On June 1 hundreds of women and children fled from Darfur to neighboring Central African Republic after planes and helicopters attacked their village. The 1,500 refugees walked 125 miles in 10 days and told UN officials that janjaweed militia had attacked their town and that their homes had been bombarded with air attacks. The UN and African Union peacekeepers have regularly reported Sudanese air force bombs, even though a UN resolution forbids such attacks.
This recent attack has fueled even more calls for action in Sudan. The UK has stated that they will push for tougher UN sanctions against Sudan if its government does not support international efforts to end the conflict. The US and Britain have been working on expanded UN sanctions resolution and a no-fly zone for weeks, but Russia and South Africa have questioned the timing and China continue to oppose further penalties.
At the G8 Summit in Germany France has begun pushing for an aid corridor from Chad into Sudan’s Darfur region as a humanitarian solution to the crisis. Chad and Sudan, however, continue to be hostile to a corridor and a Western presence. France would also like to create a contact group on Darfur, which would include the UN, AU, Sudan, Chad, and other African heads of state, and China. France currently has 1,000 troops in Chad but would like to see additional European Union troops involved.
Today the UN and AU were close to a deal on sending 23,000 peacekeepers to Darfur. Full deployment however is not expected until next year at the earliest. Sudan has yet to approve the plan, and if they continue to refuse the US and Britain will push for increased sanctions. Disputes over command and control over the hybrid force has held up the negotiations. Both Sudan and the AU have objected to giving the UN total control. AU and UN officials will explain the newest proposal to Sudan at a meeting June 11-12 where it is hoped that an agreement can be reached.
For more information, please see:
BBC – Africa Pushes Darfur Aid Corridor – 06 June 2007
Reuters – Plans Ready for UN Darfur Force but no Deployment – 06 June 2007
NY Times – Darfur Refugees Flee in 125-Mile Trek – June 2007
Yahoo – UK Says Sudan Faces Tough Action if no Darfur Progress – June 2007
