AAAS Science and Human Rights Program

Geospatial Technologies and Human Rights

Chad and Sudan: Conflict Monitoring
Case Study Report

Summary

Since 2006, AAAS and Amnesty International, with funding from the MacArthur Foundation, have been monitoring and documenting a succession of attacks on civilians that have occurred as a result of civil strife plaguing Sudan's western-most province of Darfur and eastern areas of Chad that border Sudan. This study examined satellite images for 28 locations, 23 in the Darfur region of Sudan and five in bordering Chad. Figure 1 provides a map of these locations. The culmination of this ground-breaking effort, which illustrates how this systematic violence results in genocide, is on display in Amnesty's Eyes on Darfur website that features 13 of the most compelling sites.

Although low-level conflict has existed in Darfur, Sudan, for the past 20 years, fierce and sustained fighting flared up in the region in early 2003. Attacks on civilians are carried out largely by the Janjaweed, a government-supported Arab group of militias. The victims are mostly from the black, non-Arab Fur, Zaghawa, and Masaalit groups. The Janjaweed have been burning villages and food supplies, murdering civilians, raping woman and girls, and poisoning water sources. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, about 1.4 million people, out of an estimated population of 6.5 million in the Darfur region of Sudan, are internally displaced. There have been more than 100,000 violent deaths and at least 130,000 people have died from malnutrition and disease. More than 230,000 people have fled into neighboring Chad. Since late 2005, Janjaweed attacks against communities near Chad's eastern border with Sudan have intensified. The pattern of attacks often begins with cattle rustling followed by direct attacks on the village until most inhabitants are killed or forced to flee and the villages are looted. Janjaweed attacks into eastern Chad have forced the displacement of as many as 75,000 people, many of whom remain internally displaced in Chad. At least 15,000 Chadians have fled into Darfur where there is virtually no humanitarian assistance and they are subject to possible further violence.

Methods and Technologies

Information on the 28 attacks documented in this study was obtained from a private researcher, Julie Flint, and from the U.S. State Department and other media. Tracking new attacks is done by monitoring media reports from the region and plotting those reports, as possible, according to town and village names. Analysis of Darfur especially, has been enabled by generous donations of imagery from GeoEye and discounted imagery from DigitalGlobe.

The satellite imagery used in this project was acquired from Digital Globe (QuickBird), Orbimage (Orbview), GeoEye (Ikonos), and ImageSat International (ErosB). This imagery is visually analyzed for structural damage, evidence of village burning or abandonment, expansion and/or growth of camps of internally displaced persons (IDP), and any other features that indicate an attack has occurred in the target location or nearby. These structural changes are counted, recorded, and utilized to assess the relative amount of destruction that took place in a given location during the timeframe indicated.

The QuickBird satellite carries a multispectral sensor measuring reflected electromagnetic radiation in the red, green, blue, and near-infrared wavelengths. Its spatial resolution is about 0.65 meters for the panchromatic product, making it suitable for assessing individual structures as small as a few meters on a side. It has a nominal overpass frequency of three days, though in practice about one image every two weeks seems to be the most that can be expected. As with any spectral sensor it cannot penetrate clouds, somewhat degrading its availability. Ikonos-2, operated by GeoEye, has one meter panchromatic and four meter multispectral resolution. EROS-B, operated by ImageSat International, has 70 centimeter panchromatic resolution.

The QuickBird images were obtained in GeoTIFF format and imported into ERDAS Imagine for viewing.

Images of Darfur, Sudan and Chad used in this analysis are available as Google Earth layers.

Challenges

One of the biggest challenges project staff faced was to find the precise geographic coordinates of locations in question. A large city is not difficult to find, but smaller settlements may not appear on any known map or may be named the same as another formal settlement that does appear on a map of the area. In addition, there are several challenges inherit in using commercial satellite imagery for an analysis such as this one. Imagery may not exist in archives, thus a new image will need to be ordered which is more costly. Obtaining a useable new image may also take time due to weather in the targeted area. Also, acquired imagery may not cover an entire area that you might wish to study. Further, the small size of some of the structures, particularly small backyard homes measuring four meters on a side, can make counting of structures a labor intensive process.

