122: hope for peace in Darfur?

News today from gulfnews.com that the Sudanese government has finally agreed to freedom of movement and communications for the UN and African Union peacekeepers in Darfur, thus enabling their full deployment. In addition, the government had previously said they would allow only African forces to participate in UNAMID (the UN-AU Mission in Darfur), but their stance on this appears to be softening. These developments bring a hint of hope at the eleventh hour, following warnings this week that the Chad-Sudan border area is becoming increasingly unstable. The UNAMID deployment may be the last chance to avoid a protracted conflict. For Darfur's refugees, of course, this sign of hope is long overdue...