AFRICAN CIVIL SOCIETY CALLS ON UN SECURITY COUNCIL TO ENSURE PROTECTION AND
JUSTICE FOR DARFUR

(New York, March 11, 2005) The Darfur Consortium, an umbrella group of
primarily Africa-based civil society organizations, today called on the UN
Security Council to take decisive action to address the ongoing humanitarian
and human rights crisis in Darfur.

The Darfur Consortium brings together African civil society committed to
working together towards finding a lasting, peaceful and just resolution to
the current crisis in Darfur. Members of the Darfur Consortium recently
traveled to Darfur and eastern Chad to assess the situation firsthand and to
meet with representatives of Darfurian and Sudanese civil society. The
Darfur Consortium also held an African civil society consultation in Kampala
to discuss a platform for action.

The Darfur Consortium has identified two paramount concerns raised by the
victims of the Darfur crisis: ensuring protection and security for civilians
in Darfur and taking immediate international action to bring those
responsible for atrocities in Darfur to justice. These two imperatives are
equally critical for achieving sustainable peace.

In a series of letters to diplomatic missions in New York, the Darfur
Consortium called on the Security Council to pass a resolution which:

. provides the necessary authorization and financial and logistical
resources to the AU mission on the ground to develop a clear mission
mandate and strong presence in Darfur which will allow adequate protection
of civilians and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid;
. refers the situation in Darfur to the International Criminal Court
(ICC) without further delay, as recommended by the International Commission
of Inquiry on Darfur;
. imposes a precisely targeted scheme of sanctions (economic, travel,
appropriate extension of the arms embargo) against the Government of
Sudan and specific individuals who are responsible for the commission of
serious international crimes in Darfur.

Emphasizing that all three elements were essential to an effective response
to the crisis in Darfur, the Darfur Consortium declared that "previous
Security Council resolutions have failed to halt the violence and robust
action is needed now in order to prevent further loss of life. The people of
Darfur deserve no less."

For further information please visit www.darfurconsortium.org.