Darfur: EU must take action now

THE humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan, where more than 200,000 people have died and 2.5 million have been displaced, has worsened in recent months.

While the Sudanese government this week agreed to accept phase two of the deployment of the agreed African Union-UN hybrid force, this limited number of UN troops (3,000) will not be enough to stem the violence.

Full implementation of phase three involving the deployment of over 20,000 troops in the region is the only way to provide civilians in Darfur with the comprehensive protection they require. The international community must continue to pressurise Khartoum to accept this final phase, while moving quickly now to implement phase two.