Report advocates new international action on Darfur

Dec 14, 2006 (WASHINGTON, DC) – Africa Action today
released a major new report entitled “Leveraging New International
Action on Darfur”, laying out how the U.S. can use strategic diplomacy
to engage key actors on Darfur and break the deadlock over the
deployment of a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping force to protect
civilians. Also today, Africa Action released an open letter to U.S.
Special Envoy to Sudan Andrew Natsios, signed by hundreds of leaders of
religious congregations and denominations from around the country,
demanding that the U.S. redouble its efforts to achieve an international
peacekeeping force that can stop the violence and protect civilians in
Darfur.

The report and the open letter are now available on Africa Action’s
website at http://www.africaaction.org/

Nii Akuetteh, Executive Director of Africa Action, said today, “Africa
Action’s new report and sign-on letter lay out the next steps on Darfur
and urge new action from the U.S. to stop the ongoing genocide. The
report reveals what U.S. foreign policy would look like if Darfur were a
top priority, and calls on the Bush Administration to mobilize its
international relationships to achieve new action on this crisis. The
letter shows the breadth of support across the U.S. for greater
engagement in stopping this crime against humanity, as religious leaders
representing millions of Americans demand protection for Darfur now.”

Africa Action’s new report analyzes the role of key governments, such as
Sudan, China and Russia, and key international bodies, such as the
African Union and the Arab League, in the Darfur crisis, and it explores
how the U.S. can effectively engage them in the pursuit of the
authorized UN peacekeeping force for Darfur. It urges strategic
diplomacy from the U.S. to break the current deadlock and
internationalize the response to the growing crisis in western Sudan.

Ann-Louise Colgan, Director of Policy Analysis & Communications, said
today, “The international community is running out of options on Darfur.
As the situation on the ground continues to deteriorate, it is time for
a new U.S. foreign policy strategy, which leverages U.S. relationships
with key actors to advance the established goal of a UN peacekeeping
force for Darfur. With millions of lives on the line, the Bush
Administration must marshal all of its diplomatic resources now to press
for a resolution to the ongoing genocide and to achieve protection for
civilians and humanitarian operations in Darfur.”

Africa Action’s religious leader letter to Special Envoy Natsios, also
sent to the White House today, calls for a “comprehensive diplomatic
offensive on Darfur from the U.S. to ensure the deployment of a
peacekeeping force that can protect the people of Darfur.” The letter
urges the implementation of Security Council resolution 1706,
authorizing a UN peacekeeping mission for Darfur, and states that the
credibility of the U.S. on Darfur will be judged by the attainment of
this goal.

The letter attracted many hundreds of signatures from prominent
religious leaders across the country, including Bishop Charles E. Blake,
Rabbi David Saperstein, Rev. Dr. James Forbes, Rabbi Marla Feldman,
Rabbi Brant Rosen, Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright, Rabbi Dan Ehrenkrantz,
Rabbi Jerome Epstein, Rev. Tim McDonald and Rabbi Tzvi Hersh.

Marie Clarke Brill, Director of Public Education & Mobilization and
Coordinator of Africa Action’s Religious Action Network, said today, “In
this holiday season, many are putting faith into practice, calling on
the U.S. to take new action to stop the genocide in Darfur. By signing
this letter to Natsios, hundreds of religious leaders across the country
are asserting that nothing short of a UN peacekeeping intervention will
stop the growing violence in Darfur. They are demanding that the Bush
Administration put the people of Darfur above its “war on terror” ties
with Khartoum, and that the U.S. use its power to protect Darfur now.”

For the full list of signatories, as well as the full text of the letter
and the new Africa Action report on Darfur, visit
http://www.africaaction.org/ .

Africa Action’s newly updated “Talking Points on How to Stop Genocide in
Darfur” are now available at
http://www.africaaction.org/newsroom/index.php?type=14. Africa Action
also recently released a new poster called “Faces of the UN”, depicting
UN peacekeeping operations and key decision makers at the UN, and this
is available for download at
http://www.africaaction.org/docs/FacesoftheUN.pdf