July 10, 2006: How much peace has the May 5 peace agreement brought? Violence in Darfur appears to be increasing. For example, on July 1, there was a "retaliation attack" by militia in North Darfur state for a cattle raid in late June on the town of Tarny. There were also armed "disturbances" in the huge Kalma refugee camp in South Darfur, including the murder of two refugees on June 30. With all this, the Sudan Liberation Army/Movement said that his rebel organization still supported the May 5 peace agreement.
July 9, 2006: The government said that it would act "militarily" to battle rebel groups who still will not sign the Darfur peace agreement. The government also said it will not allow a "recolonization" of Sudan. "Recolonization" is the government's code word for potential UN-sponsorship of the peacekeeping mission in Darfur.
July 6, 2006: The African Union (AU) says that unless Sudan permits a "transition" to UN-sponsorship, the AU plans to end "the mandate of AU forces" (in Darfur) on September 30. This is a huge political step by the AU. Previously, it was believed that the AU mission would continue into December 2006.
July 5, 2006: Six people died in a series of tribal and clan fights in the Rumbek area of south Sudan.
Also in south Sudan-- gunmen attacked a vehicle belonging to a German aid group. The attack took place west of Juba. Five young men riding in the vehicle were killed in the attack and one attacker died. Apparently the attackers were Ugandan rebels belonging to the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA).
July 3, 2006: A faction of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) rebel group in Darfur attacked the town of Hamrat al-Sheik in North Kordofan state. The rebel force arrived on trucks. 12 people died in the fighting around the town, including eight police officers.
July 2, 2006: Sudan once again rejected a UN proposal that the UN assume responsibility for peacekeeping operations in Sudan's Darfur region.
UN officials in Sudan said that the May 5 peace agreement signed by the Sudan government and several rebel factions should be changed. This is a shift in the UN's position. The new UN statement said that the agreement has a "built in" flaw. The statement did not say what the flaw is.