The U.N. Security Council and African Union agreed on a 26,000-member peacekeeping force in 2007 to help end the genocide in the Darfur region of western Sudan, but a year later Darfurians are still waiting for help.

After more than five years of fighting, the Sudanese government and Janjaweed militia have killed an estimated 300,000 Darfurians.

Since the beginning of this year, the U.N. reports around 140,000 people have been forced out of their homes, raising the number of displaced people to more than 2.5 million.

Little has been accomplished by activists and world leaders due to oppositions in Khartoum, the Sudanese capital, as well as with Sudan's allies.

The biggest step towards ending this genocide happened in 2007 when Khartoum officials consented to a United Nations-African Union Hybrid Mission in Darfur, known as UNIMAD.

University of Tennessee student and Darfur activist Megan Applewhite remembered her first reaction to the news one year ago.

"I thought it was a major step. At least it was some kind of politically organized ‘something.' It had the backing of incredibly important people. I thought it could make all the difference in the world," said Applewhite.

UNIMAD put together plans for a 26,000 member peacekeeping force to protect, transport and council Darfurian citizens.

This force will be made up of local civilian police and troops sent by participating countries.

However, as of July 2008, only one third of their troops are in place, and UNIMAD lacks even the equipment needed to sustain these.

According to the humanitarian group ENOUGH, many of these troops lack the necessary equipment to sustain themselves or travel far from their bases.

In the latest briefing, they cited need for 22 helicopters, medium and heavy trucks, and more engineers before being able to place any more troops.

The Sudanese government continues to refuse land and flight privileges necessary for the group, and still hasn't accepted the list of countries submitting troops to the peacekeeping assembly.  

Ian Wheat, a Freed-Hardeman University student in Henderson, Tenn. and child of an African missionary family, said he's upset about the lack of action in world governments.

"Besides just being unsettling, it kinda makes me personally angry that there isn't more being done by political powers. There aren't any big, overt moves being done," Wheat said.

He said people need to pressure governments into action.

"Grassroots movements: The seemingly trivial letter writing can really put on a lot of pressure," he said.

Applewhite said that knowledge is the key to action.

"There are plenty of people out there that would care, they just don't know about it," she said.

The U.N. reported that a new peacekeeping mission might not be possible until the end of this year due to Sudanese refusals.