Darfur: Will we allow the genocide to continue?

September 9, 2006, 30 brave souls of the 300-500 who demonstrated outside of the White House were arrested. One of them was Jay, the person I interviewed. They were seeking something. What were they seeking? They were seeking 24,000 peacekeepers with a Chapter 7 mandate.

The people of Darfur who will surely die if the AU, which is scheduled to leave this month, if no true peacekeepers in larger numbers with a Chapter 7 mandate comes to their aid.

While the AU has not been able to stop the genocide from occurring, at least they can report on the fact that it is indeed taking place. People are truly frightened, with reason.

Tawila is an apocalyptic postcard from the next and perhaps the grimmest chapter in Darfur’s agony, a preview of the coming cataclysm in the conflict the United Nations has called the world’s gravest humanitarian crisis.

Thousands of people in this squalid camp fear that their annihilation will be the final chapter in this brutal battle over land, identity, resources and power, which the Bush administration and many others have called genocide. [Read the whole story.]

One of the bravest things President Bush has done is to call it what it is: Genocide. This was over 3 years ago, in 2003. Since then, over 400,000 (estimated) people have been murdered. The UNSC cannot even come to terms on what is truly genocide. I have a hint for them. When one group of people tries to eliminate another group of people based on race, religion, sex, or whatever! Damn it.

Even still, the UN has passed many resolutions. This last resolution is for 20,000 UN peacekeepers. So what is the problem? Bashir will not allow them into his country of Sudan. China is also standing in the way.

Because of the demand for oil in China and their deals with Sudan, China has blocked all punishment against Sudan. We are now putting our hope, our faith in President Bush. We know he cares. We know he can make things happen if he knows he has the mandate.

Hundreds of thousands of people have died in the war, and an estimated 2 million people have been forced from their homes. Their plight has provoked protests across the country over the past couple of years, including a large demonstration in April on the Mall.

Yesterday's protest was aimed at pushing Sudan back into the broader public conscience and onto the president's agenda two years after his secretary of state made what many thought would be a seminal statement on Sudan. [Read the whole article]

If you care at all, you will put all of your negative feelings aside for the time being. Call the White House at 202-456-1111, and let him know how you feel about this situation in Darfur, Sudan. Please. It is not for us to be so comfortable that we should allow our brothers and sisters to suffer due to our 'feelings'. This is life and death.

Please inform all your friends and bloggers that on September 17, there will be a rally at the UN. Contact information can be found at Save Darfur.org. Directions to the rally are there, also.

Many countries will involved in this worldwide, not just the USA. Germany, New York, London, Paris, Abuja, Toronto, Cairo, Kigali, Moscow and countries all over the world will be joining in this day of demands.

There are now events all across the country. HOWEVER, ANYONE that can get to NYC - THAT IS THE PRIORITY. But for others - find one locally, PLEASE!

(Compliments from Jay, our brave crusaders.)

After this day, however, we must NOT allow the momentum to fade away. Keep Darfur at the front of your mind. Pray, call, write. Most importantly however, if you can find any way to make it to NYC on September 17, 2006, please come. We, they, need you. Thank you.

Update: The pictures are a contribution of Jay through Genocide Intervention. Thank you, Jay.

Category: Darfur, Sudan and News.