Breaking the Darfur Impasse

The Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) is described as 'nearly dead' and 'in a coma' just five months after ratification, with violence against civilians intensifying. The report highlights the failure of the African Union (AU) peacekeeping mission due to inadequate funding, equipment, and a limited mandate, while the Sudanese government under President Omar al-Bashir resists a full UN peacekeeping deployment. The conflict is rooted in historical land disputes and the politics of natural resources, including unexploited oil, uranium, copper, and bauxite in Darfur. International action is complicated by the commercial interests of UN Security Council permanent members—China, Russia, and France—who buy Sudanese oil. The report concludes that while the proposed 'AU-Plus' option (an extended AU mission with UN logistical and financial support) may be insufficient, it represents the only viable alternative to break the current diplomatic impasse.

• The Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA), signed on May 5, 2006, is considered a failure and is described by UN Special Representative Jan Pronk as being "in a coma" and "nearly dead".
• Violence in Darfur has increased following the DPA, with an estimated 250,000 to 400,000 people killed over three years and 2.5 million displaced in what is described as ethnic cleansing by the Khartoum government.
• The African Union (AU) peacekeeping mission is inadequate due to a lack of funding, equipment, and a mandate that prevents it from protecting civilians outside of refugee camps.
• President Omar al-Bashir is resisting a UN resolution for 20,000 peacekeeping troops, citing concerns over Sudanese sovereignty and the fear of being "recolonised".
• The conflict is driven by historical land disputes between nomadic Arab pastoralists and settled African farmers, as well as the presence of unexploited oil, uranium, copper, and bauxite reserves in Darfur.
• Commercial interests, specifically the purchase of Sudanese oil by China, Russia, and France, have influenced the UN Security Council's ability to take decisive action against the Khartoum government.
• Diplomats are considering an 'AU-Plus' strategy, which would extend the AU mission with UN financial and logistical support, as a potential way to break the current impasse.

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} }