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 Re: دارفور .. Save Darfur Coalition (Re: hamid hajer)
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Posted to the web July 22, 2005
Washington, DC
Africa Action today acknowledged the leadership asserted by Congress one year ago, when it unanimously declared that genocide was taking place in Darfur, Sudan, but criticized the legislative branch for its failure to take sufficiently strong action since that time to provide protection to the people of Darfur.
Salih Booker, Executive Director of Africa Action, said, "On the one-year anniversary of this critical Congressional statement on Darfur, the time for legislation is over, and the time for action is now. Legislative action on Darfur has failed to build on the strong statement of bipartisan support shown on this date last year. Congress has focused on sanctions and divestment, which are insufficient to stop genocide, and it has let the Administration off the hook for its appalling apathy on this crisis."
Africa Action notes that numerous Members of Congress have traveled to Darfur over the past year, and the most committed among them have participated in various public actions, as well as public education through the media. Congressional appropriations have yielded important humanitarian assistance and financial support for the African Union observer mission in Darfur. But the organization emphasizes that Congressional leadership has failed to exert strong pressure on the Bush Administration to take urgent action at the international level on the most immediate priority - protecting the people of Darfur.
Ann-Louise Colgan, Director of Policy Analysis & Communications at Africa Action, said, "Last July, Congress demonstrated moral leadership in declaring genocide in Darfur, and its unanimous statement generated political pressure on the White House to recognize this genocide on September 9, 2004. Since this time, Congressional debates have stalled over weak pieces of legislation, and critical momentum has been lost. The genocide has continued, more than 400,000 lives have been lost, and the U.S. has failed to take action to protect civilians in Darfur."
Marie Clarke Brill, Director of Public Education & Mobilization at Africa Action, said, "People from across the U.S. have been outraged by the failure of their Members of Congress to follow last July's genocide declaration with the determined action necessary to help end this crisis and provide protection to people in Darfur. Recognizing the unwillingness of Congress to push President Bush, concerned Americans are taking action in growing numbers to pressure the Administration directly to support an urgent humanitarian intervention to stop genocide in Darfur."
Last July's Congressional action on Darfur was itself the result of leadership within the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), which joined with Africa Action in a petition drive and press briefing in June 2004 to call on then-Secretary of State Powell to acknowledge the genocide in Darfur. Upon his return from Darfur, Powell met with the CBC to receive more than 30,000 signatures on this petition, and the State Department conducted its own study into the crisis in Darfur. The political pressure generated by Congress and thousands of Americans in that petition, plus the overwhelming evidence on the ground, left the Administration with no alternative but to declare genocide was taking place in Darfur on September 9, 2004 - almost 11 months ago.
One year on, Africa Action is running another petition drive, gathering 400,000 signatures for a message to President Bush, demanding urgent action to stop the genocide in Darfur. The petition demands the President take every step necessary to achieve a multinational humanitarian intervention in Darfur in support of the African Union troops with a mandate to protect civilians. Africa Action will feature the petition in a major event outside the White House on September 9, 2005, the one-year anniversary of the Bush Administration's recognition of the genocide in Darfur
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hamid hajer
فيس بوك
تويتر
انستقرام
يوتيوب
بنتيريست