U.N.: Darfur a wide-open battleground

EL FASHER, Sudan, June 20 (UPI) -- Various criminal and disaffected government groups are jockeying for power in the Sudanese region of Darfur, U.N. officials say.

U.N. officials say in addition to conflicts between militia and government troops, Darfur is home to various semi-organized crime, rebel and estranged government militia groups battling for regional influence, The Washington Post said Friday.

"There's no need of counting anymore," one unidentified U.N. official said of the growing number of Darfur factions.

As the Darfur conflict fragments with the introduction of such new groups, Darfur residents continue to be uprooted. U.N. figures show that in 2008, more than 70,000 people have been forced from their homes.

The Post said increased violence has also left aid programs such as the World Food Program struggling to distribute food supplies throughout the region, one official says.

This is a new dimension for us," Laurent Bukera, the head of the World Food Program's North Darfur Area Office, told the Post. "This week, there's been a carjacking every day -- every day."