So as of last night we have a peace plan. Except it's actually nothing more than another declaration of principles. Negotiators in Abuja have placed their signatures on a document and made plenty of self-congratulatory statements in which they agreed to 're-convene' on August 24th to discuss what they actually mean when they say they are making peace.

To those of us who are counting, that's the sixth time in more than two years that the Sudanese government has signed an official agreement promising to protect its citizens from violence. Another neatly bundled package of already broken promises. Unfortunately, it's also another excuse for the international community to pretend that the situation in Darfur is improving. That, yes, peace is clearly on its way.

It's a pity that no one has mentioned this fact to the women who will be raped every day in Darfur between now and the time when someone finally starts taking the words in these declarations seriously.

Tags: Sudan, Darfur, NGO, aid worker, war, peace agreement, rape