Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Khartoum (Agenzia Fides)- The Darfur crisis threatens to spread involving Chad and the Central African Republic. Developments in recent weeks are not encouraging: Chad declared a state of emergency after civilians in the east of the country were attacked by horsemen similar to the infamous Janjaweed which operate in the tormented Sudanese region.
In the Central African Republic the rebels of the Union des Forces Démocratiques pour le Rassemblement (UFDR) after occupying at the end of October the city of Birao, in the north east of the country on the border with Chad and Sudan, continue their march south-west. According to the Central African Republic government also this rebel group is backed by Sudan.
The three crises, Sudanese, Chadian and Central African Republic are connected because they involve what is called the ‘three frontier region’ where the borders of the three country cross. The area is scarcely populated desert land and this favours the movement of gangs of raiders and armed militia.
The possible spread of the Sudanese conflict is a cause of concern for the African states and for the non African powers with interests in the area. France for example, which already has troops in Chad, has announced it intends to increase its military contribution in Central African Republic.
In the meantime efforts continue by the international community to convince the government of Khartoum to allow a UN peacekeeping force to be deployed in Darfur. A positive signal comes from Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade who said Sudanese President Omar Hassan al Bashir is proposing solutions for Darfur which do not exclude altogether the idea of a UN involvement but rather limit the intervention.
“He is putting forward solutions. Now, instead of saying no to the UN he says it should be limited”, said Wade, who had a letter from Bashir. ''But his position is no longer absolutely not '', he added. The Senegalese thinks there is room for talks to reach a compromise between the UN position and that of the Sudanese government. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 14/11/2006 righe 31 parole 362)
