NGOs’ Aid Operations Struck by Continuous Violence in Darfur

On Monday, international humanitarian agencies have expressed their concerns over the ongoing troubles in the western Sudanese region of Darfur, which has hindered humanitarian operations during the last two weeks.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) reported that some 12 WFP trucks carrying food distribution have gone missing after various incidents in March, January and November.

On 6th April, a truck with 25 mt of food monitored by a WFP convoy was detained along with the driver in Cindi town on its way to Malha in North Darfur state.

"We don't know exactly who did this or where the truck and the driver are at the moment," Peter Smerdon, senior WFP spokesperson said.

Fortunately, there has been no loss of life reported so far.

According to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), while the worsening insecurity has impeded efforts to help people who lacked even the most basic necessities, people are becoming increasingly dependent on external aid.

"Until now we have not changed our operations in Darfur, but we are very concerned about the ongoing insecurity," Lorena Brander, spokesperson for the ICRC in Khartoum.

A peace treaty signed between the Sudan's Khartoum government and the southeran rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) in January in Nairobi, Kenya, has marked an historical end to Africa's longest civil war.

However, the situation in Darfur has not improved significantly over the past few months due to the lack of immediate action. International leaders are desperately calling for the sanctions on perpetrators of atrocities in Darfur as well as peacekeeping effort to the region while the current security is still volatile.

A closed-door emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council ambassadors was called by UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan on 7th March, requesting for immediate action to breakthrough the peace deadlock in war-torn Darfur, Sudan.

The ICRC was among the organisations that actively supported and welcomed the establishment of the International Criminal Court which will prosecute those who violates international laws.

Last Thursday, US Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick discussed the North-South peace agreement and the situation in Darfur with the Sudanese foreign minister, Mustafa Uthman Ismail, and the first vice president, Ali Uthman Muhammad Taha, as well as with representatives of the southern rebels SPLM and a number of tribal leaders from Darfur.

Zoellick lamented, "I think the [Khartoum] government can and should do a lot. There are tribal disputes in their militia [in Darfur] that may be out of anybody's control, but I think the basic formula here is the government should take every effort it can to stop the militias."

According to the official Sudan News Agency (SUNA), the first vice president of Sudan reaffirmed the government's willingness to finding a peaceful solution for Darfur and ensuring the safe delivery of humanitarian aid to those in need on a donor's conference in Oslo, Norway 12th April.

On the other hand, the Sudanese foreign minister, Mustafa Uthman Ismail, complained that "it is unjust" to attribute all that happened in Darfur to the Sudanese government and stressed the Darfur rebels should also be blamed for their failure to observe the ceasefire agreements.