Over the last ten days, an estimated 3,000 families have fled to the town of Junaynah from militia attacks in Western Darfur. Since the breakdown of peace talks between the government and the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) rebel group on December 15, fighting and militia attacks in all three Darfur states have escalated. The December peace talks with the SLA fell apart, after the Chadian mediators accused the rebels of bumping up their demands to include the creation of an autonomous state in Darfur and a percentage of oil revenues.

Meanwhile, the Sudan's problems continue to plague Chad. In December alone, around 30,000 civilians fleeing militia attacks crossed the border into Chad. There were now an estimated 95,000 Sudanese refugees (mostly women and children). - Adam Geibel