an African and International Civil Society Action for Darfur – (also in french).
- The Darfur Consortium is a coalition of more than 50 Africa-based and Africa-focused NGOs dedicated to working together to promote a just, peaceful and sustainable end to the ongoing humanitarian and human rights crisis in Darfur.
- The Consortium came together in September 2004 as concerned NGOs gathered on the fringes of the third extraordinary session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Pretoria, South Africa. The Consortium reflects the unique perspective of African civil society and provides a forum for unified action, particularly through sustained engagement with the institutions of the African Union.
- Member Organizations; … (about).
Homepage and News;
Thematic: Justice, Civilian Protections, Peace, Engagement; Member Publications; Timeline; Events: by date, by country; Gallery;
Address: Darfur Consortium, P.O. Box 7785, Kampala, Uganda;
Contact.
Darfur Crisis /What You Need to Know: Since early 2003, when full blown hostilities began between rebel groups and the central government, Darfur has been sliding ever deeper into tragic cycles of violence.
Government-supported janjaweed militias have terrorized the local population, killing indiscriminately and committing rape on a massive scale. The survivors have been pushed to the brink of starvation, their property and livelihood destroyed, the earth scorched to prevent any return. The statistics are stark:
- •Over 300,000 civilians are reported to have died, a 50% increase from what the UN initially estimated;
- •4.2 million people have been categorized as “war affected,” dependent on international assistance;
- •2.5 million Darfurians have been displaced within Sudan;
- •Almost 240,000 refugees are being hosted by Chad and the Central African Republic; and
- •Thousands of villages have been burned and livelihoods destroyed. Despite the signing of the Darfur Peace Agreement in May 2006 the situation has worsened:
- •In a single attack in July 2008, seven UNAMID peacekeepers were killed and 22 injured. This added to other serious losses of peacekeepers including the killing of 12 AMIS peacekeepers in an attack on Haskanita in September 2008 and the killing of five AMIS troops in April 2007;
- •In the first six months of 2008, 135 humanitarian aid vehicles were lost in Darfur, almost totaling the figure for the whole of 2007 (which was 139);
- •An estimated 180,000 Darfurians were displaced in the first five months of 2008, adding to at least 280,000 who were newly displaced between January and November 2007;
- •Between January and July 2007, 132 staff members of humanitarian organizations were temporarily abducted at gunpoint and aid agencies were forced to suspend operations and relocate staff due to security concerns 15 times. Hundreds of tones of food has been stolen;
- •As of May 2007, 34 aid workers were killed, 120 others had been injured in serious attacks, and 30 had been kidnapped; and
- •In 2006, an estimated 1,800 of the estimated 13,000 relief workers in the region were subjected to security incidents, a rise of 67% from 2005, and attacks on the relief community increased 150% in 2007.
In the summer of 2007, several developments brought new hope to Darfur. The approval of UN Security Council Resolution 1769 authorizing a new joint AU-UN force (UNAMID) was an important step towards providing much needed protection to civilians. And the political process appeared to be restarting.
The international community must not, however, see its role as less urgent than before. It is critical to remember that this situation on the ground has not changed. The fighting and insecurity continue.
There is an urgent need for the international community, and especially African states, to put their full weight behind effective deployment of UNAMID, urgent measures to protect civilians until UNAMID can be deployed and an effective and inclusive peace process.
This is a critical moment for Darfur— don’t look away now.
Background to the conflict: … (full text).