Africa Action says sanction inadequate, urges more action

Tuesday, May 29, 2007 (Washington, DC) – Acknowledging President Bush’s
ratcheting-up of American sanctions against Sudan for its genocidal role
in Darfur, Africa Action still stresses that this escalation does not go
nearly far enough. In the last days of the U.S. presidency of the
United Nations (UN) Security Council, and on the International Day of UN
Peacekeepers, Africa Action points out that that civilians in Darfur
continue to be threatened by violence and urgently require the
protection afforded by a UN peacekeeping mission.

Last week, the Security Council set forth a plan detailing the proposed
deployment of an African Union (AU)-UN hybrid force of 23,000 personnel,
and today, President Bush announced the implementation of augmented
economic sanctions against Sudan. As these developments emerge, the
organization emphasized that the U.S. must engage a full range of
diplomatic options to move towards immediate deployment.

Nii Akuetteh, Executive Director of Africa Action, said today, “The U.S.
has only days before its presidency of the Security Council ends.
President Bush’s tightened sanctions come late in the game. On this Day
of UN Peacekeepers, we are reminded of the pressing need for UN
peacekeepers in Darfur. The president must take other actions, and
economic sanctions are but one tool. We must couple sanctions with
wide-ranging diplomacy to ensure Sudan’s acceptance of the full
peacekeeping mission. The U.S. must now work in concert with its
international partners to make sure that a strong and effective force
actually deploys.”

May 29th was established as the Day of UN Peacekeepers to honor those
who serve in UN peacekeeping operations and the stability that their
service engenders. Yet, despite the recent stated agreement by the
Sudanese government to allow the entry of 3,000 peacekeepers, this
deployment has been held up, and reports indicate that only 44 UN
military officials have been sent to Darfur. At this rate, the
agreed-upon deployment will take months to complete, according to an AU
official. Africa Action stressed that this process must be expedited.

Africa Action also emphasized that Sudan has not agreed to the
deployment of the completed peacekeeping force, described in the
Security Council’s new plan, and that the delays in securing and
deploying a full peacekeeping mission to Darfur wreak devastating
consequences on the ground.

Africa Action continues to work with groups around the country in
planning “Sprints for Darfur,” events designed to highlight the need for
protection and security on the ground. More information about this
project can be found here: http://www.sprintfordarfur.com/

To demonstrate activists’ concern over the genocide in Darfur, Africa
Action encourages individuals and groups to participate in its ongoing
campaign to collect banners with red handprints. These banners
symbolize the large U.S. constituency pushing for the deployment of a
protection force for Darfur and will be delivered to key
decision-makers. More information can be found here:
http://www.africaaction.org/campaign_new/docs/bannerflyer.pdf.

For more information on Africa Action’s Campaign to Stop Genocide in
Darfur, see here: http://www.africaaction.org/darfur