Diplomacy over Darfur has failed and the international community must now consider sanctions against Sudan to pressure it into accepting UN peacekeepers, the Brussels-based International Crisis Group (ICG) said in a report published on Thursday.
"Patient diplomacy and trust in Khartoum's good faith has been a patent failure," they reported.
"The international community has little choice but to pursue an action plan based primarily on economic, legal and more limited military measures."
Sudan has resisted international pressure to allow around 20,000 UN troops to replace an ill-equipped African Union peace-keeping force of 7,000 in Darfur.
"...It may be possible to persuade the NCP (Sudan's dominant National Congress Party) to alter its policies and consent to the UN mission in Darfur by moving now to targeted sanctions against regime leaders and their business interests," the ICG said.
Some 200,000 people have been killed and up to 2.5 million have been displaced by the three year long conflict. Sudan President Omar Hassan al-Bashir has compared the UN force to a Western invasion and an attempt to recolonise Sudan.
Human rights groups, some diplomats and the UN envoy to Sudan, Jan Pronk, have suggested the international community should focus its efforts on prolonging and strengthening the African Union force.
But ICG said that was "too little too late, given the way the security, human rights and humanitarian situation have steadily deteriorated".
Christian Aid welcomed African Union's (AU) decision last month to extend the mandate of its peacekeeping force in Darfur until the end of the year.
"This is good news for the millions of displaced people in Darfur," said Judith Melby, Christian Aid's Africa specialist. "But it is only a first step. For the force to be truly effective it must receive more troops, more logistical support and a stronger mandate."
-
The dire American political situation: a brief overview for faithful Christians in Britain
-
Conversion therapy ban supporters want prayer to be criminalised - this must not be allowed
-
Why the US election results do not bode well for America
-
Trump’s midterm defeat and its implications for Christians on both sides of the Atlantic
-
Police appeal for witnesses after head smashed off Jesus statue at church war memorial
-
Are we seeing the end of Western civilisation?
Most Popular
related articles
World Vision Prepares Back Up Plan for Violence in Darfur
World Vision is preparing to respond to the possibility of escalating violence and deteriorating security in Darfur in the event that African Union peacekeepers leave the region before a long-term security solution can be found.
African Union Extends Darfur Mandate
The African Union is to extend its peacekeeping mandate in Darfur until the end of the year as the president of Sudan vowed he would never let UN troops into Darfur.
Darfur Mandate Only a First Step, says Christian Aid
Christian Aid has welcomed African Union's (AU) decision to extend the mandate of its peacekeeping force in Darfur, Sudan, until the end of the year.
Bono Speaks Out Against Humanitarian Crisis in Darfur
The U2 lead singer is a long-time supporter of charity efforts and in 2005 he played a fundamental role in organising Live 8, a series of worldwide concerts which sought to raise the profile of the world's poverty problems.
MySpace Bands Raise Money for Sudan Crisis
Following last week's Darfur warning by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the public became more aware that the war-stricken nation is creeping ever closer to catastrophe, with rape and violence on the rise and humanitarian access at its lowest level since 2004.
News
Is religion making a comeback among young Americans? Study urges caution
New research from Pew Research Center suggests that while there are encouraging signs of religious engagement among younger adults, the evidence of a broader resurgence remains inconclusive.
Calls for inquiry into Queensland assisted suicide system
Despite the rise in deaths, the watering down of safeguards has been proposed.
Justin Welby says government reparations for slavery a ‘moral evil’
Welby was supportive of Project Spire during his time as Archbishop of Canterbury.
South Sudanese churches work for peace as tensions mount
South Sudan is the world's youngest sovereign nation.
