Call for the Deployment of peacekeepers in Darfur.

One of our members, Mr. Dennis de Cruz, received this from Amnesty International:

Dear Denis ,

Two major stories on Darfur made news headlines this week.

On Monday, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) accused Sudan’s President Omar al- Bashir of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes and requested his indictment1. That same day, the BBC aired a report 2 accusing China of fueling the conflict in Darfur by supplying military equipment and training to Sudan.

The prosecutor's request for an indictment and the new information about China’s arms transfers sent shockwaves throughout the world. These developments only reinforce the fact that peace in Darfur cannot happen without accountability and security.

Accountability: The ICC's prosecutor's request for the indictment of Bashir is a major development in the international process seeking accountability for the horrific crimes in Darfur.

We have previously called on Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. representative to the United Nations, to lead UN Security Council efforts to enforce the arrest warrants issued by the ICC for Sudanese government minister, Ahmad Harun, and Janjawid militia leader, Ali Kushayb3. Both men were charged with war crimes similar to those brought against Bashir and continue to remain at large.

This past April, Amnesty International ramped up efforts to achieve accountability by co-founding the global “Justice for Darfur” coalition4. The coalition has sent tens of thousands of messages to world leaders, asking them to pressure Sudan to hand over suspected war criminals to the ICC for prosecution.

Security: Our researchers have been reporting that the UN arms embargo on Sudan is not strong enough to prevent arms from slipping into Darfur. Our 2007 report5 documented how arms sold by China and Russia to Sudan were being transferred to Darfur in spite of the UN embargo. As long as unrestricted weapons continue to flow into Sudan, the people of Darfur are not safe.

This week's news has set a number of factors into motion. The Sudanese government stated that the ICC prosecutor's request for indictment on genocide charges was a "declaration of war"6. And the UN took a precautionary measure of pulling non-essential staff from the joint UN-African Union peacekeeping mission shortly after the prosecutor's action. This means our vigilance is needed more than ever to get peacekeepers on the ground immediately.

Please send a message to Secretary Rice urging her to use all available resources to ensure full and immediate deployment of peacekeepers in Darfur.

Accountability and security in Darfur.
Take Action Now!

Sudanese President Omar Bashir (L) embraces Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo.
©PIUS UTOMI EKPEI/AFP/Getty Images

Sincerely,

Meredith Larson
Darfur Campaign Director
Amnesty International USA

NOTE: GUD will draft a letter to the US Secretary of State.