Saturday, October 2, marks 100 days before Sudan will decide whether or not to divide itself in two. Preparations are woefully behind and civilians are at real risk of escalating violence and a potential return to war. To draw attention to the urgency of the timetable, and to ensure that the Obama administration does all it can to ensure peace before, during and after the vote, Sudan Now, a campaign led by a group of prominent anti-genocide and human rights advocacy organizations, has launched a grassroots initiative encouraging Sudan activists around the country to take action over the next 100 days.
The first action is to sign an online petition to President Obama. Participating activists will also be asked to take actions via Twitter, Facebook, phone and email as well as offline actions throughout the 100 day period.
Participants will call upon administration officials including President Obama, Ambassador Rice, Secretary Clinton, National Security Council Chief of Staff Denis McDonough and others to take specific steps to help achieve peace, protection, justice and accountability in Sudan.
Specifically, the initiative will press for the appointment of a high-level diplomat as envoy to Darfur, unimpeded access for peacekeeping and humanitarian operations and robust independent human rights monitoring throughout Sudan, the imposition of consequences for negative behavior, and support for justice and accountability including the ICC arrest warrants, including the arrest of Ahmed Harun, an architect of the genocide in Darfur and currently governor of Southern Kordofan.
"Sudan activists have been encouraged in recent weeks by the Obama administration's increased attention to Sudan," states Gabriel Stauring, Director of Stop Genocide Now. "However conditions on the ground in Sudan are still unacceptable and the referenda bring an increased risk of danger to civilians. Through the 100 days of action we hope that activists throughout the U.S. will help spur the administration to take further concrete steps toward peace including appointing a ambassador level envoy for Darfur and working with our international partners to bring Ahmed Harun to the Hague."
Follow Susan Morgan on Twitter: www.twitter.com/susanmorgan
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Sudanese are responsible for thrashing out the terms and operations of the referendum - and they will eventually do so, cut them some political slack to achieve just that - not US activists. Not the United States Government, no matter how much noise either of them makes.
You're also, as usual, trojan-horsing an American activist agenda that is not shared by THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY of ordinary Sudanese; example, seen anybody here recently calling for bringing Ahmed Haroun to the Hague??
Nope.
And,how would that, in any case, "achieve peace... in Sudan" at this critical stage, which you and other activists claim to desire??
It (arresting Haroun) wouldn't, and would be bonkers with the referendum around the corner.
"take specific steps to help achieve peace, protection, justice and accountability in Sudan."
That's US activism talking to itself - not ordinary Sudanese - all over again.
Susan, if your actually bothered, or interested, about asking what us ordinary Sudanese desire from the USG it is, instead, to "take specific steps to help achieve peace, stability, security, economic development, and prosperity."
Right here in the mix - that's where we are - and that (the above) is what we ordinary Sudanese want - not more vacuous tub-thumping by well-meaning, if myopic and deeply uninformed, US activist groups.
You're also over-egging the pudding: there will be no return to war in Sudan.
That's over.
Period.
Last week, Wednesday September 28th, the ICC Chief Prosecutor on Darfur case, Mr. Ocampo, addressed a packed hall in New York city. Most of the attendees were Darfuris who some of them traveled from as far as Philadelphia. Pursuing Ahmed Haroun, as the Prosecutor detailed in that had meeting, is crucial in bringing justice to the victims of genocide in Darfur, and as deterrence against occurrence in South Kordofan.
Susan Morgan is quite right in raising the alarm since we have only 100 days to avert disaster in Sudan.
In Darfur, per latest news from there, violence continues to claim more victims.
Thank you Susan for this alerting article.