Congressman James McGovern (D-MA), a long-time advocate of human rights, addressed Congress last week about the ongoing violence in South Kordofan, Blue Nile, and Darfur, imploring Congress to recognize that “once again, the world is standing by, silent and passive, while the Government of Sudan wages war on its own people.”
Watch McGovern’s remarks:
This address is only the latest in a long line of efforts by Congressman McGovern to ensure that the American government cannot plead ignorance regarding the ongoing human rights violations occurring in Sudan. He has shown a commitment to making sure that the U.S. lives up to its role as a world leader by demanding that the impunity enjoyed by the Sudanese government come to an end and that humanitarian assistance be provided as soon as possible.
In recent months, violence has continued to escalate along the southern border states of Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile. The increase in violence has resulted in the displacement of tens of thousands of Sudanese, both to hiding places near their homes and across the borders into South Sudan and Ethiopia.
As McGovern rightly points out in his speech, “The people of South Kordofan and Blue Nile are being subjected to bombing, murder, rape, scorched earth and starvation. This should come as no surprise when Ahmed Haroun, the Sudanese official wanted by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity in Darfur, is now the governor of South Kordofan.”
Hopefully, the U.S. government and the other leading nations will soon take Congressman McGovern’s advice and realize that “the safety and security of the Sudanese people—whether in Darfur, Abyei, South Kordofan, Blue Nile or elsewhere—must be our first priority. We’ve been silent too long.”