The United Nations considers the Darfur conflict to be one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

It began in 2003 when a rebel group began attacking Government of Sudan targets, claiming that Khartoum was neglecting the region. There had been tension in Darfur for many years over land and grazing rights, as the Sahara desert advanced slowly southwards.

The tension was between the mostly nomadic Arabs and the African ethnic groups. The conflict has seen clashes between the Government of Sudan and two rebel groups, the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/A) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM).

Some 2.1 million people are believed to have left their homes, and up to 70,000 have been killed. Most of those who have fled are in camps in Darfur ’s main towns, but about 200,000 have fled to neighbouring Chad and others are camped along the border between the two countries.

On 3 July 2004, the Government of the Sudan and the United Nations signed a Joint Communiqué on the occasion of the visit of the UN Secretary-General to Sudan (that visit was held between 29 June-3 July 2004).

The Joint Communiqué identified the commitments of the Government of the Sudan to resolve the Darfur crisis. It also contained the United Nations’ commitment to assist in this matter.

In the Joint Communiqué, the two parties agreed to form a high level Joint Implementation Mechanism (JIM). The mandate of the JIM is to closely follow and appraise developments and periodically report on the progress in the implementation of the Joint Communiqué.

The JIM is co-chaired by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, for the Government of the Sudan , and by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for the Sudan , for the United Nations and its partners.

There is an ongoing political process on Darfur, aimed at finding a peaceful solution to the fighting. The process is led by the African Union, and yielded positive results in November 2004, with the signing of Humanitarian and Security Protocols between the Government and the SLM/A and JEM.

More recently, the parties to the talks concluded a Declaration of Principles (DoP) on 5 July 2005 in Abuja, Nigeria, intended to provide a political framework for the next round of talks scheduled to resume in Abuja on 24 August.

The DoP makes provision for the convening of a Darfur-Darfur dialogue following the signing of an agreement on Darfur, to discuss longer-term issues affecting the region. The dialogue itself is expected to major civil society organisations and other unarmed opposition groups, who are not participating in the current talks.

It is hoped that the negotiations beginning 24 August between the Government and the SLM/A and JEM, set to discuss wealth- and power-sharing and security arrangements, will be the final before the signing of a comprehensive agreement by the end of 2005.

Based on Resolution 1556 (2004) of the Security Council, dated 30 July 2004 , and Resolution 1564 (2004), dated 18 September 2004 , the UN Mission in Sudan supports the Secretary-General and the SRSG in:

• Preparing the monthly reports submitted to the Security Council at its request on the progress or lack thereof by the Government of the Sudan in complying with the Council’s demands;
• Working closely with the Government of the Sudan in supporting independent investigation of violations of human rights and international humanitarian law
• Preparing for the incorporation into UNMIS contingency planning for the Darfur region;
• Assisting the African Union with planning and assessments for its mission in Darfur;
• Preparing, in accordance with the Joint Communiqué, to support the implementation of a future agreement in Darfur in close cooperation with the African Union and preparing reports on progress on this matter.

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