David Blair (a Zimbabwean) offers one of the best accounts I've come across of the conflict in Darfur. Although he says it's a mistake to see the conflict in terms of an ethnic war, he does say that the Jangaweed were looked on as allies by the Government because they were more 'Arabised'. Seems similar to how Hitler thought of the British- being a little more German than other nations.

Religion not mentioned, though when it comes to the justification for murderous acts there must be some excuse circulating among the people in Islamic Republic of Sudan. What they're saying in the mosques would be interesting to know.