This paper summarizes the findings of a field study conducted by the author for the French NGO Action contre la faim to better understand the ethnic dimension of the Darfur conflict. The paper warns that, in this specific case, the phrase "ethnic group" should be used with caution, as the Darfur conflict can more accurately be described as being linked to an identity claim. Part of the population considers themselves to be Arabs, and the gap between those who identify themselves as Arab and those who do not has existed for a long time but is widening today. This is the result of multiple disputes among many different population groups competing for dwindling land and water resources, conflicts that have taken on crisis proportions due to drought, while at the same time local, national and international power struggles exacerbate the problem.