Human Rights Watch has urged the African Union and the United Nations to give their joint Darfur peacekeeping force "rapid response" capabilities, with enough attack helicopters and armoured personnel carriers to provide armed protection to civilians who come under attack.
And if any of the parties to the conflict attack civilians, support "abusive" armed militia or the Janjaweed, or obstruct the joint AU-UN mission in Darfur, the Security Council should impose sanctions on them.
These are among the recommendations which the international human rights NGO makes in a new, 76-page report, released today.
The report says the conflict is transforming from one between rebels and the government into "a violent scramble for power and resources involving government forces... Janjaweed, various rebel and former rebel factions, and bandits."
But, the report continues, "despite its complexities, this chaotic situation must not deflect attention from the Sudan government's primary responsibility for massive civilian deaths and for the displacement of some 2.4 million people since 2003, including 200,000 refugees."
It adds: "The government continues to stoke the chaos and, in some areas, exploit inter-communal tensions that escalate into open hostilities, apparently in an effort to 'divide and rule' and maintain military and political dominance over the region."
The report says that there are high expectations for the UN-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), which will deploy up to 26,000 military and police personnel in the region.
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"It is unlikely that the mere presence of international peacekeepers will be enough to deter attacks on the civilian population from government forces, Janjaweed, rebels, and others. In order to contribute to the protection of civilians, Darfur will require a proactive and mobile peacekeeping operation.
"The peacekeeping force will also have to create a secure enough environment so that humanitarian groups can reach the estimated 4.2 million people in desperate need."
Finally, says Human Rights Watch, the peacekeepers must help build the Sudanese government's law enforcement and justice systems "to enable state institutions to provide protection to Darfur's beleaguered populations rather than serving as an element of their oppression."
Read the full report: Darfur 2007: Chaos by Design - Peacekeeping Challenges for AMIS and UNAMID.
