U.S. Secretary Of State Should Make Conflict In Darfur A Priority

WASHINGTON - The Save Darfur Coalition (SDC) today calls on U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to make Darfur and Sudan a priority on her first official visit to Africa during the Obama Administration.

The SDC urges the Secretary of State to:

• Underscore the importance of fully addressing the humanitarian crisis in Darfur and fostering a lasting peace in Sudan to United States foreign policy---especially in light of the fraying Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between northern and southern Sudan.
• Urge additional African leaders to support the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant issued for Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir for war crimes and crimes against humanity. To date, Botswana, South Africa and Chad have threatened to arrest Al Bashir should he enter the respective territories.
• Urge African leaders to work together and with the U.S., China, and others to develop a united position when dealing with the Sudanese regime and rebel movements. Remind leaders that the crisis in Sudan cannot be solved by contradictory bilateral engagements; rather it is necessary to develop a broadly supported multilateral strategy of carrot and sticks, with leadership from Africa, the U.S., and other key nations.
• Encourage African leaders to support the predominantly African troops which make up the African Union/United Nations peacekeeping force in Darfur by collectively urging donor nations to provide the necessary helicopters and other resources, and by collectively calling on the Sudanese government to end its obstruction of the force. Make clear that their soldiers serving in UNAMID must be supported materially and politically so that they can protect civilians and create the necessary sense of security for a peace process to take root.

“It's vital for Secretary Clinton to convey the seriousness with which the U.S. views the situation in Sudan and Darfur to African leaders during this visit,” said Jerry Fowler, President of the Save Darfur Coalition. “And the stakes are enormous, both for the vulnerable civilians within Sudan and for key African countries, such as Egypt, Ethiopia and Libya, which will feel the rippling consequences if the continuing crises in Sudan further destabilizes neighboring states.”

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About the coalition: The Save Darfur Coalition - an alliance of more than 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.

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