Despite claims that the world has become desensitized to violence in Africa, the sheer scale of bloodshed, poverty and human rights violations in Darfur stand out, grasping the attention of the world. The future of the region hangs in the balance as the UN, African Union and the Sudanese government vie to impose their will. Join China.org.cn to gain insight into this hotspot of world news.
Updates More
UNSC urged to suspend ICC indictment of Sudanese leader
China on Thursday urged the UN Security Council to suspend the International Criminal Court (ICC)'s indictment of Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir.
- Mandate of Darfur peacekeeping force renewed
- BBC's accusation "ungrounded"
- Darfur's political process 'should not be disrupted'
- 7 UN-AU peacekeepers killed in Darfur
- China to send rest of engineering team to Darfur
- China 'actively involved' in Darfur reconstruction
- China calls for 'multi-aspect efforts' to solve Darfur issue
China's Effort More
China warns against damaging Darfur peace process
China was greatly concerned by the International Criminal Court's attempts to prosecute Al-Bashir, Vice President Xi Jinping said, while meeting with Awad Ahmed al-Jaz, special envoy of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir in Beijing.
- China's Darfur policy in tune with law, morality
- Chinese follow-up engineering troop arrives in Darfur
- China warns against complication of Darfur issue by ICC move
- China sends follow-up engineering troop to Darfur
- Darfur docu-film 'strongly biased'
- China to continue coordination with Sudan on Darfur issue
- China to send rest of engineering team to Darfur
Annan Peace Plan

Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan put forwarded a three-phase support plan aimed at deploying a combination of African Union (AU) and UN peacekeeping force in the Darfur region. The AU, the United Nations and the Sudanese government agreed on the Annan peace plan in their meeting in Addis Ababa on Nov. 16 last year.

According to the plan, the United Nations would provide military equipments, increase gradually its logistic, technical and human power support for the 7800-strong African peacekeeping force in Darfur until a joint UN-AU force which will have 17,000 troops and 3,000 police officers is formed.

With the first phase of the plan, also known as a "light support package," already underway, Sudan announced on April 16 that it approved the inauguration of the second phase, also known as "the heavy support phase."

The second phase involves the deployment of 3,000 UN troops and six attack helicopters in Darfur to support the 7,800-strong African force, as well as preparation for the next phase, in which a much larger UN force would be sent to the region.