UN humanitarian chief visits strife-torn Darfur

United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Jan Egeland was on Sunday visiting Sudan's conflict-riddden region of Darfur where conditions among civilians displaced by civil strife have deteriorated and violence escalated in recent months. Egeland's visit comes two days after the largest of Darfur's three rebel groups, the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A), bowed to international pressure and agreed "with reservations" to sign a peace deal with the Sudanese government following protracted peace talks in the Nigerian capital, Abuja. Two smaller groups are yet to sign the peace deal. The UN humanitarian coordinator, who arrived in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur State on Sunday morning, was due later in the day to visit internally displaced persons in the town of Gereida and tour Kalma and Ottach IPD camps in the state, according to UN sources in Nyala, where upon arrival, he met local government officials. Humanitarian workers had last week expressed fears that Gereida, which provides refuge to an estimated 90,000 displaced persons, might come under siege following a series of attacks on rebel-controlled villages in South Darfur. Leaders in displaced communities said more than 300 villages around Gereida have been abandoned because of the threat of attack since November 2005. According to United Nations sources, on 24 April, the Sudanese government used an Antonov plane and two helicopter gunships to attack the rebel-controlled village of Joghana, southeast of Gereida, which displaced an additional 25,000 people. Earlier, on 16 April, government forces attacked and retook the rebel-controlled town of Donkey Dreisa, 50 km north of Gereida. On 21 April, Janjawid militia and government forces jointly attacked Dito town, 25km northeast of Gereida. The attacks have exacerbated the already dire situation for many civilians across Darfur. Interfactional skirmishes have also complicated the situation. Fighting between two SLA factions escalated near Shangil Tobayi and Tawilla in North Darfur during the second half of April, displacing thousands. The UN estimates that some 3.6 million people are affected by conflict in Darfur, of whom 1.8 million are internally displaced and 200,000 have fled to neighbouring Chad. More than 200,000 people have been killed as a result of violence between the Sudanese government and rebel movements. The rebels accuse Khartoum of neglect and oppression of the people of Darfur and of sponsoring violent attacks by a militia group, the Janjawid on civilians, including women and children. Khartoum denies the allegations.