Results

Project staff collected image pairs for 28 locations. Seventy-five percent of the imagery pairs showed that destruction of villages and/or growth of camps of internally displaced persons (IDP) had occurred within the time period indicated. Only twenty-five percent of the images did not show any significant changes or damage within the designated time period. This discrepancy is attributed to imperfections in the satellite imagery, such as cloud cover.

Descriptions and images for thirteen of the 28 locations studied are provided below. Eleven of these locations are in the Daruf region of Sudan: Abu Gudul, Donkey Dereis I, Donkey Dereisa II, Ishma, Ligeidiba, Tigla, Ungabo, Bir Maza, Jonjona, ShangilTobay/Shadad, and Um Sidir. Two others, Bir Kedouas and Maduoa, are in eastern Chad. These thirteen locations are the same ones highlighted in Amnesty International's Eyes on Darfur website. The characteristics for each image, such as specific coordinates, time of acquisition, size of area, catalogue identification number used by the satellite vendor, and cost, are provided inAppendix A.

The other fifteen locations studied included twelve in Darfur: Dago, Deribat, Jawa, Shek Hassan, Bornyo, Dar-al-Salam, Helif Sany, Katur, Tabarat, Tawila, Turra, and Krinding. Three others were in Chad: Koloy, Marena, and Tiero. To view images or imagery characteristics for the other fifteen sites, please contact SHRP.

Abu Gudul, South Darfur, Sudan

Field reports on September 11, 2006 indicated that this village was one of several villages south of Nyala City that was attacked and burned by both the Arab Habaniya group and Sudanese government. Ground attacks were launched by Janjaweed and government troops, while an Antonov was used to conduct air attacks in the area. This village is located within an area that is entirely populated with civilians and has no rebel presence. Review of this imagery revealed that the small village of Abu Gudul had been almost completely burned and destroyed during the 10-month timeframe of the imagery that was acquired for this location. The extent of this damage is illustrated by Figure 2.

Donkey Dereis I, South Darfur, Sudan

This location had been mistakenly identified as ‘Donkey Dereisa II’, the larger of the two villages that lies to the northwest. Images were acquired based on the same information given for that specific location. Although this location was mistakenly identified, analysis of the imagery revealed that all 100 structures of this small village had been completely destroyed within the three-year timeframe. Figure 3 illustrates the extent of this destruction.

The "before" image, taken November 1, 2004, shows a complete village of 100 structures. By February 12, 2007, the village has been totally destroyed.

Donkey Dereisa II, South Darfur, Sudan

The village of Donkey Dereisa II had reportedly been attacked since 2004. It was identified as part of a group of villages along the Nyala-Greida corridor that have been continuously targeted by the Janjawid and government forces. Analysis of this imagery, Figure 4, revealed that roughly half, or approximately 1,171 out of 2,264, structures had been burned and/or destroyed between November 2004 and October 2006. However, there is also evidence of village abandonment since much of the land surrounding the intact structures does not seem to be in use as of January 10, 2006. The January 2006 imagery for this site only covered half of the village and so was not useful for analyzing interim attack events.

The "before" image was taken November 1, 2004. Although both images look similar at first glance, close inspection of the "after" image from October 20, 2006, reveals that the village has been almost completely destroyed as a result of the attack and subsequent burning.

Ishma, South Darfur, Sudan

The village of Ishma was one of several villages that were attacked along the main road going northeast out of Nyala. This offensive was essentially a road clearing operation led by the Sudanese government with the intention of intercepting the rebel’s logistical routes. Many of these villages were reportedly burned, and many civilians were killed during this severe attack event. Analysis of this imagery revealed that the outlying area to the west of Ishma proper had been badly burned. Three villages located to the west of Ishma village were completely destroyed. In total, the February 10, 2007 imagery of Ishma included 419 structures that had been completely destroyed since December 25, 2004. Figure 5 illustrates the destruction that occurred in this timeframe.

The three "before" images on the left hand side were taken December 25, 2004. The three "after" images on the right hand side, taken February 10, 2007, clearly show that every structure and fence line had been completely destroyed as a result of the brutal “road-clearing” attack.

