Refugees International President Ken Bacon and Communications Manager Megan Fowler are conducting an assessment mission to the Darfur region of Sudan from July 8 to 26. On this mission, Refugees International (RI) will assess current humanitarian conditions among internally displaced people in Darfur and monitor progress towards implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement signed on May 5, including efforts to include women in the peace process. As on past assessment missions, the RI team will meet with Sudanese government officials, AMIS commanders, UN and NGO leaders and Sudanese citizens in and around IDP camps.

Shortfalls in funding for humanitarian assistance in Darfur have led to serious cutbacks in food and other assistance for internally displaced people (IDPs). RI will examine how these cutbacks and limitations on access faced by aid agencies are affecting humanitarian conditions. In addition, RI will analyze the progress made by the Government of Sudan and rebel groups to implement the Darfur Peace Agreement and assess the ability of the African Union Mission in Sudan to protect civilians during the expected transition to a UN peacekeeping force.

The United States maintains that the government in Sudan is committing genocide in Darfur. Despite the signing of a ceasefire agreement and numerous other international agreements, the government of Sudan and Janjaweed militia continue to attack civilians with impunity, while the rebel groups fight among themselves and prey on relief convoys. Forced relocations of settlements for internally displaced people, rapes of women by government police officers, and continued attacks on villages continue to plague the region.

International response to this crisis has been shockingly slow and ineffective. Despite widespread awareness of the extent of the human rights violations in Darfur, the government of Sudan and its allies on the UN Security Council have successfully blocked the imposition of punitive international sanctions on officials responsible for masterminding the violent campaign in Darfur. The African Union has stepped in to provide peacekeeping troops but is hampered by lack of strong logistical support and an unclear mandate.