Gunmen kidnap Frenchman working for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Darfur

August 29th, 2009 Darfur peacekeepers say 2 civilians kidnappedKHARTOUM, Sudan — An armed group kidnapped two foreign civilians working for the U.N.-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur on Saturday, a spokesman for the peacekeepers said. The peacekeeping mission has made contact with the kidnappers, who took the two civilians at about 4:30 a.m.

July 14th, 2009 Sudan criticizes Obama for calling Darfur genocideKHARTOUM, Sudan — Sudan's government has criticized President Barack Obama for calling the conflict in Darfur a "genocide." Obama made the comment in a speech over the weekend in the African nation of Ghana. There has been a long-running debate over whether to characterize the conflict between Sudan's Arab-led government and ethnic African rebels in Darfur as a genocide.

July 12th, 2009 A look at major Abu Sayyaf kidnappingsA look at major kidnappings in the southern Philippines attributed to the al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf and other armed groups. Abu Sayyaf gunmen on Sunday freed the last of three international Red Cross workers they kidnapped last Jan.

July 12th, 2009 Sudan: Kidnapped aid workers in good healthKHARTOUM, Sudan — Two foreign aid workers kidnapped by gunmen in Sudan's restive Darfur region are in good health and have been allowed to speak to their relatives, a government official said Sunday. Sudan's state minister for humanitarian affairs, Abdel-Baqi Jailani, said efforts to free the hostages were progressing.

July 9th, 2009 Kidnappers in Sudan seek ransom for 2 aid workersKHARTOUM, Sudan — Sudan is negotiating with the kidnappers of two Darfur aid workers for their safe release, preferably without paying the demanded ransom, Sudanese officials said Thursday. Six gunmen snatched an Irish woman and her Ugandan colleague from their compound in the northern Darfur region of Kutum last week.

July 4th, 2009 Ireland seeks release of Darfur aid workersDUBLIN, Ireland — The head of an Irish humanitarian aid agency appealed Saturday for the release of two of its employees kidnapped in Darfur. John O'Shea, chief executive of GOAL, said the group had not heard from the abductors of Irishwoman Sharon Commins, 32, and her Ugandan colleague, Hilda Kuwuki, 42.

June 1st, 2009 DARFUR - A human rights charity survey has found that one in three women fleeing from the civil war hit region of Darfur in Sudan risk being rape victims. The US-based, Physicians For Human Rights, interviewed 88 women who had fled from Darfur and came to a conclusion that rape against women was widespread, Sky News reports.

May 31st, 2009 Doctors group: Rape is common against Darfur womenNEW YORK — A survey of dozens of women who fled violence in Darfur found that a third of them reported or showed signs of rape, and revealed a widespread fear of sexual violence in their refugee camp in Chad, a human rights group reported Sunday. About half the rapes were carried out in Darfur by janjaweed militiamen allied to the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum, and half were assaults by Chadian villagers near the U.N.

May 8th, 2009 Sudan: American aid groups considered for DarfurKHARTOUM, Sudan — The Sudanese government said Thursday that it would consider applications from American aid organizations to replace more than a dozen groups that were expelled from Darfur earlier this year. Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir expelled 13 international aid groups and three local ones in March after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for him on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.

May 8th, 2009 Gunmen kill Darfur peacekeeper during carjackingCAIRO — Gunmen shot and killed an unarmed peacekeeper outside his home in Sudan's war-ravaged Darfur region, the spokesman for the joint U.N.-African Union mission said Friday. The military observer, whose nationality and name were not released, was the 15th peacekeeper killed in Darfur since the mission began in January 2008 and the second since an international court issued an arrest warrant for Sudan's president for alleged war crimes in the remote western region.

April 27th, 2009 5 US lawmakers, others arrested at Darfur protestWASHINGTON — Five members of Congress have been arrested while protesting the expulsion of aid groups from Darfur in front of the Sudanese Embassy in Washington. They were among eight people led away in handcuffs Monday after crossing a police line.

April 27th, 2009 UN envoy: Darfur now 'a low-intensity conflict'UNITED NATIONS — The war in Darfur is now a "a low-intensity conflict" with 150 deaths a month, down from the intense fighting that killed tens of thousands when it began, the peacekeeping chief in the Sudanese region said Monday. But he warned the U.N.

April 27th, 2009 2 US lawmakers, others arrested at Darfur protestWASHINGTON — Eight activists protesting the expulsion of aid groups in Darfur have been arrested in front of the Sudanese Embassy in Washington. Humanitarian leaders and U.S.

April 22nd, 2009 Darfur genocide inspires actress hunger strikeLOS ANGELES — Mia Farrow plans to begin a hunger strike next week in solidarity with the people of Darfur. The 64-year-old actress and humanitarian says she will begin a "fast of only water" on Monday "as a personal expression of outrage at a world that is somehow able to stand by and watch innocent men, women and children needlessly die of starvation, thirst and disease." Farrow was moved to begin the hunger strike after the Sudanese government expelled international aid agencies from the country last month.

April 21st, 2009 UN chief says over 1 million at risk in DarfurUNITED NATIONS — The United Nations chief warned Tuesday that Sudan's expulsion of 16 aid groups from Darfur has put the lives of more than 1 million people at risk and increased the potential for instability in the region. In a report to the U.N.