5