Ligeidiba, South Darfur, Sudan

Field reports on September 11, 2006 indicated that this village was one of several villages south of Nyala City that was attacked and burned by both the Arab Habaniya group and the Sudanese government. Ground attacks were launched by Janjaweed and government troops, while an Antonov was used to conduct air attacks in the area. According to field reports, this village is located within an area that is entirely populated with civilians and has no rebel presence. Analysis of this imagery revealed that this village had been ~50% destroyed between April 2006 and January 2007. More specifically, 350 of the village’s 698 total structures, including outbuildings, are missing in the most recent image of Ligeidiba. Figure 6 shows the extent of damage that occurred.

The first image, taken April 10, 2006, shows the complete village of Ligeidiba, while the second image from January 18, 2007, shows damage, such as missing structures and fence lines that occurred as a result of the attack

Tigla, South Darfur, Sudan

According to Amnesty International, numerous villages near the town of Tigla in South Darfur were attacked throughout February 2006. Prior to the attacks, this area contained 48 settled locations spread throughout 102 km2 of analyzed imagery. Visual analysis of this imagery revealed that all 48 settled areas, totaling 1,660 structures, were destroyed throughout this region during the two-year timeframe of our imagery.

The first figure displays one of the forty-eight villages in the Tigla area that was completely destroyed following the attacks. Several homes and fenced areas were present in the September 30, 2004 imagery, while in the September 8, 2006 image those structures have been completely removed.

Ungabo, South Darfur, Sudan

Ungabo is one of a cluster of villages that was reportedly burned following the Darfur Peace Agreement in May 2006. This first attack was followed up six months later on November 11, 2006 by a larger attack event. This attack resulted in the burning of villages and an unspecified number of casualties. Two days later, on November 13, the Janjaweed and Sudanese troops made a second visit to Ungabo village where they reportedly burned the water center and killed eight civilians. Visual analysis of this imagery revealed that approximately 555 structures within the village of Ungabo had been completely burned. Most of this burning took place within close proximity of the village center while structures that remained unburned were located on the outskirts of the village.

The ‘before’ image on the left, taken June 21, 2006, shows the undamaged village of Ungabo. On the right, is the ‘after’ image from February 15, 2007, indicating that the village had been significantly affected by the burning event. Note that the areas where this burning occurred do not have fence lines and have dark streaks where homes and other structures once stood.

Bir Maza, North Darfur, Sudan

The village of Bir Maza was attacked on November 15, 2006 by thousands of government soldiers and Janjawid, both in cars and on camels. They burned and looted the village, killed twelve civilians, and raped several women. Several houses and the market area were destroyed as a result of this attack. Review of the imagery revealed that approximately 104 out of 576 total structures had been destroyed within the timeframe of the imagery collected for this site. The destruction occurred in two separate areas of the village – both to the west and east of the intersecting wadi, or riverbed. The village cluster on the left, Figure 10, is the primary market area and was almost completely destroyed. To the east, Figure 9, several structures throughout the larger village area had been attacked and destroyed.

The "before" imagery, taken May 16, 2006, shows an intact village. The "after" imagery, taken April 17, 2007, indicates that several structures had been destroyed during this 13-month timeframe.

The "before" imagery, from May 16, 2006, shows an intact market area. The "after" image, from April 17, 2007, shows that 99 of a total of 147 structures had been burned and/or destroyed in this timeframe.

Jonjona, North Darfur, Sudan

This village was reportedly attacked on May 7, 2006 when Arab militias burned 16 houses within the village limits. Review of this imagery revealed that ~16 houses were burned within the village limits of Jonjona. The imagery is not especially dramatic, yet still indicates that a significant attack event had occurred within this three-year timeframe. This imagery is displayed below in Figure 11.

The first image, taken December 7, 2004, shows a complete village totaling 426 structures, while the "after" imagery, from February 23, 2007, indicates that 46 structures were destroyed that were present in the "before" imagery.

