Sudan: Darfur Solutions Stalemated

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March 16, 2006: The violence in Darfur is still creating several hundred casualties a week, with continued raids by Arab raiders against black Sudanese villagers or refugees. The UN is threatening to move in non-African peacekeepers even if the government does not allow it. This is unlikely for, like Saddam Hussein, Sudan's leaders have allies in the UN that can veto any more forceful peacekeeping operations. The government denies backing ethnic cleansing in Darfur (and that's what is happening), and blames the violence there on local rebels (who are fighting the ethnic cleansing.)

March 13, 2006: Many of the AU peacekeepers will simply switch over to being UN peacekeepers in October. But UN plans to bring in non-African troops is opposed by the government.

March 10, 2006: The AU has agreed to turn peacekeeping responsibility over to the UN. But the UN has not had much success in getting anyone else to provide a peacekeeping force for Darfur, and Sudan has refused to all UN troops into the country. The AU also agreed to keep its 7,800 troops in Darfur until the end of September.