Darfuris living in US hope to move US to take new action

Excerpt from press release by Africa Action Washington, DC http://www.africaaction.org/ at AllAfrica.com entitled 'The Abuja Deal is Not Enough - Darfur Needs a UN Peacekeeping Mission':

Elnour Adam of the Darfur Rehabilitation Project, said today, "As Darfuris living in the U.S., we appreciate the solidarity being expressed in rallies such as those held across the country today, and we hope to move the U.S. to take new action to protect the people of Darfur."

"The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) was the first to declare genocide in Darfur," noted U.S. Representative Melvin L. Watt (D-NC), CBC Chair. "Since that time, the Caucus has repeatedly called on the Bush Administration and the international community to end the violence and the humanitarian nightmare in that region. The time is now for the world community to raise the ante on the government of Sudan."

Here's the rest of the press release:

On World Refugee Day, Africa Action drew powerful speakers and scores of activists for a rally and die-in outside the White House to recognize the continuing humanitarian crisis and worsening security conditions in Darfur, Sudan. Africa Action and its allies called on the U.S. to take new and urgent action to achieve a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission to protect the people of Darfur. In addition to the action in Washington, DC, rallies on Darfur were held in several other U.S. cities today, including New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Guest speakers at the Washington, DC rally this afternoon included members of the Congressional Black Caucus, including Congressman Major Owens (D-NY), Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA), and Congressman Donald M. Payne (D-NJ), ranking member of the Subcommittee on Africa of the Committee on International Relations.

Marie Clarke Brill Acting Co-Executive Director of Africa Action, said today, "These rallies illustrate that a diverse cross-section of Americans believe the U.S. and international community have failed to take sufficient action to stop the genocide in Darfur. The people of Darfur continue to live in fear and insecurity. The movement to end genocide in Darfur is diverse, but it is unified in its demand to keep the pressure on the Bush Administration until a UN protection force is on the ground."

Also today, Africa Action released a new "Chronology of International Failures on Darfur," documenting the international community's inadequate response to the genocide in Darfur over the past fourteen months. This new report highlights the deteriorating security situation in Darfur and the urgent need for a UN peacekeeping mission to protect civilians and humanitarian operations. The new chronology can be found here, http://africaaction.org/resources/page.php?op=read&documentid=1932&type=6&issues=1024.

Other speakers at today's rally in Washington, DC included Anyango Reggy, Howard University graduate student in the African Studies Department.

For Africa Action's latest policy statement, "Next Steps on Darfur", see http://www.africaaction.org/newsroom/index.php?op=read&documentid=1905&type=15&issues=1024