Save Darfur: Clinton Darfur Comments Welcomed, Obama should Identify Day-to-Day 'Owner' of Sudan Policy

Save Darfur: Clinton Darfur Comments Welcomed, Obama should Identify Day-to-Day 'Owner' of Sudan Policy

WASHINGTON - Following Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton's confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the Save Darfur Coalition applauded her continued commitment to Darfur and urged the Obama administration to identify the high-level official who will have day to day ownership of Sudan policy and responsibility for actions to end this genocide. Coalition president Jerry Fowler issued the following statement:

"The Save Darfur Coalition welcomes Secretary-designate Clinton's continuing commitment to bring an end to this nearly six year conflict. We encourage her and her team to move quickly in establishing and implementing a coherent, effective policy focused on ending the genocide, rather than simply managing it.

"There is no time to spare as the ICC action looms and Khartoum continues its hostile actions against Darfuri civilians. The incoming administration must not delay in dedicating the necessary resources and launching a significant effort to help alleviate the suffering, end the violence and facilitate a lasting peace in Sudan. President-elect Obama should designate on or before next Tuesday the high-level official who will have day to day ownership of Sudan policy and responsibility for actions to end this genocide."

The coalition welcomed the Senator Clinton's comments about the need to "sound the alarm for Darfur." In documents submitted to the committee, Clinton said that she and President Obama share a "commitment to far more robust actions to end the genocide and maximize protection for civilians," and that they intend to "pursue more effective diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict that underlies the genocide." Save Darfur also noted Clinton's comments on the need to fully deploy the U.N.-AU peacekeeping force, and her testimony about the various options under consideration to pressure the "cruel" regime in Khartoum.

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About the coalition: The Save Darfur Coalition - an alliance of 180 faith-based, advocacy and human rights organizations - raises public awareness about the ongoing genocide in Darfur and mobilizes a unified response to the atrocities that threaten the lives of people throughout the Darfur region. The coalition's member organizations represent 130 million people of all ages, races, religions and political affiliations united together to help the people of Darfur. For more information on the coalition, please visit www.SaveDarfur.org. To obtain footage from the Darfur border region, coalition events, various interviews, and more, please visit the Save Darfur Coalition media gallery at http://media.savedarfur.org. All footage may be previewed in non-broadcast quality and may be purchased in broadcast quality by filling out the purchase request form provided on the site.