Day of action marks fourth anniversary of the start of Darfur conflict

People took to the streets of 35 capitals around the world on Sunday to call for renewed vigour in combating the violence in Sudan’s western region of Darfur.

Organisers of the ‘Global Day for Darfur’ used hourglasses filled with red paint to symbolise the worsening of the situation in which the UN estimate 200,000 people have died.

An estimated 3,500 demonstrators gathered outside Downing Street in London under the slogan ‘Time is up…protect Darfur’. Celebrities including George Clooney and Don Cheadle added their voices to the protests in a statement accusing the international community of apathy.

Former Sudanese child soldier turned rapper Emmanuel Jal performed at the event, saying “Never give up, never give in” to huge applause from the crowd.

Margaret Beckett responded to the protests by calling on Omar al-Bashir’s government to accept an international peacekeeping force or face tougher sanctions. She said, “If we don't see progress in days rather than weeks, we will have to move ahead with a fresh sanctions resolution.”

It is also thought that Tony Blair will renew his calls for the UN Security Council to enforce a no-fly zone over the region after recent evidence suggested that government forces had used planes disguised as UN aircraft to bomb villages.

The International Crisis Group have released a new report into the situation. In it the group advises that the international community needs to complement efforts to get peacekeepers on the ground with a new approach to negotiating a political settlement.

But with Sudan’s government reluctant to allow an international force into the country, it has been left to local groups to take the initiative on peace-building. One such group is the Sudan Social Development Organisation (SUDO). SUDO organises meetings with tribal leaders and local authorities to address issues such as human rights and tribal conflicts arising from competition over natural resources.

Read more about the work of SUDO and their peace-building initiatives in the region