Africa Action welcomes momentum towards UN action on Darfur

AFRICA ACTION

– Contact: Ann-Louise Colgan (202) 546-7961

Jan 19, 2006 (WASHINGTON, DC) — Africa Action today
welcomed the recent momentum towards a United Nations (UN) intervention
to stop the ongoing genocide in Darfur, Sudan. But the organization
emphasized the need for the international community to move beyond
rhetoric to action, and urged the U.S. to introduce a new UN Security
Council resolution that would accomplish such an intervention in Darfur.

Recent remarks by senior U.S. and UN officials, as well as by
representatives of the African Union (AU) indicate a growing consensus
on the need for a UN intervention to stop the violence in Darfur. On
Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that the U.S.
supports a UN mission in Darfur. Last week, UN Secretary-General Kofi
Annan noted the need for an expanded force to be deployed to the region
to stop the bloodshed. Also last week, in the face of increasing
financial constraints, the African Union expressed willingness to hand
its mission in Darfur over to the UN. This option will be further
discussed at the African Union Summit in Khartoum next week.

Ann-Louise Colgan, Director of Policy Analysis & Communications at
Africa Action, said today, “Momentum is building for new UN action to
address the deteriorating situation in Darfur. A UN intervention can
provide critical support to the African Union, and can ensure protection
for civilians and humanitarian operations in Darfur. Precedents in
Liberia and Sierra Leone show how a UN peacekeeping mission can
successfully reinforce the efforts of African regional bodies, which
intervened as ?first responders’, and this is what the Security Council
should pursue in Darfur as a matter of the greatest urgency.”

Ahead of next month’s U.S. presidency of the UN Security Council, Africa
Action is calling on the U.S. to introduce a resolution that would (1)
“re-hat” the African Union (AU) mission in Darfur as a UN operation,
granting it a strong civilian protection mandate from the international
community, and (2) authorize an international force to be deployed to
the region as soon as possible. Africa Action notes that an
international intervention in Darfur is critical not only to protect
civilians and humanitarian operations, but also to create the conditions
for the successful conclusion of a peace agreement between the
government of Sudan and rebel groups in Darfur.

Marie Clarke Brill, Director of Public Education & Mobilization at
Africa Action, said today, “In order for a UN intervention to be
authorized by the Security Council, there must be leadership from a
powerful nation with the political will and the resources to galvanize
international support for this mission. This leadership must come from
the U.S., which is the only government to have publicly recognized that
genocide is taking place in Darfur. February is the moment for U.S.
action to save the lives of millions of vulnerable people in Darfur.”

Yesterday, Africa Action’s “National Call-In Day” to the State
Department generated hundreds of calls to the Secretary of State, urging
U.S. leadership at the UN Security Council in support of an
international intervention to stop the genocide in Darfur. Africa Action
is planning a major mobilization at the White House on February 2nd to
highlight the unique opportunity the U.S. will possess in February to
preside over the passage of a new Security Council resolution
authorizing a UN peacekeeping mission in Darfur.

Africa Action’s statement on “How the UN Can Stop Genocide in Darfur” is available at
http://www.africaaction.org/newsroom/docs/DarfurStatement1205.pdf