By Haider Rizvi
09/18/2006

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Below is an excerpt of an article from One World:

Human rights and peace activists in many parts of the world took to the streets Sunday protesting the international community's failure to stop the ongoing bloody ethnic conflict in Sudan's Darfur region.

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Condemning the Sudanese government for its partisan role in the conflict, protesters demanded that Khartoum immediately accept the United Nations decision to deploy an international force in Darfur, where innocent civilians continue to suffer from death and displacement.

In a resolution adopted early this month, the 15-member Security Council agreed to send more than 17,000 international peacekeepers to the region, but fierce opposition from Khartoum has left the plan's implementation in doubt.

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In rejecting the UN resolution, the Sudanese argued that they could address the issue of civilian protection by using their own military might in the region.

But critics, including some senior UN officials, strongly doubt the Sudanese government could enforce peace while its military continues to bomb civilian areas in Darfur.

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For its part, the Khartoum government has repeatedly denied the incidents of bombings and has described such reports as "exaggerations."

However, senior UN officials and relief organizations active in the region say there has been no let up in military atrocities against civilians population since the signing of the peace agreement and that thousands continue to flee their homes every day.

"The situation on the ground is serious, is desperate," Kofi Annan, the UN secretary general, told OneWorld last week. In response to Khartoum's assertion that it can handle the situation on its own, Annan added, "If the government had been able to do it itself, I don't think we would be having this debate."

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Currently, about 7,000 African Union (AU) troops are stationed in Darfur, the only force that is providing security to the civilian population to some degree, but their mandate is due to expire by the end of this month.

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"The situation is deteriorating with each passing day," said Ken Bacon, president of Refugees International, a U.S.-based humanitarian organization, in a statement urging the African Union Peace and Security Council to extend the mandate of its force in Darfur until UN troops can be deployed.

Bacon, who has visited the region several times, said the United States and the international community must ensure that the AU has the funds it needs to do its job.

"As a start, the U.S. Congress should pass current legislation that provides an additional $20 million to support the AU force," he added in a statement.

Other human rights groups have repeatedly called for the international community to impose sanctions against senior Khartoum officials who are blocking peace efforts. Annan and other UN officials have also endorsed such calls, but such a move is unlikely to materialize unless all Security Council members reach a consensus.

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