UN Peacekeepers Vital to Ending Darfur Crisis

Caritas Internationalis has warned that a solution to the crisis in the troubled region of Darfur in Sudan will not be possible without the presence of UN peacekeepers.

A peace deal was signed with Khartoum in May 2006 but endorsed by only one of the three rebel factions taking part in the negotiations. Violent conflict has continued more or less unabated in Darfur since that time.

The UN issued a new resolution last Tuesday to send 26,000 UN peacekeepers to the region, however, giving new impetus to peace efforts, and on Saturday, the leaders of Darfur's rebel groups took part in landmark peace talks in Tanzania for the first time in over a year.

The Catholic aid agency welcomed the latest UN resolution , saying the force would "provide vital security to civilians and aid workers caught up in the conflict there".

At least 200,000 people have died since fighting broke out in 2003, while another two and a half million people have been forced from their homes. Some aid agencies are calling the situation there the worst humanitarian disaster in the world.

Caritas has been at work in Darfur since the outset of the crisis, partnering with ACT International through a network of faith-based and Sudanese aid agencies in support of the millions affected by the conflict and forced to live in overcrowded camps. Their work there has included the provision of shelter, clean water and sanitation, the construction of health clinics and schools.

The aid agency has suffered its own losses, after an ACT-Caritas staff member became the latest aid worker to be killed in the conflict earlier this year.

Caritas said the UN resolution was a "welcome breakthrough". The resolution has been stripped of the threat of sanctions against the Sudanese Government in the event that it prevents the deployment of the force, however. "It remains to be seen if the force will be blocked in the future," said Caritas.

The charity's Secretary General Lesley-Anne Knight said it was too early to tell if the UN resolution would bring an end to the suffering of people in Darfur.

"But it sends a strong signal to all the warring parties to stop fighting and to enter into meaningful negotiations," she said.

"The force should go a long way in providing protection for civilians and access and security for humanitarian operations. If the peacekeepers can achieve these goals, then there is good reason for hope."

Ms Knight urged all parties in Sudan to welcome the force, warning that any attempts to block the peacekeepers from doing their jobs would be "unacceptable" and "must be met by an increase in efforts by the international community to bring peace to Darfur".

"Caritas and its partners in the Darfur Advocacy Network have been pressing for the resolution, and it is good to see our efforts rewarded. The next big challenge is to push for all factions involved in the conflict to truly commit to reviving the peace process," affirmed Ms Knight.

Caritas Internationalis is a confederation of 162 Catholic relief, development, and social service organisations present in over 200 countries and territories.