Senegalese singer plans Darfur protest at Montreux Jazz Festival

July 3, 2007 (GENEVA) — Senegalese singer Youssou N’Dour is organising a march in support of the victims of the conflict in Sudan’s Darfur region on Friday, on the sidelines of the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.

“We get the impression that the conflict in Darfur has been put on the back-burner by those in power,” he told AFP in a telephone interview.

“We have to show that people are outraged at how long it is taking to resolve this conflict that has killed 300,000 people,” he added.

Figures for how many people have died in Darfur are disputed, but the United Nations estimates that 200,000 people have lost their lives since 2003, with a further two million forced to flee their homes.

N’Dour hopes to attract fellow artists due in Montreux such as soul producer Quincy Jones and French singer Diam’s to the march.

The 41st Montreux Jazz Festival will take place from June 6-21 and feature performances by artists as diverse as the Beastie Boys, Norah Jones and Seal.

(AFP)