New US Action Needed on Darfur

April 6, 2007 (WASHINGTON, DC) — On the anniversary of the
beginning of the Rwandan genocide, Africa Action today urged new action
from the U.S. and the international community to protect civilians and
humanitarian operations in Darfur, Sudan. As the U.S. prepares to assume
the presidency of the United Nations (UN) Security Council next month,
Africa Action emphasized the urgent need to implement Resolution 1706,
which authorized a robust UN peacekeeping force for Darfur and which
Khartoum has blocked for the past seven months.

While reports indicate that the U.S. may soon announce new sanctions
against the Sudanese government, in an effort to achieve its compliance
with the deployment of the authorized UN force to Darfur, Africa Action
emphasizes that the U.S. response to this genocide remains unacceptably
slow and ineffective. The organization notes that it has been months
since U.S. Special Envoy Andrew Natsios first mentioned a “Plan B”, the
details of which remain vague, and that no new U.S. actions have been
launched to break the ongoing deadlock on Darfur.

Nii Akuetteh, Executive Director of Africa Action, said today, “The
government of Sudan continues to get away with genocide in Darfur. The
anticipated announcement of new U.S. sanctions against Khartoum
represents a belated and insufficient response to what’s happening in
Darfur. The U.S. must immediately engage the Security Council and the
broader international community in an urgent and concerted effort to
overcome Sudan’s obstructionism and advance the goal of a UN
peacekeeping force for Darfur.”

Africa Action expresses deep concern at the killing of 5 African Union
(AU) peacekeepers in Darfur last weekend. This week’s request from the
AU for greater logistical assistance and more weapons comes in the
aftermath of that attack, which highlighted the vulnerability of the
small AU force, and the urgent need for a larger international
intervention to reinforce the AU, protect civilians on the ground and
restore stability to the region.

Ann-Louise Colgan, Director of Policy Analysis & Communications at
Africa Action, said today, “In the seven months since the UN Security
Council authorized a UN force to supplement the AU in Darfur, the
genocide has continued and Sudan has blocked the deployment of UN
peacekeepers. The U.S. must assert leadership within the UN to ensure
that Resolution 1706 is pursued in order to reinforce the AU mission,
protect the people of Darfur, and create conditions conducive to a
constructive peace process.”

Africa Action’s recent report, “Six Months since 1706: The International
Failure to Protect Darfur”, is available at:
http://www.africaaction.org/resources/page.php?op=read&documentid=2307&type=6&issues=1024

Marie Clarke Brill, Director of Public Education & Mobilization at
Africa Action, said today, “As we mark the anniversary of the Rwandan
genocide, people around the country are remembering Rwanda by taking
action to defend Darfur. Pressure is building on the U.S. to use the
opportunity of its presidency of the UN Security Council to achieve new
international action to protect the people in Darfur. The grassroots
movement to stop the genocide in Darfur has been emboldened by previous
“impossible” victories, and continues to demand new U.S. action to
achieve the deployment of a UN force to Darfur.”

Africa Action’s new factsheet, “Impossible Victories: Changing U.S.
Policy on Darfur, Sudan” is now available at:
http://www.africaaction.org/resources/docs/impossiblevictories.pdf

Africa Action welcomes the recent statement by the All Africa Conference
of Churches on the human rights situation in Darfur. This statement,
released on March 22, expressed the “duty and responsibility” of church
leaders “to speak out against atrocities no matter who the perpetrator
is”, and it asserted the responsibility to protect the people of Darfur
against injustice.

Africa Action’s Religious Action Network (RAN) and Student Network
(AASN) continue to engage in efforts to motivate new U.S. action to stop
the genocide in Darfur. This week, Africa Action held a “Sprint for
Darfur” in Atlanta, GA, and other sprints are being held around the
country in the coming weeks and months. For more information, please see
http://www.sprintfordarfur.org/

Africa Action is also working with communities across the country to
plan events in the last week of April, to leverage pressure on the U.S.
to use the opportunity of its Presidency of the UN Security Council in
May to take new action to protect the people of Darfur. For more
analysis on Darfur and for information on Africa Action’s activities,
see http://www.africaaction.org/darfur