An Open Letter to Secretary-General Kofi Annan from the Darfuri communities in the United States
August 22, 2006
Kofi A. Annan
Secretary-General
The United Nations
New York, NY 10017
Your Excellency:
On behalf of the Darfuri communities in the United States, we are writing to urge the United Nations to take immediate and effective action to end the systematic and well organized genocide that has been perpetrated against our people since the spring of 2003.
Before your Excellency’s historic visit to Darfur in July of 2004, the death toll was estimated to be between 70,000 to 100,000. Our hope was that your visit would help bring an end to the conflict; but unfortunately after two years, the war continues with approximately 400,000 now dead, over three millions internally displaced and 218,000 refugees now in Chad. Rape continues to be used as a weapon of war against women and children and these heinous crimes are increasing in number. Killings are also continuing apace.
Since this war erupted, we have called for the protection of civilians, the provision of humanitarian aid, and the institution of a political settlement that addresses the root causes of the conflict and includes adequate compensation and rehabilitation for our people. We also believe that it is imperative that the perpetrators are held accountable for their crimes and, therefore, we support their prosecution by the International Criminal Court.
While the United Nations Security Council has adopted several resolutions regarding the crisis in Darfur, they have had very little impact on the ground in Darfur as there are no reliable mechanisms to enforce such measures. African Union troops dispatched to the region to monitor the cease fire have shown an inability to bring safety and protection to the civilians in Darfur. This failure is due to the weak mandate given to the AU's troops, coupled with a lack of command experience, logistical infrastructure, and financial support. As a result, conditions on the ground continue to deteriorate every day and millions of civilians are still vulnerable.
On July 30, 2004, the UN Security Council adopted resolution 1556 demanding that the government of Sudan disarm the Janjaweed. This same demand is also an important part of the Darfur Peace Agreement signed in May of 2006. However after two years, the Janjaweed are still active and free to commit the same genocidal crimes against civilians in Darfur with the aid of the Sudanese government.
Many people of Darfur put their hope in the Abuja negotiations, fervently hoping that they would produce a comprehensive settlement to end the genocide. Yet the finalized agreement was incomplete and has in fact become a catalyst to extend the war among the rebels, which has led to even more violence and instability.
On behalf of the people of Darfur in the United States, we are committed to working with the international community and civil societies to secure a just and lasting peace in Darfur. To that end, we the undersigned organizations, call for the following:
1. The immediate deployment of a UN peacekeeping force to Darfur with a robust Chapter VII mandate to protect the innocent civilians and bring stability in the region;
2. The immediate disarmament of the Janjaweed militia by the government of Sudan to be verified by the African Union as well as by United Nation peacekeeping forces;
3. The sufficient provision of humanitarian aid for the millions of civilians who desperately rely upon it and unfettered access for the humanitarian organization which deliver it;
4. The supplementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement to include fair terms regarding the compensation and rehabilitation of IDPs and refugees, and a commitment from the international community to the implementation of the agreement; and
5. Support from the international community for the International Criminal Court in its investigation and prosecution of the perpetrators of the conflict.
We believe the United Nations has the power, the mandate, and the responsibility to protect the suffering civilians of Darfur. Peace in Darfur will help bring peace and stability to all of Sudan and to neighboring countries. We sincerely urge your Excellency to support and stand for these measures to be adopted and implemented immediately.
Sincerely,
Mr. Suliman Giddo
President
Darfur Peace and Development
Mr. Mohamed Yahya
Chairman
Damanga Coalition for Freedom and Democracy
Mr. Mohamed Ibrahim
Co-Chair
Darfur Alert Coalition
Dr. Mahmoud Braima
President
Darfur Association in the United States
Mr. Bakheit Shata
Executive Director
Darfur Community Organization (Nebraska)
Dr. Abdeljabar Adem
President
Darfur Human Rights Organization of the USA
Mr. Rahama Deffallah
President
Darfur People’s Association of New York
Ms. Blanche Foster
on behalf of the Board of Directors
Darfur Rehabilitation Project
Mr. Siddiq A. Hadi
Secretary
Group Against Torture in Sudan
The Save Darfur Coalition helped the Darfuri organizations coordinate this joint letter. Please contact Sean Brooks at (202) 478-6197 or sean@savedarfur.org, if you would like to send a response to the group; or contact the heads of these organizations individually with the following information:
Darfur Peace and Development
Mr. Suliman Giddo
President
giddo@dpado.org
(260) 580-6966
Damanga Coalition for Freedom and Democracy
Mr. Mohamed Yahya
Chairman
mataryah@gmail.com
(434) 409-9638
Darfur Alert Coalition
Mr. Mohamed Ibrahim
Co-Chair
MIbrahim@afsc.org
(215) 241-7128
Darfur Association in the United States
Dr. Mahmoud Braima
President
maakkauda@yahoo.com;
(225) 324-3224
Darfur Community Organization (Nebraska)
Mr. Bakheit Shata
Executive Director
bakheitshata@yahoo.com
(402) 939-8151
Darfur Human Rights Organization of the USA
Dr. Abdeljabar Adem
President
darfur.h.r.org@hotmail.com;
(267) 784-7073
Darfur People’s Association of New York
Mr. Rahama Deffallah
President
rahamad4@hotmail.com
(718) 431-9355
Darfur Rehabilitation Project
Ms. Blanche Foster
Executive Director
bfoster@darfurrehab.org
(973) 274-9424
Group Against Torture in Sudan
Mr. Siddiq A. Hadi
Secretary
SIDDIQ01@aol.com
|