Shangil Tobay/Shadad, North Darfur, Sudan

Shangil Tobay and Shadad were listed as two of seventeen North Darfurian villages that had been attacked and/or destroyed since November 2004. They are reportedly located within an area that although not densely populated, is home to several thousands of displaced civilians that live throughout the region. Analysis of this imagery revealed significant changes in the structural landscape and population throughout the region, specifically between 2005 and 2006, during which time these attacks occurred. Two IDP settlements were located – one was a full-size camp and the other was more of an IDP outgrowth of Shadad village. Additionally, the imagery included several locations that had been attacked and destroyed. A cluster of villages around Shangil Tobay were substantially damaged. This included a village to the east that was 75% destroyed (Figure 12A), another small village northeast of Shangil Tobay that was completely destroyed (Figure 12B), and a small village south of Shangil Tobay that was also completely burned (Figure 12C). The destruction of these villages is shown in Figure 12.

The "before" images in the left hand column were taken March 10, 2003. "After" images on the right were taken December 18, 2006.

Um Sidir, North Darfur, Sudan

According to Amnesty International, the area of Um Sidir was attacked by the Janjawid militia on August 30, 2006. This was a government-led offensive that came to be known as the ‘Battle of Um Sidir’. It began with burning and looting and ended in a decisive defeat on September 11, 2006 for the Janjawid and government forces. Visual analysis of the imagery revealed that 75 of 178 structures, including the entire market area, were destroyed within this timeframe. Also visible in this imagery are trench lines, shell craters, and several huts inside the trenches that were used by government officials during the battle.

The "before" image, taken April 10, 2006, shows the market of Um Sidir. In the "after" image, from September 21, 2006, the entire area has been burned or otherwise destroyed. Note that the significant difference in color between the images is due to seasonality as the before image was captured during the end of the dry season and the "after" image was acquired during the rainy season.

Bir Kedouas, Chad

The village of Bir Kedouas, just on the Chad side of the Chad/Sudan border, was attacked on December 16, 2005 by Janjaweed. A large number of homes were reported to have been destroyed in the attack and many areas of the village were burned. According to analysis of Quickbird images, at least 89 structures were destroyed by burning, while 12 others show changes consistent with attack and abandonment (for example, the disappearance of fencing or of the structures themselves).

Madoua, Chad

According to Amnesty International, there was a phased attack in early March 2006 in Madoua, Chad. Additionally, raiding occurred in the Madoua area in early 2006, which is documented by the interim image collected on March 2, 2006. Visual analysis of the 2004 image was undertaken to determine the approximate number of settled areas which were present prior to the attacks, while the two 2006 images were analyzed to determine any changes to the physical structure of the settled areas over time. In total, 452 structures were removed within the two-year timeframe.

Further Applications

With technical assistance from AAAS, and in collaboration with Google, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum launched a Crisis in Darfur mapping initiative in April 2007. Amnesty International launched its Eyes on Darfur website the following June. These projects illustrate the potential uses of Internet-integrating mapping technologies to human rights monitoring.

In addition, since April 2007, project staff have been collecting recent imagery for twelve "protective" locations, ten in Sudan (Bir Dagig, Boldon, Bulbul, Deleba, Hashabe, Kafod, Malam el Hosh, Sanam el Naga, Saraf Jidad, and Silea) and two in Chad (Goz Amer and Koukou Angarana). These villages have been identified as likely targets for future attacks and are also featured as an interactive component of Amnesty International's Eyes on Darfur website. Imagery for these locations will continue to be collected at regular intervals. To view collected images and imagery characteristics for these "protective" locations, please contact SHRP.

Further Sources

Please see Appendix A: Darfur, Sudan and Chad Imagery Characteristics for specifics about the images used in this case study.

Maps and satellite images of village destruction and refugee camps in the Darfur, Sudan and Chad border regions are available through the USAID website. Data are also available through the U.S. State Department's Humanitarian Information Unit and related technical news may be found at Geospatial Solutions .

See also, the Amnesty International report, Sowing the seeds of Darfur: Ethnic targeting in Chad by Janjawid militias from Sudan, (June 2006).


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(page updated 09/25/2007)