Earlier this month, the Sudanese authorities forced the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) to discontinue its humanitarian aid operation in the war-torn region of Darfur. In the short term, the rapidly worsening crisis in Darfur will have serious humanitarian consequences for the civilian population. From the long-term perspective, the Darfur crisis threatens to destroy all hope of lasting peace in Sudan.
The responsibility for the deteriorating situation in Darfur lies with all the warring parties in the region. However, a heavy responsibility weighs on the shoulders of the Khartoum government. It has shown very limited will to protect its civilian population in Darfur and has been reluctant to work towards a solution to the conflict. In many ways, the government has done the opposite by, among other things, obstructing peacekeeping missions and humanitarian aid work.
The international community needs to examine itself, too. The term “paralysed” would be appropriate to describe its conduct in relation to the Darfur crisis over the past year. In addition, the international community’s response to the repeated appeals for humanitarian assistance to Darfur’s civilian population has been to cut back on aid to the region — a fact to which the United Nations has repeatedly tried to draw attention.
The situation has been aggravated by UN emergency relief coordinator Jan Egeland being denied entry to Darfur, and the expulsion of the NRC from South Darfur earlier this month. Darfur is back on the global agenda, but it is tragic that such events have to occur before the international community wakes up.
Since 2003, more than 300 000 people have died as a result of the conflict, and more than two million have been displaced, internally in Sudan as well as in neighbouring Chad. In the past four months alone, about 200 000 people have been forced to flee their homes, according to the relief coordinator. And it is the civilians who are subjected to the greatest atrocities. Killings, rapes and the burning down of villages still occur on a daily basis.
Sudan has the world’s highest number of internally displaced persons; the latest estimate stands at 5,3million, with more than half a million Sudanese having sought refuge in neighbouring countries.
In the short term, the international community must show a willingness to take action and apply pressure on the government in Khartoum. Two issues hold priority: the protection of internally displaced people and civilians at large, and that humanitarian organisations are given the space to work in Darfur without being harassed, threatened or obstructed. This, among other things, requires that the African Union’s presence in Darfur is noticeably strengthened, both in terms of its mandate and in terms of the number of troops. Urgent action is required to prevent the conflict from escalating.
The next step will be to bring those responsible for the atrocities in Darfur to justice. For a long time, the discussion has been focused on whether genocide is taking place in Darfur or whether these are “only” crimes against humanity. The perpetrators of the violence in Darfur have to be brought to justice as part of stopping the ongoing atrocities. These issues cannot be swept under the carpet in an attempt to reach an agreement between the warring parties.
The continuing crisis diverts attention from the implementation of the comprehensive peace agreement signed between the warring parts of North and South Sudan on January 9 last year. For the ordinary Sudanese, there are few tangible outcomes of this agreement.
The planned return of between 1,5million and two million internally displaced people from North Sudan to the southern parts of the country has not happened — primarily because there is little to return to in South Sudan. If the population of the South and the returning refugees and displaced do not see the dividends of peace quickly, support for the peace process will evaporate and the risk of renewed war is imminent. Finding solutions to the Darfur conflict is urgent. It is increasingly clear that a solution in Darfur is the key to safeguarding overall peace in Sudan.
Tomas Colin Archer is the secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council