As Darfur crisis worsens, coming weeks crucial for intl action

– Contact: Ann-Louise Colgan (202) 546-7961

Violence escalates in Darfur & Chad, humanitarian situation
deteriorating rapidly;
UN to present options for possible peacekeeping mission in Darfur next week

April 19, 2006 (WASHINGTON) — With the security situation
in Darfur, Sudan, continuing to deteriorate, Africa Action today
emphasized the need for urgent international action on this crisis in
the coming weeks, as several key deadlines approach.

Next week, on April 24th, the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General will
present to the Security Council a range of options for a possible UN
peacekeeping mission in Darfur. In addition, next week will see the
April 30th deadline for a peace deal between the Sudanese government and
Darfuri rebel groups in Abuja, Nigeria. The UN Security Council is also
currently discussing the possibility of sanctions against some
individuals involved in crimes against humanity in Darfur. Africa
Action urges the international community to prioritize the needs of the
people of Darfur and to focus on the achievement of a UN peacekeeping
mission for Darfur as soon as possible.

Recent reports confirm a spike in violence in Darfur and in neighboring
Chad, as the government of Sudan and its proxy “Janjaweed” militias
continue to target civilians in their genocidal campaign. Africa Action
notes numerous accounts of new attacks on villages and camps in the last
several weeks, and an increase in the number of displaced people who are
inaccessible to humanitarian agencies. As the rainy season approaches,
the organization emphasizes the increasingly precarious situation in the
region and the urgent need for international protection for vulnerable
civilians and for humanitarian operations.

Salih Booker, Executive Director of Africa Action, said today, “Nothing
short of an international peacekeeping force in Darfur can stop the
violence and provide protection for people in that region. Unless the
international community acts quickly and asserts its responsibility to
protect the people of Darfur, the death toll will rise rapidly in the
coming weeks and months, as the government of Sudan pursues this
genocide with impunity and humanitarian access shrinks still further.”

Africa Action emphasizes the urgent need for a robust UN peacekeeping
force to be authorized and deployed to Darfur to complement and
reinforce the African Union (AU) mission on the ground and to respond to
the protection needs of the people of Darfur. As the UN prepares to
present options for a possible peacekeeping mission to Darfur, Africa
Action urges the U.S. and international community to work with the AU
and other stakeholders to overcome any obstacles to the rapid deployment
of such an international peacekeeping force to the region. This week,
Assistant UN Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Hedi Annabi,
is in Khartoum for meetings with senior Sudanese government officials,
and the UN says it is continuing to work with the AU to expedite
planning for the possible transition to a UN force in Darfur.

Ann-Louise Colgan, Director of Policy Analysis & Communications at
Africa Action, said today, “The need for a UN peacekeeping force in
Darfur is clear, but while there has been increased discussion about
this possibility in recent weeks, such a mission is far from assured.
The U.S. and UN must expend every diplomatic effort to overcome the
objections of Khartoum to a UN peacekeeping operation in Darfur, and the
Security Council must be prepared to act on the options present by the
Secretary-General next week. It is widely accepted that an effective UN
peacekeeping force for Darfur will require at least 20,000 personnel and
a Chapter 7 mandate to protect civilians. This must be authorized and
deployed as quickly as possible to the region.”

As attention focuses on progress towards a peace deal on Darfur, Africa
Action emphasizes that a deal in Abuja must not be seen as a
pre-condition for the deployment of a UN peacekeeping force to Darfur,
since such a force could actually help facilitate the peace process by
enforcing the cease-fire and acting as a stabilizing force on the
ground. Africa Action notes that a robust international protection
force is also needed in Darfur to stop the violence, provide security to
urgent humanitarian efforts, and ultimately support the voluntary return
of displaced people to their lands.

Marie Clarke Brill, Director of Public Education & Mobilization at
Africa Action, said today, “Growing numbers of people from across the
U.S. continue to raise their voices demanding real action from the
Administration to protect the people of Darfur. On April 30th, Africa
Action will join thousands of these voices on the National Mall in
Washington, DC, to highlight the depth of national concern about the
crisis in Darfur and the need for the U.S. to match its rhetoric with
new and concrete actions to stop the genocide.”

– For more information and analysis from Africa Action on the Campaign to
Stop Genocide in Darfur, see http://www.africaaction.org/darfur