Contact: Nanda Chitre (ENOUGH), 202-682-6137
Groups: ‘Sudan’s ruling party is a menace to the region’
WASHINGTON – Following attempts by reportedly Sudan-backed rebels to overthrow the Chadian government, with violence and displacement in Eastern Chad and capital city N’Djamena, Darfur activists urged world leaders to quickly adopt policies that will end Sudan’s menacing role in the region.
Activists from the Save Darfur Coalition, the ENOUGH Project and the Genocide Intervention Network outlined three key steps to address the unrest in Chad and its root cause in Khartoum, including sanctions against Sudanese officials responsible for supporting the overthrow of Chadian officials and those responsible for obstructing the deployment of international peacekeepers in Darfur and Chad.
“The outcome of the crisis in Chad remains uncertain, but the peril for civilians in Chad and Darfur is enormous. A low-intensity, festering civil conflict between the Chadian government and a disparate group of rebels has exploded into violent confrontation in the capital N’Djamena. Thousands of refugees have fled the city, and the fight for control continues. The Sudanese government, which is responsible for genocide in Darfur, supports the rebels trying to overthrow Chad’s government because it wants to block the deployment of European Union peacekeepers to Eastern Chad. Sudan’s ruling party not only threatens its own citizens, which it has destroyed in great numbers, it is a menace to the entire region. It will remain a menace until the rest of the world makes the cost of doing so too steep.”
The activists outlined three key steps world leaders must follow to address the Darfur crisis spillover into Chad:
1) The U.S., France and UK should work with China and Russia to introduce immediately a U.N. Security Council resolution authorizing targeted sanctions on senior Sudanese officials responsible for supporting the overthrow of a neighboring sovereign government, for obstructing the deployment of international protection forces in Chad and Darfur, and for continuing to promote violence in Darfur.
2) The U.S., France, UK and China should form an international "Quartet" to work with the UN and AU in promoting an end to the interconnected conflicts in Chad and Sudan.
3) The "Quartet" should work together to ensure that the UN-led peacekeeping mission in Darfur and the EU-led peacekeeping mission in Chad are deployed immediately.
Click here to write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper and demand international action to bring an end to the violence in Chad and Sudan.
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About the Save Darfur Coalition – The Save Darfur Coalition 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. It is an alliance of more than 180 faith-based, advocacy and human rights organizations. 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.
About the Genocide Intervention Network – The Genocide Intervention Network is working to build the first permanent anti-genocide constituency in the United States, mobilizing the political will to stop genocide when it occurs. Accessible online at www.GenocideIntervention.net, GI-Net empowers individuals with tools to stop genocide through education, fundraising for civilian protection and advocacy efforts.
About the ENOUGH Project – ENOUGH is a project of the Center for American Progress to end genocide and crimes against humanity. With an initial focus on the crises in Darfur, eastern Congo, and northern Uganda, 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. To learn more about ENOUGH and what you can do to help, go to www.enoughproject.org.