FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 31, 2010
CONTACTS:
Susan Morgan, Investors Against Genocide, 617-797-0451, [email protected]
Jonathan Hutson, the Enough Project, 202-386-1618, [email protected]
Mame Annan-Brown, Genocide Intervention Network, 347-564-2936, [email protected]
WASHINGTON, D.C. – As levels of violence mount in advance of Sudan's first multi-party elections in 24 years, and amid growing calls among opposition groups for the elections to be delayed, U.S-based Darfuris and policy experts from Sudan Now, a campaign led by a group of prominent anti-genocide and human rights organizations, will participate in a press teleconference to highlight the need for Congress to step up its oversight of the current U.S. Sudan policy. According to the Sudan Now campaign, the current implementation of U.S. Sudan policy has not addressed a number of extremely concerning developments on the ground including Government attacks on Jebel Marra that have killed hundreds and displaced thousands in recent weeks, ongoing obstruction by the Government of Sudan in access for aid workers and UN investigators to Darfur, and clear indications that the national election scheduled for April will be neither free nor fair. The group will launch a social media campaign this week to encourage leading members of Congress to privately and publicly engage with the Administration on Sudan.
The Obama administration’s Sudan policy, announced in October 2009, clearly stated that tough benchmarks would be applied to Sudan, and that a committee of deputies from various cabinet agencies would assess progress “based on verifiable changes in conditions on the ground.” However neither the Administration nor the deputies’ review process have addressed the many concerning developments on the ground. These developments also include ongoing violence and clashes in South Sudan that have claimed more than 2,000 lives in the last year and driven a quarter-million people from their homes, ongoing violations of a UN arms embargo on Darfur by both the government of Sudan and rebel groups, and the resistance of the Government of Sudan to cooperate in any form with the International Criminal Court investigating war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide in Sudan.
This teleconference will provide commentary from Darfuris and policy experts on the importance of these recent developments on the ground and their implications for U.S. Sudan policy. The call will also highlight the need for increased Congressional oversight and provide details of the social media campaign. A question and answer period will follow prepared comments.
WHO:
John Norris, Executive Director of the Enough Project at the Center for American Progress
Mohamed Suleiman, Darfuri and President of the San Francisco Bay Area Darfur Coalition
Sam Bell, ExecutiveDirector of the Genocide Intervention Network
Abdelgabar Adam, Darfuri and President of the Darfur Human Rights Organization
Gabriel Stauring, Director of Stop Genocide Now
DIAL IN NUMBER:
US/Canada Dial-in #: (877) 210-8943
International Dial-in #: (706) 902-0621
WHEN: Thursday, April 1, 2010 at 10 AM ET