What should we do in darfur

But the recent escalation of fighting is seriously jeopardizing those efforts, especially in North Darfur, but also in South and West Darfur. In the two months up to mid-September, 12 aid workers were killed — more than in the previous two years.

Many relief vehicles have been stolen. The attacks have forced numerous non-governmental relief organizations to pull out of the most insecure parts of Darfur. According to the World Health Organization, 40 per cent of the population of North Darfur is not receiving health care, while vaccinations have dropped from 90 per cent in to a mere 20 per cent in The UN Food and Agriculture Organization reported in early October that some , people in North Darfur remained cut off from food aid, most of them for the fourth consecutive month.

Because of the insecurity, many farmers could not plant their fields. Livestock herders have been unable to migrate in search of the best pastures. Niels Scott. He heads the Darfur regional office of the UN Mission in Sudan UNMIS , which supports the African peacekeeping mission there, alongside its main task of monitoring a separate peace agreement between the government and former rebels in southern Sudan.

The resurgence of fighting has come in the wake of a peace agreement that the government signed with one of the Darfur rebel groups in May, following negotiations in Abuja, Nigeria. AU mediators had hoped the pact would be the first step towards a more general settlement and would make it easier for African and international peacekeepers to protect civilians in Darfur. Instead of disarming the Janjaweed militia, the government has reportedly incorporated many of its fighters into the regular army.

The Sudanese courts have done little to bring to account those suspected of war crimes. The JEM, which is led by former national politicians, advocates the overthrow of the central government in Khartoum. At least two smaller factions have also emerged, further complicating the political landscape.

There have been reports of some fighting among the non-signers, but most frequently between them and Mr. Civilians have often been caught in the crossfire and on occasion appear to have been deliberately targeted. The Darfur peace agreement, Mr. It is in a coma. Recognizing that its peacekeeping mission does not have the capacity to protect civilians under such circumstances, the AU asked the UN to step in with a well-financed and -equipped international force.

Actual deployment, however, was contingent upon the consent of the Sudanese government. So far, there has been no consent. Some members of the Security Council have suggested the possibility of international sanctions to further pressure the authorities in Khartoum to agree to a UN force in Darfur. But other members do not now favour such a course. Under the urging of other African countries, the Sudanese government did signal its acceptance of an extension of the AMIS mandate to the end of , with an increase in the number of its troops.

Some Security Council members see this as an interim measure. At the same time, said Secretary-General Annan, further international pressure should be applied to secure Sudanese acceptance of a robust international peacekeeping force.

The ICRC has continued to support orthopedic patients at the National Authority for Prosthetics and Orthotics, to reconnect families separated by conflict, and to act as a neutral intermediary during prisoner releases. By entering this website, you consent to the use of technologies, such as cookies and analytics, to customise content, advertising and provide social media features.

This will be used to analyse traffic to the website, allowing us to understand visitor preferences and improving our services. Learn more. I accept. Education: There has been a continuous increase in education facilities in Darfur. For example, the number of primary schools in was , increasing to schools in There were schools in and this increased under the present government to schools in , in addition to mixed schools. Secondary schools have increased from2 schools in to schools in The present government also established three universities in Darfur.

Health: The number of hospitals in greater Darfur has increased under this government from 3 hospitals in to 23 hospitals by ; health centres have similarly increased from 20 to 24 and medical laboratories from 16 to Water Supplies: Water production levels have risen from 6 million cubic meters in to 11 million cubic meters in in addition to increased in natural water reserves from 1 ,, cubic meters in to12 ,, cubic meters in Water pump production in greater Darfur has also increased from1 ,, cubic meters in to 3,, cubic meters in During , the following water projects were implemented in greater Darfur: the installation of deep ground wells, the rehabilitation of ground wells, the building of 43 dykes and 30 dams, the drilling of hand pumps and the rehabilitation of hand pump wells.

Power Supplies: The total power generation in greater Darfur has risen under this government from2 , kilowatts in to4 , kws by Southern Darfur's power generation in particular grew in the same time from 3 to 7 megawatts in Nyala. Transport infrastructure: Greater Darfur accounts for 40 percent of airport and aerodrome infrastructure outside of the national capital.

There are three international airports in Al-Fasher, Nyala, and al-Gineina with smaller airports elsewhere. All these were built under this government. Prior to there was no real road infrastructure in Darfur. The government has initiated a number of road and bridge building programs to assist with communications in greater Darfur. The conflict in Darfur presents a very complex situation with very complex problems, and understanding of which has already been made more difficult by the propaganda, which invariably accompanies war.

The region is home to some 80 tribes and ethnic groups divided between nomads and sedentary communities. The rebels appear to have been identified within two or three communities of the Fur, Massalit and the Zaghawa tribes which straddle the Sudan-Chad border. There are many dimensions to the conflict, regional, national and international.

But, environmental factors - such as encroaching desertification - have led to considerable tension between nomads and more established farming communities. The inter-tribal violence that has taken place in Darfur has, nevertheless, been portrayed by some anti-government activists and some international media and NGOs as "ethnic cleansing" and even "genocide".

The activities of nomadic Arab tribesmen known as the "Janjaweed" have come into sharp focus. It is claimed that they are sponsored by the Government, which is not true. It is unclear exactly how much control anyone has over the "Janjaweed" gunmen, except their tribal leaders.

All wars lead to human rights violations. The conflict in Darfur has been no exception. And as is so often the case in war, the conflict has inevitably been caught up in the propaganda and misinformation that comes with it and that has certainly characterized previous coverage of Sudan.

In its wake, efforts at conflict resolution will be hampered and the palpable presence of ethnic hostility will indeed constitute a concrete and tangible cause of future violent confrontations. The international community has shown considerable attention to the Darfur crisis, especially given the humanitarian and security situation. Sudan has welcomed, hosted and facilitated a wide range of missions and delegations from western countries, and international and regional organisations.

Sudan has accepted and facilitated United Nations involvement at all levels in addressing and resolving the Darfur crisis, from the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Kofi Anan, downwards. The Sudanese Government has also facilitated international human rights missions by non-governmental organisations, including that of Amnesty International in September , and the UN fact finding mission this month of November The international community has actively assisted in attempts to resolve the conflict.

The role of the Chadian government has been very positive. In , the government accepted Chadian government offers to mediate between the government and rebels. Chad was instrumental in negotiating ceasefires in western Sudan in September and subsequently in April Sudan has both acknowledged and welcomed the active mediation role played by the African Union in attempting to resolution of the conflict in Darfur.

Khartoum has particularly welcomed AU involvement given the stipulation in the United Nations Charter that regional organisations be allowed first to resolve conflicts before these are addressed by the United Nations mechanisms.

Sudan has also welcomed the role of the African Union in deploying several thousand troops from African countries for the monitoring of the cease-fire and protection of such monitors.