Darfur crisis intensifies

New York

Efforts to stop atrocities in Sudan's Darfur region are unravelling, with a new peacekeeping force uncertain, relief aid under attack and UN sanctions stymied, UN officials and analysts say.

"The situation is spiralling downward on the ground and retreating backwards on a daily basis in New York, Washington and Brussels," home of Nato, said John Prendergast of the International Crisis Group think-tank.

"A fragile consensus has collapsed under the weight of the Sudan government's artful diplomacy campaign," Prendergast told Reuters.

"It played chicken with the broad international community, and once again the international community drove off the road."

The main bulwark against abuses is the cash-strapped African Union which, under pressure from its Arab members who often side with Khartoum, is hesitating to merge its 7 000 troops with a UN force. The full story >>>