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Background:
Recent developments suggest that the UN may be planning to send a peacekeeping force to intervene in Darfur, but it will take at least nine months for that force to deploy. Until then, African Union peacekeepers are the only troops on the ground in the region, and they need to have the resources necessary to better protect Darfurian civilians. Unfortunately, current U.S. funding for the AU mission expires at the end of March.
What your elected officials can do:
Secretary of State Rice recently requested $123 million in continued funding for the AU force in Darfur. Senators and Representatives need to give what the Secretary asked for and APPROPRIATE $123 million for peacekeeping in Darfur.
Sample Call:
“Hi, this is ___ calling from ___. I’m calling to urge Representative/Senator ___ to do everything he/she can to make sure that the $123 million that the Administra-tion recently requested for African Union peacekeeping troops in Darfur is appropriated as soon as possible. Funding the African Union is critical to stopping what both the President and Congress have called genocide. Please tell the Congress(man/woman) /Senator that his/her constituents care about Darfur and expect Congress to fund the AU peacekeepers. Thank you.”