OneWorld.net (U.S.)

NEW YORK, Sep 18 (OneWorld) - Human rights and peace activists in many parts of the world took to the streets Sunday protesting the international community's failure to stop the ongoing bloody ethnic conflict in Sudan's Darfur region.

In addition to organizing events in dozens of cities and towns across the world, activist communities also held prayers and protest meetings in New York, Toronto, London, Berlin, Paris, Cairo, Hong Kong, Seoul, and Rio de Janeiro.

Condemning the Sudanese government for its partisan role in the conflict, protesters demanded that Khartoum immediately accept the United Nations decision to deploy an international force in Darfur, where innocent civilians continue to suffer from death and displacement.

In a resolution adopted early this month, the 15-member Security Council agreed to send more than 17,000 international peacekeepers to the region, but fierce opposition from Khartoum has left the plan's implementation in doubt.

The resolution, which was not endorsed by Russia, China, or Qatar, cannot be applied unless Khartoum nods its approval because it requires the "consent" of the Sudanese government for the deployment of the UN force.

In rejecting the UN resolution, the Sudanese argued that they could address the issue of civilian protection by using their own military might in the region.

But critics, including some senior UN officials, strongly doubt the Sudanese government could enforce peace while its military continues to bomb civilian areas in Darfur.

Reports from the region claim scores of people have died and some 50,000 displaced as a result of aerial attacks on villages by the Sudanese military since May when a peace agreement was reached between Khartoum and one of the main rebel groups.

For its part, the Khartoum government has repeatedly denied the incidents of bombings and has described such reports as "exaggerations."

However, senior UN officials and relief organizations active in the region say there has been no let up in military atrocities against civilians population since the signing of the peace agreement and that thousands continue to flee their homes every day.

"The situation on the ground is serious, is desperate," Kofi Annan, the UN secretary general, told OneWorld last week. In response to Khartoum's assertion that it can handle the situation on its own, Annan added, "If the government had been able to do it itself, I don't think we would be having this debate."

Annan said that in recent days he worked with "quite a few governments" to try to get Khartoum to show "some flexibility," but acknowledged that his efforts "have so far not been successful."

Currently, about 7,000 African Union (AU) troops are stationed in Darfur, the only force that is providing security to the civilian population to some degree, but their mandate is due to expire by the end of this month.

Since its deployment, the AU force has repeatedly complained about the lack of adequate funding and equipment. Groups involved in humanitarian operations fear that the departure of AU troops would lead to further bloodshed and violence.

"The situation is deteriorating with each passing day," said Ken Bacon, president of Refugees International, a U.S.-based humanitarian organization, in a statement urging the African Union Peace and Security Council to extend the mandate of its force in Darfur until UN troops can be deployed.

Bacon, who has visited the region several times, said the United States and the international community must ensure that the AU has the funds it needs to do its job.

"As a start, the U.S. Congress should pass current legislation that provides an additional $20 million to support the AU force," he added in a statement.

Other human rights groups have repeatedly called for the international community to impose sanctions against senior Khartoum officials who are blocking peace efforts. Annan and other UN officials have also endorsed such calls, but such a move is unlikely to materialize unless all Security Council members reach a consensus.

In the past diplomats from Russia and China have expressed their reservations about sanctions and many believe that both the veto-wielding powers are still opposed to adopting such measures.

"The only thing at this moment we can do is to keep the African Union alive," a UN official close to Annan told OneWorld. "That's the only game in town."

The African Union is due to discuss the future of the AU force Monday, when many of its leaders attend the UN General Assembly meeting at the world body's headquarters in New York.

Sudanese government officials have reportedly indicated they may allow AU troops to remain in the country past their September 30 departure deadline to buy time until a more permanent solution can be negotiated if the mission recieves increased support from the international community.

Sunday's "Global Day for Darfur" events were organized by the Save Darfur Coalition, an umbrella group representing more than 30 major groups working for peace, human rights, and justice throughout the world.

The New York City crowd, which was estimated between 20,000 and 30,000, called on United States officials to use their country's diplomatic muscle to press Khartoum to accept the UN peacekeeping force.