FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contacts:
Jonathan Hutson, Enough Project, [email protected],
202-386-1618
Andrea Clarke, Save Darfur Coalition, [email protected], 202-460-6756?
Joshua Berkman, American Jewish World Service, [email protected], 212-792-2893
Mame Annan-Brown, Genocide Intervention Network, [email protected], 202-559-7409
Gabriel Stauring, iAct/Stop Genocide Now, [email protected], 310-415-2863
Susan Morgan, Investors Against Genocide, [email protected], 617-797-0451
‘A Benchmarks Report Card for Sudan’: Rights Groups Find Sudanese Peace Process is Stagnating and Backsliding
WASHINGTON, D.C. – An independent review by six leading human rights and Sudan advocacy groups reveals that the Sudanese peace processes for Darfur and Southern Sudan show no significant progress. They are at best stagnating and at worst backsliding toward complete failure and a return to full-scale, national war.
The report released today, “A Benchmark Report Card for Sudan,” analyzes 28 leading indicators of progress across nine overarching categories of benchmarks over the past six months. The report concludes that 17 indicators show significant worsening of the situation on the ground, while the remaining 11 indicators show a stalemate. The Enough Project and the Save Darfur Coalition developed the report along with partners American Jewish World Service, Genocide Intervention Network, iAct/Stop Genocide Now, and Investors Against Genocide.
John Norris, the Enough Project’s Executive Director, stated, “The report card for Sudan reveals an absence of progress. This clear-eyed, transparent, and independent analysis makes painfully clear how much work remains to be done and how dire the situation remains on the ground. The administration indicated it would apply pressures if the parties failed to make progress. Well, the parties have slowed to a halt and are sliding backward in critical areas.”
“Six months ago the Obama administration released its strategy to bring peace to Sudan,” said Mark Lotwis, Acting President of the Save Darfur Coalition. “While the new policy included no public benchmarks to measure progress in conditions on the ground, the policy was backed by strong statements of support for a policy of incentives and pressures by Secretary of State Clinton and UN Ambassador
“Assessment of progress and decisions regarding incentives and disincentives will be based on verifiable changes in conditions on the ground. Backsliding by any party will be met with credible pressure in the form of disincentives leveraged by our government and our international partners.” — Secretary of State Clinton, October 19, 2009
“There will be no rewards for the status quo, no incentives without concrete and tangible progress. There will be significant consequences for parties that backslide or simply stand still. All parties will be held to account.” — UN Ambassador Susan E. Rice, October 19, 2009
“Our report card for Sudan calls for Clinton and Rice to fully implement the Sudan policy and be ready to respond with multilateral pressure when Sudan’s dictator
“A Benchmark Report Card for Sudan” demonstrates that, despite the initially encouraging signs that the administration was committed to seeing verifiable change in Sudan, there has been a lack of change since the administration’s policy was put into place. It argues that President Obama should empower Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Ambassador to the U.N.
Read ”A Benchmark Report Card for Sudan.”
###
Enough is a project of the Center for American Progress to end genocide and crimes against humanity. Founded in 2007, Enough focuses on crises in Sudan, eastern Congo, northern Uganda, and Somalia. Enough’s strategy papers and briefings provide sharp field analysis and targeted policy recommendations based on a “3P” crisis response strategy: promoting durable peace, providing civilian protection, and punishing perpetrators of atrocities. Enough works with concerned citizens, advocates, and policy makers to prevent, mitigate, and resolve these crises. For more information, please visit www.enoughproject.org
American Jewish World Service (AJWS) is an international development organization motivated by Judaism's imperative to pursue justice. AJWS is dedicated to alleviating poverty, hunger and disease among the people of the developing world regardless of race, religion or nationality. Through grants to grassroots organizations, volunteer service, advocacy and education, AJWS fosters civil society, sustainable development and human rights for all people, while promoting the values and responsibilities of global citizenship within the Jewish community. Visit www.ajws.org
Genocide Intervention Network empowers individuals and communities with the tools to prevent and stop genocide. Currently focused on conflicts in Sudan, Burma and Democratic Republic of Congo, among other areas of concern, Genocide Intervention Network envisions a world in which the global community is willing and able to protect civilians from genocide and mass atrocities. The organization is building a permanent anti-genocide constituency, mobilizing the political will to prevent and stop genocide. For more information, please visit www.genocideintervention.net
i-ACT/Stop Genocide Now seeks to empower individuals within communities, institutions, and governments to take personal responsibility to act on behalf of those affected by genocide, mass atrocities, and crimes against humanity. i-ACT is a global
Investors Against Genocide is a non-profit organization dedicated to convincing mutual fund and other investment firms to change their investing strategy so as to avoid complicity in genocide. The organization works with individuals, companies, organizations, financial institutions, the press, and government agencies to build awareness and to create financial, public relations, and regulatory pressure for investment firms to change. The ultimate goals are that the Government of Sudan ends its deadly genocide in Darfur and that investment firms avoid investing in genocide. For more information, visit www.investorsagainstgenocide.org
The Save Darfur Coalition –an alliance of more than 190 faith-based, advocacy and human rights organizations – raises public awareness about the ongoing crisis in Darfur and mobilizes a unified response to promote peace throughout the Darfur region and all of Sudan. The coalition’s member organizations represent 130 million people of all ages, races, religions and political affiliations united together to help the people of Sudan. Please join the movement at www.SaveDarfur.org