OurPledge

The Vote Was 418-1

[Via the Sudan Divestment Task Force:]

US House of Representatives Passes Darfur Accountability and Divestment Act – 7/31/07

The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed H.R. 180, the Darfur Accountability and Divestment Act. H.R. 180 would require the Secretary of the Treasury to establish a list of companies whose business activities in Sudan directly support the Sudanese Government. The measure also authorizes divestment by state and local governments and bans the federal government from contracting with companies on the Treasury list.

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Chinese Government refuses to accept Darfur petitions

Today, the Government of China refused to meet with members of the San Francisco Bay Area Darfur Coalition. For more info, watch this video.. Also, see the photo set below. (Try refreshing this page if you can’t view either the video or the photos.)

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Aid Convoys Under Attack in Darfur

Thursday July 26, 2007 12:46 AM
By Alfred de Montesquiou
Associated Press Writer

CAIRO, Egypt (AP) – A dramatic increase in attacks on aid convoys in Darfur is hampering the world’s largest humanitarian operation, and some 170,000 people are now out of reach of food aid because of the violence, the United Nations’ World Food Programme said Wednesday.

Nine food convoys have been ambushed by gunmen across the war-torn region of western Sudan over the last two weeks alone, the WFP said in a statement.

The U.N. food agency condemned the “dramatic escalation in attacks on humanitarian staff and food convoys.’’ It said the violence was endangering the WFP’s ability to deliver assistance to millions of hungry people.

“WFP was not able to reach 170,000 people in June, a sizable increase from the lowest point last March when 60,000 could not be reached,’’ the WFP said.

Sudan Will Not Allow Darfur Peacekeepers to Use All Means Necessary

By Nick Wadhams – Voice of America

23 July 2007, Nairobi—Sudan’s government is warning that it will not accept a joint United Nations and African Union force that has the mandate to use all means necessary – including force – to keep the peace in Darfur. As Nick Wadhams reports from Nairobi, a foreign ministry spokesman says he believes a compromise can be found even though the demand may be a deal-breaker for the U.N. Security Council.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Ali Sadiq Ali says Sudan is in consultations about the mandate for a force of 26,000 troops sent to Darfur by the African Union and the United Nations.

France and Britain have drafted a resolution that would allow the peacekeepers to use all necessary means, including force, to protect itself as well as civilians in Darfur. Some 200,000 people have been killed and more than 2 million have fled since fighting began there in 2003.

Chadian president accepts idea of EU peacekeepers to protect Darfur refugees

The Associated Press
Thursday, July 19, 2007

PARIS: Chadian President Idriss Deby said Thursday that he supports the idea of an interim European Union peacekeeping force in the African nation to protect people affected by violence spilling over from neighboring Darfur.

Deby spoke after meeting French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who has been pushing for the force.

EU foreign ministers were expected next week to start planning for a possible six-to-12-month peacekeeping mission in Chad, to where masses have fled violence in the neighboring Darfur region of Sudan.

“We have not yet finished (discussions), but Chad thinks the presence of the international community is important in one way or another, to protect refugees and the displaced and to prevent incursions by the janjaweed militia inside the national territory,” Deby said.

Sudan concerned by UN-AU Darfur force mandate

Sun 15 Jul 2007, 8:53 GMT
http://africa.reuters.com/top/news/usnBAN535606.html
By Opheera McDoom

KHARTOUM (Reuters) – Sudan said on Sunday it had reservations about the mandate given to a 26,000-strong U.N.-African Union Darfur force under a draft U.N. Security Council resolution.

After months of talks, threats and negotiations, Khartoum finally agreed to the force to bolster 7,000 struggling AU troops and police who have failed to stem the violence which international experts estimate has killed 200,000.

“At the current stage we do not accept it, we have reservations,” said foreign ministry spokesman Ali al-Sadig.

“We are engaged in consultations with the members of the Security Council … we believe we will come to an agreed language,” he added.

Sudan resumes bombing in Darfur

From BBC News:
Published: 2007/07/13 17:24:18 GMT
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/6898158.stm

Sudan’s government has resumed bombing in the country’s troubled western region of Darfur, says US special envoy to Sudan Andrew Natsios.

Mr Natsios urged Sudan to stop its campaign and respect a 2004 ceasefire.

He said the bombing was focused on the Jebel Marra region, a stronghold of one of the rebel faction leaders, Abdul Wahid Mohammed Nour.

Some 200,000 people have died in Darfur in the past four years, while 2m have fled their homes, the UN says.

Welcome, i-ACT advocates!

Today, tell President Bush and Congress to get serious about Darfur.

Last month, the news media celebrated the Government of Sudan’s “acceptance” of a UN-AU peacekeeping force for Darfur. Of course, we know better than to celebrate this news. During the course of this four-year-old genocide, the Government of Sudan has not made one positive Darfur-related promise that it has ever honored. Indeed, according to the ENOUGH Project, “within days of agreeing to the [UN-AU]

New Warning of Famine in Darfur

Inter Press Service (Johannesburg)
11 July 2007
By David Cronin

Brussels—A famine is looming in Darfur, according to members of the European Parliament who have just returned from a visit to the war-ravaged Sudanese province.

The 785-strong Parliament will vote Thursday on a resolution urging that European Union governments impose targeted economic and diplomatic sanctions—such as a travel ban and an asset freeze—on Sudanese figures implicated in the ongoing violence in Darfur.

Darfur peace mission stumbles, envoys criticized

Sat Jul 7, 2007 9:55AM EDT
By Opheera McDoom – Analysis

KHARTOUM (Reuters) – Joint U.N.-African Union efforts to stop violence in Darfur have stumbled amid rebel bickering and an upsurge in violence, and the mission’s envoys are poised to miss an August deadline to launch peace talks.

Seven months into their mission, U.N. peace envoy Jan Eliasson and his AU counterpart Salim Ahmed Salim have made scant progress in bringing fractious rebel groups to the table, drawing accusations of foot dragging from aid groups and observers.