Africa Action’s report, “Six Months Since 1706: The International Failure to Protect Darfur” is available at http://www.africaaction.org

Nii Akuetteh, Executive Director of Africa Action, said today, “The failure of the international community to follow through on Resolution 1706 has left the people of Darfur without protection and with little hope. A robust UN force is needed immediately to stop the violence and enforce a cease-fire, to protect civilians and humanitarian operations, and to create conditions conducive to a comprehensive peace process. This is an essential first step towards stabilizing the situation on the ground and protecting the vulnerable in the immediate term, and the failure to aggressively pursue this goal is unacceptable.”

Africa Action’s new report notes that, while the Government of Sudan continues to refuse the implementation of Resolution 1706, subsequent discussions of a “hybrid” AU/UN force have not finalized agreement on the force’s size, mandate and command and control, or on a timeline for deployment. The organization emphasizes that a three-phased UN support package for the African Union (AU), currently in its early stages, must quickly proceed to the deployment of a 20,000-strong UN peacekeeping force with a robust protection mandate.

Ann-Louise Colgan, Director of Policy Analysis & Communications at Africa Action, said today, “Six months ago, the UN Security Council declared its intent to protect Darfur, yet it has allowed the Sudanese government to continue the genocide and to block the international response. Rather than following Resolution 1706 with resolute action to implement it, the U.S. and other international powers have permitted it to be debated and delayed, even as the violence has escalated on the ground.”

In his most recent report to the UN Security Council, released last week, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon emphasized increased violence in Darfur over the past several months, citing specific examples of attacks against civilians by the Sudanese government and their proxy militias. The Secretary-General noted the urgent need for UN reinforcement for the beleaguered AU mission in Darfur, and the need for an end to violence and attacks in order to advance the political process and facilitate humanitarian access.

Also this week, a new report by the U.S. State Department on human rights abuses worldwide described the Darfur genocide as “the most sobering reality” of last year. It held the Sudanese government and its proxy militias responsible for the genocide, and confirmed that these forces renewed their military offenses in recent months.

Yet Africa Action notes that this week’s third visit by U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan, Andrew Natsios, to Khartoum yielded no progress towards the deployment of an international force for Darfur. Natsios recognized this week that the Sudanese government is paralyzing the relief effort in Darfur, and that a peacekeeping force is needed on the ground, but Africa Action emphasizes that the U.S. strategy to achieve Khartoum’s cooperation on this matter remains ill defined and has secured no breakthrough in this area.

Marie Clarke Brill, Director of Public Education & Mobilization at Africa Action, said today, “The status quo in Darfur is unacceptable, and U.S. statements of concern are not changing that reality. The Bush Administration must ratchet up the political pressure on Sudan, and it must do more to enlist international action to achieve the rapid deployment of this peacekeeping force for Darfur. Resolution 1706 was a critical step, but without persistence and political will, the authorized UN force will not be deployed and the people of Darfur will be left without protection.”

Ahead of the U.S. Presidency of the UN Security Council in May, Africa Action will be increasing its advocacy and activism to compel new leadership from the U.S. on Darfur, and to achieve the deployment of the necessary UN peacekeeping force.