Fighting has raged in Darfur, in western Sudan, since 2003. Rebel movements demanding a greater share of power and oil resources accuse the Khartoum regime of supporting Janjaweed militias who attack civilians in the region. African Union military forces were sent in to quell the fighting but, lacking manpower and equipment, have proved largely incapable of protecting civilians. Some hope was offered by a May 2006 peace accord between rebels and government representatives - but the agreement has done little to ease insecurity and the humanitarian crisis. Since 2005, the United Nations has maintained that crimes against humanity are being committed in Darfur - and has sought to deploy its peacekeepers. In June 2007, Khartoum appeared to accept the deployment of a joint United Nations - African Union force. In July, the U.N. Security Council approved a plan for 26,000 U.N. and African Union peacekeepers.