Divestment is the act of withdrawing investments in certain companies based on social and moral reasons. A number of institutions, companies, and states are invested in several different Sudanese based oil companies.
These companies are an integral part in the Sudanese economy and have a strong influence over the Sudanese government. The revenue they generate is predominantly seen by the government and not by the civilians who are being exterminated.
By taking out investments from these companies, the share price falls and causes the company to either pull out of Sudan or pressure the Sudanese government to stop the genocide.
Divestment is an indirect way of causing very effective results.
The Sudanese government relies heavily on foreign investment to fund its military and the brutal militias seeking to eliminate the non-Arab population of Darfur. For example, it is estimated that 70-80% of oil revenue in Sudan, fueled by foreign direct investment, goes to the country's military. The Sudanese government has shown an historic responsiveness to economic pressure, while political pressure and diplomacy alone have largely failed to stop genocide in Darfur.
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