The Bush administration, for the last five years, has “given only lip service”1 to the full deployment of peacekeepers in Darfur according to the new U.S. ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice. Now we’re ready to see if President Obama and his staff can turn old promises into concrete actions during their first 100 days in office.
Ask President Obama to make action in Darfur a priority.
Amnesty International is partnering with the Save Darfur Coalition to collect 1 million signatures to deliver to the White House to stress the need for Darfur to be at the top of President Obama’s agenda. Killings, rapes, and torture have overwhelmed Darfur for over six years now, and no path to resolution is in sight.
The decision about whether to indict Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide is expected to be handed down soon by the International Criminal Court. It is imperative that the Obama administration take a clear stance from the beginning: Accountability and justice must be achieved in Darfur.
President Obama has said that he recognizes the need for firm commitments and immediate action to bring the crisis in Darfur to an end. Now is the time for him to stand behind those words, and put policies into action. President Obama: Stand up for the people of Darfur.
Standing up for human rights in Darfur is more than ‘the right thing to do’, President Obama believes it is our “moral obligation”2 – and we couldn’t agree more.
That is why it is vital for the Obama administration to take action and make Darfur a priority in the first 100 days.
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