Rally for Darfur This Coming Sunday in Vancouver

Join the Canadian Students for Darfur Sunday December 10, International Human Rights Day, at Room 1700 of the Simon Fraser University downtown campus, 515 W. Hastings Street. 3-5pm.

"There will be a power-point presentation on the Darfur crisis, African drumming, a candle-lighting ceremony in solidarity with the victims of rape in Darfur, and a number of speakers including: Darfurians in Vancouver, Survivors of the Holocaust and the Rwandan genocide, Human Rights Activists, Aid workers who have been in Darfur, Women's Rights Advocates, Students, Members of the African Community."

This from today:

NEW YORK -- The conflict in Darfur has spread to two neighboring countries and is now in a "free fall" with 6 million people facing the prospect of going without food or protection, the departing UN humanitarian chief said Tuesday.Jan Egeland, who steps down Dec. 12, said in an interview that one of the biggest problems he faced was convincing countries of the dire situation in the western region of Sudan.

Meanwhile. . .

The United Nations has airlifted its non-essential staff out of El Fasher in north Darfur as tensions between militias and rebel fighters worsen. The UN said that it was prepared to make further evacuations if the risk of fighting between Janjawid militias and rebel fighters grew. It follows a warning from the African Union that rebel groups could attack the capital city within 24 hours.

"The rationale behind the decision is the heightened security concerns we have as a result of the increased presence of the Janjawid in the town of El Fasher and other armed groups in the area," Radhia Achouri, UN spokeswoman in Sudan, told Reuters.