Violence in Darfur Escalates Since UN Announcement

March 9, 2006

Damanga Coalition for Freedom and Democracy is very concerned about the escalation of violence inside Darfur. Violence has been escalating since the UN’s February 23rd announcement that it may send UN forces to Darfur to relieve the African Union of peacekeeping responsibilities.

After the UN issued its statement, and while the peace negotiations continued in Abuja, the government of Sudan and the Janjaweed militia stepped up their campaign against civilians in Darfur. They have moved more troops and weapons to all parts of the region and conducted extensive attacks against civilian villages. In Eastern, Western, Southern, and Northern Darfur the government and Janjaweed have carried out vicious attacks, killing, raping, and displacing civilians. Since February 23rd, they have destroyed villages and small towns from Graida to Goz-Bagar, Andarab, Iyal Ameen, Umheoosh, Jabir, Kilaikil, Habeeb-Darma, the Umkaddada area and the areas around Kebkabia, and Darbat. They are also invading the villages between the city of Algeneina in the South and the Jabelmoon area in the North, as well as around Tinya in the Northwest. Additionally, the attackers are targeting refugee camps, where further killings and rapes have taken place.

All of this violence is being conducted under the direction of Ali Usman Taha, Vice President of Sudan. Damanga’s sources report that Taha has secretly visited Darfur three times in this brief period and is personally directing operations there. Taha made agreements with the Janjaweed leaders stipulating that the militia must leave the area if an international peacekeeping force arrives in Darfur. He directed the Janjaweed and the Chadian rebels, who have been working with the government of Sudan, to hide their weapons and retreat to the area along the Chad-Sudan border, where they can blend in with the civilian population. The Janjaweed accepted those terms in exchange for money and weapons with a guarantee of more money to come in the future. The Janjaweed also demanded high-ranking positions of leadership in the Sudanese army and other significant government agencies during and after any international intervention. Taha accepted all of the Janjaweed demands.

The situation is urgent and requires immediate action. Otherwise, this war will continue to spiral out of control and spread into Chad. It is apparent that the Sudanese government’s long-term goal is to expand its violent campaign into Chad in order to undermine the Chadian government. They are exploiting the Chadian rebels’ alliance with the Janjaweed towards that end. It is essential that the international community initiate a peacekeeping intervention to secure the region, to protect Darfurian and Chadian civilians, and to stop the spread of violence.

It is also important to recognize that the war against civilians in Darfur did not begin in 2003 as is commonly reported, but actually commenced in the early 1990’s when the current government rose to power. This government has been attacking civilians in Darfur for more than a decade. We encourage our readers to review the historical background section of our website to learn more about such hidden slaughters and ethnic cleansing in Darfur by reading our Open Letter to the International Community.