Battle of Tina (2003)

The war in Darfur had began around 2001 when the Darfur Liberation Front (DLF) which later changed its name to the Sudanese Liberation Front, started attacking villages and towns in Darfur. On February 26. 2003, around 300 SLA rebels lead by Abdul Wahid al-Nur seized the town of Gulud. This attack lead to the Government of Sudan (GOS) the open up negotiations with the SLA about a ceasefire. The implemented ceasefire fell through on March 18 when Janjaweed militias funded by the GOS killed a Masalit leader and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) attacked the town of Karnoi with helicopter gunships.^[2]

On 25 March 2003, the SLA retaliated by attacking the garrison town of Tina near the border with Chad.^[3] The rebels attacked the border town killing a government customs official and looting the customs office gaining weapons and military equipment in the process.^[4] The attack lead to the 5,000 inhabitants of Tina to flee across the border to Chad.^[5] The Battle of Tina and The attack on the El Fasher airport lead to GOS start and counter-insurgency operation in Darfur. The operation which mostly utilised government funded proxy militias is considered as the start of the Darfur genocide.^[6]