This paper aims to give a historical perspective on the Darfur crisis from the time the region was first mentioned in writings dating from the 17th century until its integration into the Anglo-Egyptian Condominium at the end of the Mahdist era. The author traces key events and various political episodes in independent Sudan's history. He stresses the lack of importance consistently attached to any peripheral border area by successive governments in Khartoum and resulting in political neglect and lack of local development for these regions. The paper concludes with the acute difficulty in finding reliable information on the current situation in Darfur.