Sudan’s Darfur: Peace or more war on the horizon?

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Release of Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) Strategic Insight No. 27/2006

The Australian Strategic Policy Institute has today released a new ASPI Strategic Insight that examines the latest developments in Darfur and the factors that will determine whether there will finally be peace for the people of Darfur.

Written by Dr Claude Rakisits, a consultant focusing on developments in Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, the paper also examines the Australian Government’s policy options for contributing to a possible UN peacekeeping operation in Darfur.

This year marks Sudan’s fiftieth year of independence. Unfortunately, it has very little to celebrate. Sudan, the largest country in Africa is best known for its long history of maladministration, human rights abuses, coups d’état, and for the past three years a ruthless government-backed assault on the people of Darfur in western Sudan.

‘About two years ago, shocking pictures started coming out of Darfur. Well over 200,000 people have been killed since then, and about 2.5 million people are now living in refugee camps either in Darfur or in neighbouring Chad. There have been many UN and African Union (AU) reports confirming attacks, rapes and the destruction of villages by the Sudanese army and air force and by Sudanese government-backed ‘Arab’ militias, the Janjaweed, in a deliberate drive to push the locals out of the area.’

‘The US Government has called it genocide. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has described it as ‘one of the worst nightmares in recent history, Dr Rakisits states. 

‘Unfortunately, ‘Darfur fatigue’ has settled in, and interest in the issue and the sense of urgency has diminished. But Darfur can’t be ignored. Jan Pronk, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sudan, has admitted that the previous international strategy in Darfur failed. Let’s make sure the international community gets it right this time—and quickly, because the Darfurians are the ones paying in lives for the West’s lack of action.’