06/29/2004

To stop the on-going atrocities in Darfur, western Sudan, a UN Security Council resolution is needed to establish a clear agenda for peace and protection, with clearly delineated consequences, such as the imposition of targeted sanctions and preparations for a Chapter VII military intervention, should attacks on civilians continue. The arrival of U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell in Khartoum on June 29th, to be followed by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan the next day, offers an unprecedented opportunity to bring a forceful message to the government of Sudan that it must bring attacks on civilians to a halt and make genuine efforts to facilitate assistance to the people of Darfur.

The crisis in Darfur testifies to the powerlessness of international humanitarian agencies, and the lack of political will of the most powerful nations. Militias supported by elements of the government of Sudan have burned villages to the ground, stolen livestock, poisoned wells, killed civilians, and raped women and girls. Up to 30,000 are dead and one million people are displaced; those one million face the choice of living on the run in Darfur, crossing the border into Chad, or subsisting on half rations in squalid displacement camps. Rising global awareness of these atrocities has led to an increase in rhetorical pressure on the government of Sudan, but to date no meaningful political action has been forthcoming, leaving humanitarian agencies struggling against powerful local actors who have every intention of harassing them and making even the meager assistance available almost impossible to provide.

While the humanitarian situation is catastrophic, the root causes of the Darfur crisis are fundamentally political, and political action is required before issues related to lack of humanitarian access and logistical capacity can be addressed. Elements of an interim political agreement are nominally in place. There is a ceasefire agreement between the government of Sudan and the Darfur-based rebels, the Sudan Liberation Movement and the Justice and Equality Movement. The African Union is fielding a team of ceasefire monitors with logistical support from the European Union and the United States. Deployment of this team has been slow, however, and the AU mandate would be considerably strengthened through formal authorization by the UN Security Council.

The government of Sudan has shown itself to be perfectly capable of resisting verbal appeals by the international community, thus necessitating a Security Council resolution with clear accountability measures. Refugees International joins the appeal of the International Crisis Group and Human Rights Watch and urges the UN Security Council to approve a resolution demanding that the government of Sudan:

-  Control the militias operating in Darfur and ensure that atrocities and
    violence against civilians cease;
-  Grant full and unfettered access to international relief organizations
    and facilitate a relief effort commensurate with the needs of the 
    population;
-  Grant unrestrained access to international monitors throughout Darfur;
-  Commence good faith negotiations with rebel movements and other
    political representatives to address the roots of the crisis.

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Joel R. Charny is Vice President for Policy of Refugees International.