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Sudan: Amos describes ‘desperate conditions’ for 300,000 displaced in Darfur
Last week, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos visited Sudan’s eastern region of Darfur to draw attention to the recent escalation in violence and conflict, which has forced 300,000 people to leave their homes since the beginning of the year. Amos reported the “desperate conditions” she witnessed in Zam Zam camp for internally displaced people (IDPs) in North Darfur, amplifying other claims of dire security, food and health conditions in these camps due to reduced humanitarian access and lack of funding.
Of those newly displaced, at least 276,000 were previously displaced within the last five months. This is three times the total number IDMC reported of people newly displaced in all of 2012, and more than the combined total number of people newly displaced in 2011 and 2012. They fled increased intertribal fighting as well intensified armed conflict between government forces and armed opposition groups.
With the armed groups in Darfur recently forming a coalition with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states, the on-going violence and displacement in these three regions highlights the need for a comprehensive rather than piecemeal solution to effectively end the conflict in Sudan.
For more information, see IDMC’s country page on Sudan.
DRC: Thousands flee from renewed fighting as Ban Ki-Moon prepares a visit
Renewed fighting between government forces and the armed group M23 broke out last week near the city of Goma, in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Thousands of local residents and IDPs displaced as a consequence of the previous violence in November 2012 have now been forced to flee again, taking refuge in schools and churches or in Sake, 25 kilometres west of Goma.
The Mugunga III IDP camp on the outskirts of Goma was caught in the crossfire, threatening the security and lives of some 13,000 IDPs. Concerned with their safety, the majority of residents fled the camp in the first few days of the conflict.
On Wednesday, M23 agreed to a ceasefire to facilitate a visit from United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, who was there to mark the upcoming deployment of the new intervention brigade of the UN Mission in DRC (MONUSCO). The MONUSCO force’s mandate has been expanded to include enforcing peace and protecting civilians, as part of a wider regional framework agreement for peace. While this signals an important first step, a genuine peace process that addresses the roots of the conflict is needed if the 2.6 million IDPs in eastern DRC are to find long-term solutions.
For more information, see IDMC’s country page on DRC.
Colombia: Critical milestone in FARC peace process signals joint commitment on land restitution to IDPs
On 26 May the Colombian government and the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) signed an agreement on land issues, marking a critical milestone in the on-going peace process. A joint press release highlighted that the accord promotes the return of stolen land to IDPs. While the government has already undertaken land restitution processes, such as those stated in the 2011 Victims’ Law, they have faced numerous challenges.
Land reform is one of five agenda items that the negotiating parties agreed to address, alongside political participation, illicit drugs, decommissioning weapons and victims’ rights. The government of Colombia reiterated that the entry into force of the agreement on land issues is conditional; its implementation depends on reaching agreements on the remaining four issues.
Land restitution is particularly important for displaced indigenous people and Afro-Colombians, who have a special attachment to their land. According to OCHA, they represented 37 per cent and 13 per cent, respectively, of victims of mass displacement episodes in 2012, and further make up three and ten per cent of the country’s population.
For more information, see IDMC’s country page on Colombia.