Darfur

Action Items:

60 Seconds of Action: Take a moment to visit the new site for the Million Voices for Darfur campaign, http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=72108034&url_num=2&url=http://millionvoicesfordarfur.org/, and fill out an online postcard to President Bush. After you’re finished, use the Forward to a Friend function to spread the word!
60 Minutes of Action: When Congress returns to Washington, DC in a few weeks to begin the new legislative session, make sure that they’ve got Darfur on their minds by scheduling a personal meeting with your Representative while he or she is back home for recess. Visit http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?key=72108034&url_num=3&url=http://genocidehitshome.org/ for help and instructions on how to go about setting up a meeting. If you are able to secure a meeting, email us at info@savedarfur.org and we will gladly send you a list of talking points.

This week in Sudan:

The situation in Darfur remained chaotic and dangerous this week, as another African Union peacekeeper was killed by unnamed forces. The incident quickly became another chance for Chad and Sudan to inch closer to open conflict, as each blamed the killing on the other. Chad went on to demand that Sudan disarm anti-Chadian rebels who are based in western Darfur, and also demanded that Sudan not be given the presidency of the African Union at that organization’s summit meeting in Khartoum next week. The escalating violence and rhetoric has many worried about the possibility of a regional meltdown which could engulf the entire horn of Africa. In response to the grim prospects in Darfur, a number of different actions have been suggested, including the possibility of turning the African Union peacekeeping force into a United Nations force, which would open the door to further funding and international military help. Whether the Sudanese government would welcome further UN involvement is in doubt, however, as the government of Sudan has denied international investigators access to Sudan in order to investigate war crimes and acts of genocide in Darfur. A UN report also recommended this week that sanctions be implemented against several Sudanese involved in the genocide in Darfur.

In addition to further UN involvement, appointing a high-level Special Envoy to Sudan in the mold of former U.S. Ambassador John Danforth (who played an integral role during the negotiations over the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signe last year between Khartoum and South Sudanese rebels) has also been suggested. Meanwhile, editorials and letters to the editor continue to push for a larger U.S. role as well, even as the Million Voices for Darfur campaign was launched in order to raise the level of public support for stronger international action in Darfur to protect civilians.

For additional information on any of these stories, either click on the links embedded in the above paragraphs, or scroll to a list of the articles below. In addition, a more complete list of articles on Darfur is available on our website, updated daily. You may also request daily email news updates with the day's top articles by emailing info@SaveDarfur.org.