What was the temperature like during the 1950’s? Well it was wetter in Dafur than it is today. I have found two very interesting power point presentations that answer your question more fully. Nick Brooks authored these two presentations. The first one is titled “Climate Change and the Sahel Mobility & modernity in a long-term environmental context” and the second one “Climate Change a Factor in the Darfur Conflict?”. The first presentation focuses on the past history of the Sahel region starting 8,000 years ago. The second explains the weather in Darfur during the 1950’s, as well as a table showing precipitation patterns since the 1900’s.
Increased rainfall during the 1950’s saw climate conditions favorable for agriculture. During this period, Sudan and the province of Darfur were under British colonial rule. Subsistence and transhumant pasturalism practices gave way to more modern methods of raising food and cattle. Cereals, rice, and fruits were cultivated in the Marrah highlands of Sudan while sorghum, millet, sesame, peanuts (groundnuts), other root crops, and vegetables were planted in the southern part of Darfur. Camels, sheep, and goats were raised in the arid north.
As agriculture became more profitable, a number of farmers moved into marginal lands forcing pasturalists to move toward the desert fringes where food for animal raising was scarce. Over-grazing and the destruction of forests for agriculture and for cooking fuel has contributed to a net decrease in soil moisture and has increased the effect of climate change. This has seeded within the community the conflict that we see today. The emergence of hashish cultivation as a cash-crop has also played a role. The third reference listed below will give you more details as well it discusses what is being done today to decrease hashish production and to increase food harvest.

As you can see OscarG, the Darfur situation is man made, but it is exacerbated by climate change.

(1) Brooks, N. Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research(2009), School of Environmental Science, Universtry of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.(On-line) Available: http://www.cru.uea.ac.uk/~e118/Prespod/Brooks_CC+Darfur.ppt. Cited 2009 Aug 20.

(2) Brooks, N. Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research(2009), School of Environmental Science, Universtry of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.(On-line) Available: http://www.sahel.org.uk/…/Events%20-%20Nick%20Brooks%20Presentation%20-%20SOS%20Sahel%20UK%20Public%20Debate%2009.pdf. Cited 2009 Aug 20.

(3) Mannan Mohamed, H, Karim, E-F. I. A. and Mohamed M.I. Hashish cultivation in the state of Southern Darfour, Sudan (1998) Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal. (On-line) Available: http://www.emro.who.int/Publications/Emhj/0401/18.htm. Cited 2009 Aug 20.

Climate change is a serious global problem resulting in disrupted weather patterns, violent storms, rising global temperatures and rising ocean levels.

Where?

Only Darfur? Different weather patterns since the mid-century cooling. OK… How were they doing during the cooling period?