PHR Action Center

In April 2006, the House of Representatives voted to pass the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act (H.R. 3127), which put economic and political pressure on the government of Sudan in order to end the genocide in Darfur. The Senate subsequently passed the bill and it was signed into law by President Bush on Oct. 13, 2006.

However, several of the most important provisions have not yet been implemented. These include:

• The imposition of travel bans and asset freezes on individuals determined by the president to be complicit in atrocities in Darfur;
• The authorization of US assistance to strengthen and expand the African Union Peacekeeping Force, now only 7,000 strong, to better protect civilians;
• Urging the Bush administration to use the voice, vote, and influence of the US at NATO to advocate greater NATO reinforcement of AMIS;
• Prohibiting entry at US ports to oil tankers that have transported Sudanese oil;
• Laying out benchmarks that must be met before the US lifts any sanctions currently imposed on the government of Sudan, with a presidential waiver.

Related link
Full text of the DPAA

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

Despite your signing of the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act (DPAA) last fall, the situation in Darfur continues to deteriorate. The brutal attacks on villages, killing of civilians and raping of women continues unabated, and the violence has spread into the neighboring countries of Chad and the Central African Republic.

The DPAA is a good law, but it has not yet been fully implemented. If the following items in the bill were enforced, the genocidal regime in Darfur would have no choice but to stop the violence, and innocent civilians would be better protected. Please do the following:

* Impose travel bans and asset freezes on individuals whom you've determined to be complicit in atrocities in Darfur. Thus far, your Administration has put travel sanctions and asset freezes on four lower-level officials in the Sudanese Government. Extend these sanctions to President Bashir and Vice President Ali Osman, the masterminds of the genocide in Darfur.

*Use the voice, vote, and influence of the US at NATO to advocate greater NATO reinforcement of AMIS (African Union Peacekeeping force). The EU has not carried its burden on the funding or support of the AMIS force. Please use your influence as a NATO member to ask NATO countries to provide more support-in the form of funding, not just rhetoric-to the under-funded AMIS force.

* Prohibit entry at US ports to oil tankers that have transported Sudanese oil. Enacting this non-binding part of the DPAA would have enormous economic consequences to Sudan's trade partners (and little effect on the US economy) who would certainly choose continued trade with the United States over Sudan.

*Lay out benchmarks that must be met before the US lifts any sanctions currently imposed on the government of Sudan, with a presidential waiver. The US Government imposed sanctions on Sudan since 1997. If the US Government were to lay out specific benchmarks for the Sudanese Government to meet, it might give them incentives to work towards the eventual goal of having these sanctions lifted.

President Bush, the people of Darfur can't wait any longer. You must do all you can to help them. Use all of the tools available to you in the DPAA.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
April 02, 2007