400, 000 Killed
2.5 million Displaced
10 Days Protest
Stop the genocide in Darfur
January 1-10, 2006, Outside the Embassy of Sudan
10 Days of Protest: A New Year’s Resolution for Darfur
From Sunday, January 1 – Tuesday, January 10, student groups, activist organizations, religious congregations and concerned individuals from Washington D.C. and all over the country will protest outside the Sudanese Embassy against the government-backed genocide in Sudan’s Darfur region.
WHY?
The Sudanese Embassy claims on its website that “Darfur wasn’t Genocide,”
BUT the violence in Darfur—responsible for 400,000 deaths, millions of displaced peoples, murder, rape and the destruction of 90% of the villages in Darfur—has been declared genocide by President Bush, Colin Powell, a unanimous House of Representative, and the National Holocaust Memorial Museum.
The Sudanese Embassy asserts “No evidence Sudan’s government involved in Darfur raid,”
BUT the weaponry and aerial equipment of the Janjaweed are those of Khartoum, and all evidence indicates that government officials are directly supporting these militias. While the Sudanese Government denies responsibility, it refuses to prosecute the 51 suspects named by the UN for war crimes in Darfur and awaiting trial in the International Criminal Court.
The Sudanese Embassy declares Sudan’s “optimistic future,”
BUT North/South peace talks are being constantly postponed because of Janjaweed violence. Due to the violence, humanitarian aid threatens to leave, an action that would lead to a certain death for Darfurians. Moreover, the likely occurrence of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir becoming President of the African Union would transform Darfur’s last line of defense into an extension of Khartoum. The “optimistic future” includes the eradication of an entire population for Khartoum’s economic and political benefit.
Amidst this catastrophic scenario, the United States has become a complicit observer—and by extension, so has the American public. After Rwanda, George W. Bush infamously declared: “not on my watch.” Now, over a year after his government declared the situation in Darfur to be “genocide,” Bush and his administration have taken no real action for fear of upsetting the Sudanese government. Meanwhile, American newspapers and television have covered the crisis minimally or not at all, failing in their fundamental responsibility to educate the public.
Starting on New Year’s Day, we will stand outside the embassy for 4 hours each day from 11 am to 3 pm. For 10 days, we will pressure our politicians to take an aggressive stand against genocide. We will generate the kind of press that this crisis warrants, exposing the horrors that American media has cruelly neglected.
We demand:
· An end to Khartoum's support of the Janjaweed militias
· An expansion of the African Union mandate to protect civilians, and the involvement of UN or NATO multinational peace-keeping forces on the ground.
· Prosecution of Sudanese human rights violators in the International Criminal Court.
As many people as possible should be here each day; however, it is most important that the effort is sustained rather than large. A calendar is posted online to allow each group and individual to mark times of presence. Go to www.calendar.yahoo.com. Username: Darfurprotest, Password: Darfur. Go to monthly calendar and click "add" on the dates you wish to participate. It will also allow you to specify hours. Please include a contact email address.
Compelling visuals will be provided, but any other images or information are encouraged. Wear your warmest green clothing! Remember, the goal of the project is gain media attention—the more people, the more organizations, the more buzz we can create!
The Embassy of the Republic of the Sudan is located at 2210 Massachusetts Ave. NW, in Washington, DC. Please join us in protest.
Phone: Sarah Reed, 610.283.1149
Email: sreed@wesleyan.edu, akoch@wesleyan.edu and jboddum@wesleyan.edu for more information.
