ME and Ophelia

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3,000 AU TROOPS MAY HELP DISARMAMENT
Aid workers targeted by militia

Ethan's latest post points to an excellent interview with International Crisis Group's John Prendergast, who visited rebel-held areas of Darfur recently along with Harvard's Samantha Power.

Ethan says Prendergast explains why he thinks the international community hasn't yet been moved to intervene in Darfur.
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Aid workers helping refugees in Darfur are being targeted by local militiamen

A report out today says WFP had been distributing food to around 10,000 displaced people and locals in the town of Thur but the aid operation was suspended at the end of July after an attack by militiamen.

WFP said it was continuing to distribute food by road to people uprooted by attacks on their villages but attacks against them are constant.

African Union sending more troops, may help disarmament

Also, report says: "African Union (AU) plans to beef up its troop numbers from 2,000 to 3,000 soldiers and may help disarm marauding militias, AU officials and U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan said.

The AU plan, which would have the security body search for another 1,000 soldiers in a clear expansion of their original mandate to protect observers, awaits the signature of its current head, South African President Thabo Mbeki. The AU is now seeking to "protect the recruitment camps where the rebels and the groups are to be disarmed," Annan said. "I expect their mere presence on the ground would also have a positive impact and dissuade further attacks by Janjaweed and outlaw groups."

The U.N. Security Council has given Sudan until the end of August to disarm and proscecute the Janjaweed or face unspecified sanctions. Against that backdrop, Cue said any major influx of refugees into Chad could disrupt efforts to improve conditions in existing camps and to move some camps away from the border."