United Nations Security Councils' Response to the Darfur Conflict in the Sudan: An Appraisal

The Darfur conflict that erupted in 2003 triggered a global debate among scholars as to whether or not the United Nations Organization (UN) has been effective in the resolution of conflicts in Africa. From the on-set of the conflict, the UN Security Council voted for a series of resolutions including resolution 1593 to refer the Darfur case file to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for proper clarification on the crimes committed against the Darfur victims. Even though the case was brought before the ICC, human rights violations still continued in the region. The Security Council further engaged in the adoption of resolution 1706 to promote the deployment of military troops for the restoration of peace in Darfur. Despite this commitment, recent findings reveal that, the Council’s efforts have proved to be less successful as the crisis is still sustained. This paper samples some of the resolutions and the views of other scholars on the efficacy of the UN operations in Darfur and the entire region of Africa. In conclusion, the author argues that the UN has not and continues not to be effective in resolving the crisis in Darfur. He proposed restructuring the UN Security Council to meet the needs and interest of the global community. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2014.v5n4p60