Concern mounts as humanitarian access still blocked in Darfur

For over three weeks, humanitarian access has been blocked to key areas of Darfur in western Sudan, where there are hundreds of thousands of displaced people and a steadily worsening humanitarian situation. “Access is certainly being denied and security is no doubt an important reason,” UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan Mukesh Kapila told IRIN. “However, because the clearance system for travel permits does not appear to have adequate transparency we cannot tell whether a denial to travel is based entirely on the grounds of security or whether there are other reasons for denying access.” Areas held by the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A) rebel group have not received medical aid for months and only limited food supplies. “The reports, allegations of human rights violations are too persistent, too systematic, too repetitive from different sources to not be given credibility,” Kapila noted. “Under those circumstances and with the mounting evidence, one must say there is a prima facie case that some of the denials of access may well be related to the discomfort of the parties concerned to allow international witnesses,” he added. However, the acting governor in Nyala, Adam Idris Al Silaik, told IRIN it was “too difficult” to send aid to rebel-held areas. “I agree that transparency is important but we as a government assure you that the NGOs are our guests and we are supposed to protect them,” he said. He described the Arab Janjaweed militias, held responsible for the much of the disorder, as a "group of thieves". But he added that the situation in southern Darfur was calm and "under control". Humanitarian sources said rebel-held areas around Teigi, Kedineer, Yara, and East Jebel Mara in southern Darfur were not receiving any aid at all. Eric Vraalsen, the UN special humanitarian envoy for Sudan, urged the Sudanese authorities to “come out in the open” on security issues and said it was imperative that all parties to the conflict agree to “a humanitarian ceasefire” that guaranteed unimpeded access to aid. Sudanese officials deny claims that the government is backing the Arab militias. Dr Sula Feldeen, the national humanitarian aid commissioner told IRIN the militias were “defending” their property and supporting the government’s “attempt to fight the rebellion movement”. He said all of Sudan’s tribes had been asked to defend themselves from the rebels, not just Arabs. “No tribe was excluded," he said. “Some are coming forward and some are not. This does not mean that the government is biased against one group.” Meanwhile, peace talks between the government and the SLM/A - due to take place on 10 December - have been postponed. Attempts are underway to bring Darfur’s second rebel group, the Justice and Equality Movement, into the process but have so far yielded no results. The militias, which are considered by humanitarian actors to be the main aggressors in the conflict, are not part of the peace process.