The dispute that is continuing in the western part of Sudan is threatening the stability of the surrounding region. Peace negotiations mediated by the African Union have run into difficulties and there are no signs of an imminent settlement. The United Nations is reportedly considering imposing economic sanctions on Sudan.

According to the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, 30,000 to 50,000 people have been killed in the Darfur region in western Sudan and 200,000 refugees have fled to neighboring Chad. Reports say more than one million persons have been displaced. Observers have suggested that the Sudanese government's army is backing an Arab militia known as the Janjaweed. The actions of this militia against African residents has been described by humanitarian groups and others as "genocide" and "ethnic cleansing."

In July the U.N. Security Council called for the disarming of the Janjaweed and the holding of its leaders, and issued a warning that if the situation did not improve within a month, it might impose economic sanctions. As the deadline approached at the beginning of this month, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan submitted a report to the Security Council saying that the Sudanese government had not fulfilled its obligation of disarming the militia and that attacks on black Africans were continuing.