Marie Clarke Brill, Acting Co-Executive Director of Africa Action, said today, "We're encouraged to see that an envoy has been sent, and we believe that this draft resolution is a vital first step towards the goal of providing robust security for the people of Darfur. But we cannot forget the increasingly desperate conditions on the ground. This resolution creates no immediate improvement in people's lives, and its worth will now be determined by the level of international commitment to implement its terms. There remains considerable room for U.S. engagement to encourage the international community to sustain this momentum."

The day after the introduction of the resolution, UN Deputy Secretary-General Mark Malloch Brown warned of the deteriorating security conditions and said, "something very ugly is brewing." This week, an International Rescue Committee report revealed that the number of attacks against women has risen dramatically, and more than 200 women were sexually assaulted in the last five weeks around Kalma, the largest camp for internally displaced persons. With the approaching expiration of the AU mandate on September 30th, there are serious concerns about an even greater decline in security.

As negotiations on this resolution continue at the UN, Africa Action urges the U.S. to demonstrate initiative in securing support for its passage. The government of Sudan has stated that it will oppose the deployment of multinational peacekeepers to the Darfur region, and the U.S. possesses substantial leverage to persuade Khartoum to remove these objections. Africa Action's statement on this issue, "How the U.S. Can Break the Deadlock on Darfur," is available here: http://www.africaaction.org/newsroom/docs/LeverageonDarfur.pdf

Africa Action also stresses that a future UN peacekeeping force must be furnished with at least 20,000 peacekeepers, enabled with a mandate to protect civilians, and sufficiently equipped to counter violent attacks. These can be ensured through persistent U.S. diplomatic involvement to rally support within the UN.

Marie Clarke Brill went on to say, "The relentless work of activists across the country has been crucial in maintaining pressure for U.S. engagement to stop the genocide in Darfur. This resolution shows the power of protest to compel our leaders to action. In the coming weeks, however, the voices demanding protection for the people of Darfur will continue to increase until change is felt on the ground."

On September 9th, Africa Action will hold a rally and act of civil disobedience in front of the White House to underscore the urgency of the crisis in Darfur and the need for sustained U.S. engagement. This date marks the two-year anniversary of this administration's recognition that the violence in Darfur met the definition of genocide. This Africa Action event holds the U.S. government to its responsibility to protect the people of Darfur. A flyer is available here: http://www.africaaction.org/docs/flyer4.pdf

Africa Action's Escalation Strategy for the Campaign to Stop Genocide in Darfur, a series of tactics to increase political pressure on the U.S. administration, is available here.

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