Left Aligned[/LEFT
Dear Mohamed,
President Bush has an opportunity to show the world that he cares about the fate of the people of Darfur. We need your help: Please ask President Bush to show his commitment to working with the United Nations to end the conflict in Darfur in his State of the Union address next Tuesday, January 23.
In particular, we are asking you to urge President Bush to state his absolute opposition to allowing the President of Sudan, Omar al Bashir, to become the leader of the African Union (AU), the organization of African countries. The decision about the A.U. presidency will happen in late January; the leader of Sudan was passed over last year for the position and is making a concerted effort to assume it this time around.
Click here to tell President Bush to keep the pressure on Sudan, by mentioning Darfur and the African Union presidency, in his State of the Union address:
http://action.humanrightsfirst.org/campaign/darfur/8gnwned2r5w6ji8?
As you know, your advocacy can make a real difference – and we ask you to raise your voice when something critical is at stake. Over the last year, we asked you to tell former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan to appoint a Special Envoy for Darfur. And he did – because of our urging and because so many of you echoed the call. This new Envoy, Jan Elliason of Sweden, has embraced Human Rights First’s call for a concerted political and diplomatic effort to secure a lasting peace. He has just returned from Sudan where he met with President Omar el-Bashir and some Darfur rebel leaders.
It is critical to Mr. Eliasson’s work that President Bashir be prevented from heading the African Union. If President Bashir is elected, he would in effect oversee the only civilian protection force now in Darfur – a force that is right now all that stands between the people of Darfur and President Bashir’s mass slaughter. We cannot let this happen.
http://action.humanrightsfirst.org/campaign/darfur/8gnwned2r5w6ji8?
Click here for more information about the new U.N. Envoy Jan Eliasson.
Thank You,
Jill Savitt
Campaigns Director