Thousands of campaigners took to the streets in 30 cities across the world in Global Day for Darfur rallies today calling on their governments to support efforts to tackle the crisis in the war-torn region.
More than 200,000 people have died in four years of violence. Another two million are thought to have been displaced since Janjaweed militias - allegedly backed by the Arab-dominated Sudanese government in Khartoum - started reprisals against ethnic African rebels in Darfur.
Khartoum disputes the figures.
A young survivor of the Darfur conflict sits on his father's shoulder during a march in London today
Hopes of a ceasefire were boosted yesterday when the Sudanese president, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, said Khartoum was ready to call a ceasefire when peace talks get under way in the Libyan capital Tripoli on October 27th.
"We hope that the negotiations in Tripoli will be the last ones and that they will bring definitive peace," Mr al-Bashir said.
But Darfur rebels are yet to be convinced by the president's comments.
Khamis Abdallah, head of the United Front for Liberation and Development, said: "When al-Bashir talks about a ceasefire, he's not credible. We are seeing an escalation of military operations, which means he's saying this for political reasons."
Britain and France last month revived the prospect of sanctions against Khartoum if progress is not made on a Darfur ceasefire and at the peace talks. The United States has also threatened wider sanctions.
The UN Security Council has already imposed an arms embargo on rebels and militia but not on the government. The UN is set to meet next Friday to further discuss the crisis.
British prime minister Gordon Brown today promised support for peacekeeping troops in Darfur as demonstrators. Mr Brown said the UK would provide "technical" assistance for a 26,000-strong force and also support for the African nations that contribute manpower.
The hybrid African Union-United Nations mission, consisting of about 20,000 troops and another 6,000 police, is expected to start arriving in the western region of Sudan from next month.