Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Darfur Sinking Into Chaos of Warring Rebel Groups

Rebel factions endanger massive relief effort

By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff

Posted Jun 20, 2008 10:42 AM CDT
Email

(Newser) – The civil war in Darfur has degenerated into a tangled mess of militias and warlords battling each other, a development that threatens efforts to bring relief to the 2.5 million people affected by the fighting. Dozens of rebel groups are at war with each other, not just the government, and “the lines of who's who are much more blurred,” said an Oxfam spokesman. The Washington Post assesses the situation on the ground.

Instead of seeking to free their country from government attacks, the rebel factions are now largely focused on gaining power, the Post notes. Conflicts between groups have driven some 70,000 from their homes this year, while government brutality has displaced 60,000. And while relief efforts remain effective, raids on humanitarian compounds and vehicles have surged this year.

A Chadian woman carries her child while waiting to collect water supplies during the visit of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres, unseen, to a Darfur refugee camp, April 25, 2007.
A Chadian woman carries her child while waiting to collect water supplies during the visit of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres, unseen, to a Darfur refugee camp, April 25, 2007.   (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)
London pupils look at a representation of a Darfur village supposedly destroyed during the war built as part of global commemorations of World Refugee Day later this week, Tuesday, June 17, 2008.
London pupils look at a representation of a Darfur village supposedly destroyed during the war built as part of global commemorations of World Refugee Day later this week, Tuesday, June 17, 2008.   (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)
Sudanese President Omar El-Bashir, right, meets with visiting delegation of U.N. Security Council ambassadors in Khartoum, Sudan Thursday, June 5, 2008.
Sudanese President Omar El-Bashir, right, meets with visiting delegation of U.N. Security Council ambassadors in Khartoum, Sudan Thursday, June 5, 2008.   (AP Photo/Abd Raouf)
U.S. actor George Clooney, center, who was recently designated as a U.N. messenger of peace, visits the Zamzam refugee camp in North Darfur, Sudan, in late Jan. 2008.
U.S. actor George Clooney, center, who was recently designated as a U.N. messenger of peace, visits the Zamzam refugee camp in North Darfur, Sudan, in late Jan. 2008.   (AP Photo/UNAMID)
Members of the Sudanese armed forces participate in a state-orchestrated rally in the capital Khartoum, Sudan Wednesday, May 14, 2008.
Members of the Sudanese armed forces participate in a state-orchestrated rally in the capital Khartoum, Sudan Wednesday, May 14, 2008.   (AP Photo/Abd Raouf)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Be the first to comment on this story.

EU leaders threaten Sudan with sanctions
Associated Press

Rebels in court over Khartoum attack
Associated Press

 
Africa • Darfur • Sudan • rebels • humanitarian organizations • emergency aid

More Newser Stories

Sudan Says Rebel Chief Killed

World's Newest Country Picks a Name

Protests Fueled by Facebook Begin in Sudan, Too

George Clooney Gets, Beats Malaria

It's a New Beginning Today in Sudan
NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne