PHR Action Center

Peace negotiations for Darfur are approaching at the end of October. It is crucial that the United Nations Security Council support a just and sustainable peace and address the immediate security of civilians.

There has been promising action by both the UN and the European Union: the UN Security Council recently called for the expedited deployment of the promised UN/African Union force, and the European Union has approved a force of 3,000 European troops to protect civilians in neighboring Chad and the Central African Republic. The British Minister of State also recently made a welcome appeal to Sudan to turn over Ahmed Haroun, a suspected war criminal, to the International Criminal Court for trial.

However, the brutal attack by rebels on African Union peacekeepers – which left 10 peacekeepers dead and 10 wounded, shows the urgent need for a robust force able to protect unarmed civilians and themselves.

Please take this opportunity to write to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the 15 members of the Security Council and tell them that you support their calls to speed up the deployment of the peacekeepers, and urge them to fully support the upcoming peace negotiations.

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

We thank you for helping to pass, unanimously, United Nations Resolution 1769, calling for the deployment of a joint United Nations-African Union force of 26,000 troops for Darfur. We are pleased that the force will have the authority, under Chapter VII of the UN charter, to protect civilians, aid workers and themselves.

We urge you to continue to be vigilant, both in ensuring the implementation of Resolution 1769, but also in promoting a peace process among the rebel groups and the Government of Sudan, which must disarm the combatants and create a peaceful, stable Darfur that will no longer require troops to protect civilians.

We note that within 24 hours of Secretary General Ban-Ki moon's return from Khartoum, the government of Sudan was once again making air attacks. We cannot leave the people of Darfur unprotected any longer.

The current timeline states that the troops will not be fully deployed until well into 2008. While we recognize that it takes time to recruit, train and deploy large numbers of soldiers, we respectfully request that you work with the other members of the Security Council to ensure that the force is deployed in all due haste. Additionally, peacekeeping forces must be trained in effective protection strategies and human rights issues such as violence against women.

While the financial costs of this operation are daunting, the moral cost of allowing the continued death and displacement of civilians in Darfur is unacceptable. Therefore, we urge you to ensure that this mission is adequately funded and supported.

We call on you to hold President Bashir to his promise to allow these troops into Darfur, and refrain from delay or obstruction by requiring negotiation of every detail (such as the construction of air strips and new barracks for the soldiers, access to the country, visas, etc.). Additionally, there must be consequences, such as multilateral economic sanctions, if he violates his promises.

Concurrently, we must promote a stable peace by encouraging an inclusive and thorough peace process which:

* Disarms the Janjaweed and other combatants (done credibly, not by the Sudanese Government, as in the Darfur Peace Agreement); * Gives Darfurians a representative role in national and regional government; and * Provides reparation - including compensation, rehabilitation and other measures - from the government to the victims for their losses; * Holds the Government of Sudan accountable for its crimes by mandating that it cooperate with the International Criminal Court, including the arrest of Ahmed Haroun and Ali Kushayb and their transfer to The Hague for trial.

Again, we thank you for your support for this critical Resolution and hope that you will continue to work for peace and stability in Darfur.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
September 21, 2007