Pro-government Arab fighters are still targeting civilians in Sudan's Darfur region and rape, kidnapping and banditry actually increased in April, a senior U.N. official told the Security Council on Thursday.
Despite widespread international efforts to stop the violence, there has been no progress in African Union-sponsored peace talks in Abuja, Nigeria, and it is unclear whether rebel or government leaders are committed to serious talks, said Hedi Annabi, U.N. assistant secretary-general for peacekeeping.
The Darfur conflict broke out two years ago when rebels took up arms against the government, complaining of discrimination. Khartoum is accused of retaliating by arming militias who burned villages and killed and raped civilians.
At least 180,000 people have died from violence, hunger and disease and 2 million have been driven out of their homes.
In the latest U.N. status report to the council on the crisis, Annabi said there was no evidence of direct involvement by government forces in last month's attacks but "there were widespread reports of abuse by militia."
Attacks by Darfur's two main rebel groups on militia and police also rose last month, and local authorities stepped up their harassment of international aid workers, he reported.
Annabi said rebel gunmen were seizing and firing on vehicles operated by aid groups in the needy region, in one case gravely injuring a relief worker.
"This is a worrying trend in light of the role played by the humanitarian community in sustaining the 2.45 million conflict-afflicted civilians in Darfur," he said.
There had been no talks since December in Abuja, Annabi said. While the African Union hopes to restart talks next week, "it is not yet clear whether the parties are committed to meaningful negotiations," he said.
"Clearly, lasting peace in Darfur will only come through a negotiated settlement," he said.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan echoed that theme in a separate written report to the council, saying civilians would keep suffering as long as talks were stalled.
"Militia groups will continue to steal, rape and kill with impunity. Rebel movements will continue to fight with whatever capacity they can acquire," he said.
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