Despite the fact that 70,000 Zaghawa civilians were recently attacked by the Sudanese government-sponsored Janjaweed militia in the Mershing and Shearia areas of South Dafur, United States officials claim that the genocide in Sudan is over, the Sudan Tribune reported on February 9. Jendayi Frazer, the assistant secretary of state for African affairs, described the continuing violence in the region as "a series of small attacks and incidents," adding that there is no "large-scale organized violence taking place today," according to the Tribune. The Tribune report suggests that the US stance is an attempt to explain its inaction after declaring that genocide was occurring in 2004. With the United States assuming the UN Security Council chairmanship in February 2006, it can choose not to exercise military force in Darfur if it denies that genocide is still occurring. According to Article I of The UN Convention on Genocide, "Contracting Parties" are required to intervene if genocide is confirmed. The US is a Contracting Party of the UN Convention on Genocide.
