Hundreds mark “A Day for Darfur” with White House rally
Africa Action
– Contact: Ann-Louise Colgan (202) 546-7961
“A Day for Darfur”: Hundreds Rally at White House;
Ongoing Genocide Seen as Consequence of Failed Presidential Leadership
Thursday, September 8, 2005 (Washington, DC) – To mark the one-year
anniversary of the Bush Administration’s declaration of genocide in
Darfur, Sudan, hundreds of activists joined leadership figures at a
rally outside the White House today to denounce the continuing failure
of political leadership from President Bush on this crisis. The death
toll in Darfur now stands at more than 400,000 people, with a further
2.5 million people displaced and left homeless as a result of the
ongoing government-sponsored genocide.
Salih Booker, Executive Director of Africa Action, said today, “As
Americans struggle to cope with the President’s failure of leadership on
the domestic front in the horrific aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, we
must also condemn the President’s failure of political leadership on the
international front, where he has failed to act to stop the ongoing
genocide in Darfur, and the death toll continues to mount.”
Speakers and activists at today’s event emphasized the urgent need for
protection for the people of Darfur, and called on President Bush to
take every step necessary to ensure an immediate multinational
intervention to support the African Union and provide security to Darfur.
Ruth Messinger, President of American Jewish World Service, said, “As
Jews who understand the consequences of silence and indifference in the
face of genocide, we must respond to the crisis in Darfur and increase
pressure on the international community to end the violence and
suffering. No-one can stand silently by.”
Rev. Dr. Robert W. Edgar, General Secretary of the National Council of
Churches, said, “It is unacceptable for us to sit idly by as people die.
This is true whether it is in the Deep South or Darfur, Sudan. This
genocide is one of the greatest horrors of our day. We urge people of
conscience everywhere to call on our leaders to take action now before
events force us to one day have to confess our sin of negligence and
complicity.”
Today’s event also saw the release of a petition signed by many tens of
thousands of Americans, calling on the President to act urgently to
provide protection to the people of Darfur. Across the country, citizen
engagement on the crisis in Darfur continues to grow, as Americans raise
their voices to emphasize that genocide cannot be ignored.
Rev. Jim Wallis, Founder an Editor-in-Chief of Sojourners Magazine, said
today, “People of faith are united in their call for bold and immediate
Presidential leadership in order to restore hope and security to the
people of Darfur. Now is the time to put real meaning behind the words
‘never again’.”
Fatima Haroun of the Sudan Peace Advocates Network said today, “The
people of Darfur have suffered more than enough already. It is time for
international action to stop the violence and bring relief and peace to
this troubled region.”
David Rubenstein, Coordinator of the Save Darfur Coalition, said today,
“The Save Darfur Coalition’s 134 member organizations represent more
than 130 million Americans. We call on President Bush – one year after
he recognized the genocide in Darfur – to take decisive and effective
action to end the violence that is brutalizing innocent civilians in
Darfur.”
Today’s event was organized by Africa Action, American Jewish World
Service, Armenian National Committee of America, Evangelical Lutheran
Church of America, Faithful America, Greater Washington Jewish Task
Force on Darfur, NAACP, National Council of Churches, Religious Action
Center of Reform Judaism, Save Darfur Coalition, Sojourners, STAND,
Sudan Peace Advocates Network, TransAfrica Forum, and the United
Methodist Church.