An international charity is pulling out even as Sudan grudgingly accepts a bolstered peacekeeping force in the Darfur region, home to mounting ethic violence and fears of genocide.
The new peacekeeping force comes too late for Oxfam, which has decided to permanently close its operations in on Darfur town over Sudan’s “reluctance” to protect aid workers against roving militias.
The United States said the biggest challenge is for Sudan to move beyond good words and fully implement the peacekeeping plan.
But the Guardian reports that a failure by the U.S. to deliver as much as $1 billion in support to the peacekeepers may doom such efforts.
In the United Kingdom, major investors in Sudanese petroleum, including Barclay’s and the Church of England, are subjects of a new divestment campaign which says oil profits are used to support the murderous Janjaweed militias at the heart of Darfur’s strife.
Sources:
“U.S. takes Sudan’s acceptance of peacekeepers with grain of salt”
The Daily Star (Lebanon), June 19, 2007
“U.S. failure to pay ‘threatens Darfur peacekeeping’”
The Guardian (U.K.), June 19, 2007
“British investors urged to quit Sudan”
The Guardian (U.K.), June 19, 2007
“Sudan: Oxfam Pulls Out of Gereida, Government Accepts Hybrid Force for Darfur”
IRIN (U.N.), June 18, 2007
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