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From the AFP:

The United Nations said Wednesday that the Sudanese government is “severely” restricting movements by peacekeepers in Darfur where fresh clashes have broken out and peace talks are deadlocked.

The Khartoum authorities are also holding up hundreds of visa applications for military, police and civilian personnel for the UN mission in Darfur, UNAMID, peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous told a UN Security Council meeting on the Sudanese region where there has been conflict since 2003.

Clashes between government forces and rebel groups have increased in various parts of Darfur since December.

“The marked increase in maneuvers and clashes between government and movement forces in recent weeks was accompanied by a sharp increase in restrictions of movement imposed on UNAMID by government authorities,” Ladsous told UN ambassadors.

This included restrictions on flights and patrols in areas where clashes were reported, the peacekeeping chief added.

“The denials of access have severely impeded UNAMID’s ability to implement its mandate and resupply team sites in affected areas,” Ladsous said, adding that repeated demands had been made to the Khartoum government to get promised “unhindered” access throughout Darfur.