www.SaveDarfur.org
On Friday, President Bush told reporters that he is committed to taking the actions necessary to end the genocide in Darfur. The President's words are a welcome acknowledgement that the U.S. government has heard the call from Americans to protect those who can't protect themselves in Darfur.
This is a extremely important step, one which all Darfur advocates have been urging for nearly two years.
The President said that up until now his Administration's plan had been "to encourage African Union troops to try to bring some sense of security to these poor people that are being herded out of their villages and just terribly mistreated." While "the [African Union's] effort was noble," he continued, "it didn't achieve the objective. We need more troops." The African Union (AU) ceasefire monitoring force is currently the only line of defense, yet it is insufficient to protect millions of Darfuri men, women, and children. The AU forces' lack of the necessary resources and capacity to for this mission is acknowledged in the Administration's acceptance of the need for a stronger international peacekeeping force to protect civilians.
Real peace and security in Darfur is going to require both an UN peacekeeping force in the long term, and increased NATO aid (a "bridging force") to support the African Union in the near term. With preliminary planning now underway at the UN, and a Security Council resolution authorizing a peacekeeping force with a strong mandate expected soon, there is reason to hope that a robust force could be protecting civilians by fall.
Because international support will be necessary for approval of both the UN mandate and NATO assistance, the Darfur advocacy community will be required to continue its work.
The President took another important step last week by submitting to Congress an emergency supplemental funding request of $514 million for peacekeeping and humanitarian aid programs in Sudan. Also last week, Senators Biden and Brownback introduced a resolution calling for NATO help for the AU mission and for implementation of a no-fly zone in Darfur.
These combined actions represent a major shift in momentum toward providing the people of Darfur with the security and protection they so desperately need. It is imperative to remember, however, that beyond these important steps on the path, many more will be required before security is achieved for innocent Darfurians.
The crucial progress represented by last week's actions was made possible by the indefatigable efforts of tens of thousands of caring and devoted Americans who told our leaders what was required by our shared principles. We are proud to have walked alongside you in getting this far on our journey.
While there is still much more to do, please know that you have our gratitude and admiration, and also that we will continue to call on you to take further actions as events unfold.
Sincerely,
David Rubenstein
Coordinator, Save Darfur Coalition
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