US memorial events for Holocaust coincide with Darfur activism

April 24, 2009 (WASHINGTON) — Darfur activists in the United States of America sent an open letter to President Barack Obama in recognition of the Holocaust Days of Remembrance and expressing concern about the US administration’s “lack of action to end the Darfur genocide and bring peace to Sudan.”

The letter coincides with Obama’s keynote address at the US Holocaust Memorial Museum Annual Days of Remembrance Ceremony. This year’s theme is “Never Again: What You Do Matters.”

In his speech at the event on Thursday, Obama mourned the loss of many lives during the Nazi Holocaust, and noted his commitment to “prevent and end atrocities like those that took place in Rwanda, those taking place in Darfur.”

The letter recommends that the Obama administration use diplomacy to restore full humanitarian aid to Darfur, where the government in March evicted the major aid organizations.

The influence and effectiveness of the Save Darfur movement is debated. “Save the occasional embarrassment such as over the visit of Gen. Salah Gosh to the CIA, the Darfur movement has been notably unthreatening to the U.S. political establishment,” today wrote Alex De Waal, a British commentator on the region.

But a member of Save Darfur noted recently his belief that the movement had made a real difference. Referring to nearly categorical US opposition beginning last year to a suspension of the ICC arrest warrant against Sudanese President Omer Al-Bashir — a move supported “unconditionally” by De Waal, contrary to the position of Save Darfur — he disclosed that the movement’s leader Jerry Fowler had been meeting regularly with then-Special Envoy Richard Williamson, and thus may have influenced the stance taken by even the previous administration.

Although the activists’ work has elicited praise from the current administration, it has not prevented a public rapprochement between the US government and the Government of Sudan.

Maj. Gen. Scott Gration, Obama’s own envoy to Sudan, has said that chances were “not very high” that the expelled aid workers would return. He is also reported to have discussed the possibility of normalizing the Sudan-US relationship, an approach tried and then months later rejected by the previous envoy.

The activists’ letter to Obama states, “You, Vice President Biden, Secretary of State Clinton, Ambassador Rice, and other members of your Administration acknowledged before your election that a very different approach was necessary to end the Darfur genocide. Notably, in April 2008, in response to the reports of Bush Administration offers of normalization talks to the GoS, you stated, ‘This reckless and cynical initiative would reward a regime in Khartoum that has a record of failing to live up to its commitments.’ Your remarks gave hope to Darfuris that as President you would take decisive action.”

The letter concludes, “We respectfully request that you make it a top personal priority to escalate US action and leadership to do whatever it takes to bring peace and protection to Darfur. Never has it been more true for Darfur and for all of Sudan that ‘what you do matters.’ ”

Representatives of the following organizations signed the letter: Americans Against the Darfur Genocide, Armenian Assembly of America, Armenian National Committee of America, Be Their Messenger, Buddhist Peace Fellowship, A Colorado Coalition for Genocide Awareness and Action, Darfur Alert Coalition, Darfur and Beyond, Darfur Leaders Network, Darfur People’s Association of New York, Darfur Rehabilitation Project, Darfur Women Action Group; Dear Sudan, Love Marin; Defend Darfur Dallas, Fur Cultural Revival, Genocide No More–Save Darfur, Idaho Darfur Coalition, Humanity United, Investors Against Genocide, Jewish World Watch, Kentuckiana Interfaith Taskforce On Darfur, Keokuk for Darfur, Kol Shalom Community for Humanistic Judaism, Lane County Darfur Coalition, Massachusetts Coalition to Save Darfur, Michigan Darfur Coalition, New York City Coalition for Darfur, People’s Union of Darfur, Phoenix Save Darfur, San Antonio Interfaith Darfur Coalition, San Francisco Bay Area Darfur Coalition, Save Darfur Washington State, Stanford University STAND, Stop Genocide Now, Sudan Unlimited, The Lost Boys and Girls of Sudan: The National Network, Use Your Voice to Save Darfur RI, Westchester Darfur Coalition, and World Relief Organization.

(ST)