Breaking the Darfur Impasse

This report by Ayesha Kajee of the South African Institute of International Affairs analyzes the failure of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Darfur, Sudan. It details the inadequacy of the African Union (AU) peacekeeping mission, the Sudanese government's resistance to UN intervention, and the complex drivers of the conflict, including ethnic tensions and the politics of natural resources.

• The Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA), signed on May 5, 2006, is considered effectively failed by UN officials and experts because it was rejected by two of the three major rebel forces and failed to ensure the disarmament of government militias or sufficient regional influence in Khartoum.
• Violence against civilians has increased following the DPA, with the Sudanese government and the Minni Minnawi-led faction of the Sudanese Liberation Movement (SLM) attacking villages sympathetic to non-signatory rebel groups.
• The humanitarian crisis in Darfur is severe, with estimates that between 250,000 and 400,000 people have been killed over three years and 2.5 million have become refugees due to what critics describe as ethnic cleansing.
• The African Union (AU) peacekeeping mission, consisting of 7,700 troops, has been inadequate due to limited funding, equipment, and a mandate that prevents it from protecting civilians outside of refugee camps.
• President Omar al-Bashir has resisted a UN resolution for 20,000 peacekeeping troops, citing concerns over Sudanese sovereignty and the fear of 'recolonisation'.
• The conflict is driven by historical land disputes between nomadic Arab pastoralists and settled African farmers, as well as the potential for unexploited oil, uranium, copper, and bauxite reserves in Darfur.
• International response is complicated by the commercial interests of UN Security Council permanent members China, Russia, and France, who buy oil from Sudan, and some of whom are identified as arms suppliers to the Al-Bashir government.
• Diplomats are considering an 'AU-Plus' option as a potential way to break the impasse, which would involve extending the AU mission with logistical and financial support from the UN.

APA

Kajee, A. (2006). Breaking the Darfur Impasse. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/Breaking-the-Darfur-Impasse-Oct-2_2006.pdf

Chicago

Kajee, Ayesha. Breaking the Darfur Impasse. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2006. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/Breaking-the-Darfur-Impasse-Oct-2_2006.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Kajee |first1=Ayesha |title=Breaking the Darfur Impasse |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=2 October 2006 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/Breaking-the-Darfur-Impasse-Oct-2_2006.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{kajee2006breaking, author = {Kajee, Ayesha}, title = {{Breaking the Darfur Impasse}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2006}, month = oct, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/Breaking-the-Darfur-Impasse-Oct-2_2006.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }