Brookings: Topics - Darfur

Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:46:18 GMT

An African Solution to Internal Displacement: AU Leaders Agree to Landmark Convention

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Decades of armed conflict, natural disasters and climate change, have given rise to sizable populations of internally displaced persons (IDPs) throughout Africa. On October 23, African heads of state and government signed a legally binding convention on internal displacement, which as Andrew Solomon notes, demonstrates their commitment to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of IDPs, to facilitate durable solutions and to ensure that millions of people are no longer excluded from society as a whole.

Mass Displacement Caused by Conflicts and One-Sided Violence

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Massive displacement of people within and across borders has become a defining feature of the post-cold war world. It is also a major feature of human insecurity in which genocide, terrorism, egregious human rights violations and appalling human degradation wreak havoc on civilians. Though there has been a critical shift in thinking at the international level with regards to forced displacement, Cohen and Deng argue that concepts of sovereignty as responsibility and the responsibility to protect remain far ahead of international willingness and capacity to enforce them.

The Impact of Timing of International Criminal Indictments on Peace Processes and Humanitarian Action

Mon, 20 Apr 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Since 2002, the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor has issued four criminal indictments, carefully navigating turbulent national and international political waters. In each case, the timing of the indictments has elicited much controversy, particularly regarding their potential impact on peace agreements or ongoing negotiations. According to Jacqueline Geis and Alex Mundt, at issue is a fundamental debate over whether peace and justice can be pursued simultaneously.

The Scouting Report: Humanitarian Crises in Iraq and Darfur

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:30:00 GMT

Event Information:

March 25, 2009, 12:30 PM to 01:30 PM

Brookings expert Elizabeth Ferris and Senior Politico Editor Fred Barbash took questions about humanitarian issues in Iraq and Darfur as well as the ICC's arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omara Hassan al-Bashir in this week’s edition of the Scouting Report.

Displacement in the Muslim World

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Throughout the Muslim world, millions of people have been forced to flee their homes and communities for many reasons, including both conflicts and natural disasters. This massive displacement of people affects both national development plans and individual human development, affecting relationships between countries, UN Security Council discussions, and peace processes. In short, as Hady Amr and Elizabeth Ferris argue, understanding—and resolving—displacement is central to development, peace, and security.

Durable Solutions for IDPs in Protracted Situations: Three Case Studies

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Though there are important similarities in the impact of prolonged displacement on the lives of IDPs and refugees, there are also significant differences in their situations -- particularly when it comes to solutions. While return is often the desired solution for both IDPs and political actors, Alex Mundt and Elizabeth Ferris argue that local integration and return should not be seen as mutually exclusive alternatives, as they can encourage IDPs to build new lives elsewhere without having to give up the possibility of an eventual return.

Searching for Peace and Justice in Sudan: The Role of the International Criminal Court

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 10:30:00 GMT

Event Information:

September 26, 2008, 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM

On September 26, the Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement will host a discussion of the effect of the possible indictment on peace and justice, and potential impact on humanitarian and peacekeeping operations in Darfur and on the ICC itself.

The Potential Impact of the Indictment of Bashir on Darfur’s Humanitarian Situation

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:00:00 GMT

At first glance, the reaction of humanitarian actors on the ground in Darfur to potential indictments of the Sudanese president Omar Bashir seems pretty obvious. Darfur's 2.5 million internally displaced people, the 4.2 million in need of food assistnace and the 17,000 or so humanitarian workers would make easy targets for an angry Sudanese government. But like everything in Darfur, Elizabeth Ferris explains, the situation is more complicated than it seems at first glance.

Peace in Sudan: Implementing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement

Fri, 27 Jun 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

June 27, 2008, 2:00 PM to 3:30 PM

On June 27, the Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement hosted a discussion with representatives from the Sudanese government; Lynn Fredriksson, Africa advocacy director for Amnesty International USA; and Pamela Fierst, a member of the Sudan policy group at the State Department, to examine Sudan’s 2005 peace agreement and to explore the ways in which it has been successfully implemented and the areas in which challenges still exist.

Internally Displaced Persons in Darfur: Taking Stock

Wed, 07 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Darfur has been on the international agenda for the past four years despite the advocacy campaigns, the growing public awareness, the large and expensive relief operations, and (eventual) Security Council action. Despite these efforts, as Elizabeth Ferris points out, the war is far from over.

'Hard Bargaining' Necessary with Sudan on Darfur Peacekeeping Force

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Despite the UN resolution creating an international peacekeeping force for Darfur with 26,000 troops, the force has been unable to fully deploy into the region. Brookings expert Roberta Cohen discusses the difficulties surrounding the deployment with Stephanie Hanson of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Protecting Darfur’s Internally Displaced

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 14:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

February 05, 2008, 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Gonzalo Vargas-Llosa, a senior policy adviser from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, participated in a discussion on the current realities in Darfur. He was joined by experts Colin Thomas-Jensen, a policy adviser with the ENOUGH Project, and Paul Miller, Africa adviser with Catholic Relief Services. Elizabeth Ferris, senior fellow and co-director of the Brookings-Bern Project on Internal Displacement, moderated the discussion.

Darfur Debated

Sat, 01 Dec 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Debates within the human rights and humanitarian communities have centered on the numbers who have died in Darfur, the use of the term genocide, the efficacy of military versus political solutions and the extent to which human rights advocacy can undermine humanitarian programs on the ground.

Will Security Council Resolution 1769 Make a Difference in Darfur?

Thu, 09 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Commentary by Roberta Cohen (8/9/07)

The Fact and Fiction of Sino-African Energy Relations

Fri, 01 Jun 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Policy-makers and experts in America and Europe are increasingly concerned about the growing role of China’s oil companies in Africa. Erica Downs contends that Chinese oil companies are not trying to “lock up” Africa’s oil to meet China’s own needs for energy.

Legal Protection for the Displaced People of Darfur and Chad

Thu, 15 Mar 2007 00:00:00 GMT

Statement by Roberta Cohen at Harvard University's Committee on Human Rights Studies (3/15/07)

Assessing the Situation in Darfur

Mon, 11 Dec 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Interview with Roberta Cohen, Radio Times (12/11/06)

Expanded AU Force in Darfur Not a Permanent Solution

Tue, 10 Oct 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Interview with Roberta Cohen, Council on Foreign Relations (10/10/06)

The Responsibility to Protect: The Case of Sudan

Fri, 29 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Over the past decade, peacekeeping forces have been increasingly called upon to play critical protection roles in humanitarian emergencies around the world. They are no longer confined to the traditional role of monitoring ceasefires between nations but are thrust into the midst of civil wars and called upon to protect civilian populations, among them IDPs.

How Oil Fuels Sino-U.S. Fires

Mon, 04 Sep 2006 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Erica S. Downs, BusinessWeek (9/4/06)

Last Stand in Sudan?

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT

The African Union has been struggling in Darfur to alleviate what has been called the world's "worst humanitarian disaster." Brookings expert Roberta Cohen and William G. O'Neill argue that the efforts aimed at protecting the 3.5 million people considered by the UN to be at risk--half the population of Darfur--has become a test case for African peacekeeping.

No Quick Fix for Darfur

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 00:00:00 GMT

On May 5th, one of Darfur's main rebel groups signed an agreement with the government of Sudan following African Union mediation efforts backed by the U.S. and European governments. But it is questionable whether the Abuja accord will protect the people of western Sudan from genocidal acts of war by their own government and the Arab militias (the Janjaweed) it supports.

African Renaissance: Towards a New Sudan

Tue, 01 Nov 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Sudan is a nation whose identity has been divisively distorted but which is now striving to rediscover itself, albeit in a tragically violent way. The silver lining, Francis Deng argues, is that a more constructive search for an identity framework around which Sudanese could unite may be within reach.

The International Response to Darfur

Thu, 26 May 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Article by Roberta Cohen, Forced Migration Review (May 2005)

Darfur, War Crimes, the International Criminal Court, and the Quest for Justice

Fri, 25 Feb 2005 10:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

February 25, 2005, 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM

A Judicial Issues Forum discussion among leading experts on the calamity in Darfur and the international community's failure to empower a suitable war crimes tribunal. The session reviewed the gravity of the situation in Sudan, the controversy over efforts to grant jurisdiction to the International Criminal Court, and the limited potential of other options—such as turning to the Rwanda genocide tribunal in Arusha, Tanzania, as an alternative.

Global Effort Is Needed in Darfur

Sun, 06 Feb 2005 00:00:00 GMT

More than 300,000 people have died in Darfur from starvation, disease and violence during the past two years. Brookings expert Roberta Cohen asks how many more deaths will be tolerated before the international community will act.

The Darfur Crisis in Context

Sat, 01 Jan 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Francis Deng argues that the rebellion in Darfur cannot be viewed in isolation from events elsewhere in Sudan.

Calling on China: The China-Darfur Connection

Thu, 05 Aug 2004 00:00:00 GMT

Roberta Cohen argues that the United States should press France to act on Darfur, as a July 25 editorial advocated, but it also should seek action from China.

Sudanese Killings Must be Stopped

Fri, 21 May 2004 00:00:00 GMT

What is being called the world's greatest humanitarian disaster today is occurring in Sudan, 10 years after the genocide in nearby Rwanda. Arab militias (the "Janjaweed"), backed by the Sudanese government, are carrying out deliberate mass murders, deportations, rapes, and abductions of black Africans, belonging to the Fur, Massaalit, and Zaghawa farming communities, in the western province of Darfur. Roberta Cohen argues that, as in Rwanda before, the international community still has no effective means of stopping the violence.

A Call for Urgent Action on the Displacement Crisis in the Darfur Region of the Sudan

Mon, 01 Dec 2003 00:00:00 GMT

Statement by Francis M. Deng (December 2003)

Nowhere To Run, No Place To Hide

Fri, 01 Nov 2002 00:00:00 GMT

When conflicts start, some people are lucky enough or have the means to cross into another country, becoming part of the worldwide refugee population and receiving help from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. However, those who do not cross a border receive no such assistance and remain the responsibility of their national government. A government, that as Roberta Cohen points out, could be the cause of the displacement or ambivalent toward it.