How Long Must the People of Darfur Wait for Meaningful Security?

By: Eric Reeves

Current timelines for deployment of an appropriate international military force to protect civilians and humanitarians imply an unconscionable gamble with hundreds of thousands of Darfuri lives

It is more than six weeks since UN humanitarian chief Jan Egeland warned the Security Council that, “[the humanitarian gains of the past two years in Darfur] can all be lost within weeks---not months. I cannot give a starker warning than to say that we are at a point where even hope may escape us and the lives of hundreds of thousands could be needlessly lost.” It is more than six weeks since the UN Security Council passed Resolution 1706, authorizing “rapid” deployment of 22,500 military and security personnel to Darfur to protect civilians and humanitarian operations, as well as to secure the border between Darfur and Chad, where violence continues to escalate dangerously. Read more >>>