Chaos and collapse threaten war-torn Darfur
The optimism generated by an agreement between the government and two rebel groups on humanitarian and security issues has been overshadowed by the deteriorating security situation in recent weeks, Secretary-General Annan said yesterday.
The 15-page report details daily attacks, village burnings, rapes, hijackings of relief goods, theft of livestock, the forced movement of thousands of displaced people, and numerous deaths. The violence reached a high point on November 22 when the rebel Sudan Liberation Army attacked the town of Tawila in north Darfur and took control of all police posts within a few hours.
The Sudanese army retaliated, reportedly using bomber planes, and forced the SLA to withdraw, but fighting continued in the area for two days causing extensive casualties, the report said. “There is a danger that violence may continue to escalate,” Mr Annan warned, saying the SLA had “aggressively violated” a November 9 accord calling for an end to hostilities and was increasing its attacks against the police.
The Sudanese government has denied any air attacks and the SLA denied attacking Tawila, which Mr Annan speculated could mean that both sides were not in control of their field commanders on the ground.
The resulting insecurity has driven up the price of local goods, which is forcing more people who have remained in their homes to seek humanitarian relief from international agencies, said Mr Annan.
As of November 1, the number of people affected by the conflict and in need of relief had risen by 250,000 to close to 2.3 million, more than one-third of the six million people estimated to have been in Darfur before fighting began in February 2003, he said.
According to a report from the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, Darfur is also facing a fourth consecutive meagre harvest, with conditions similar to those preceding the 1984 famine, he said. Mr Annan demanded that the rebels and the government abide by the November 9 accords and halt all hostile military activities.
The Darfur conflict, which the UN describes as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, began in February 2003 when the SLA and allied Justice and Equality Movement took up arms against what they saw as years of state neglect and discrimination against Sudanese of African origin.
