President Bush committed to ending genocide in Darfur

President George W. Bush told reporters on Feb. 17 that he is committed to taking the actions necessary to end the genocide in Darfur. The President's words are a welcome acknowledgement that the U.S. government has heard the call from Americans to protect those who can't protect themselves in Darfur.

According to David Rubenstein, coordinator of the Save Darfur Coalition including United Methodists, "This is an extremely important step, one which all Darfur advocates have been urging for nearly two years."

The President said that up until now his Administration's plan had been "to encourage African Union troops to try to bring some sense of security to these poor people that are being herded out of their villages and just terribly mistreated."

While "the [African Union's] effort was noble," Bush continued, "it didn't achieve the objective. We need more troops."

The African Union (AU) ceasefire monitoring force is currently the only line of defense, yet it is insufficient to protect millions of Darfuri men, women and children. The AU forces' lack of the necessary resources and capacity to for this mission is acknowledged in the Administration's acceptance of the need for a stronger international peacekeeping force to protect civilians.

Rubenstein said real peace and security in Darfur is going to require both a United Nations peacekeeping force in the long term, and increased NATO aid (a "bridging force") to support the African Union in the short term.

$514 million requested

The President took another important step on Feb. 17 by submitting to Congress an emergency supplemental funding request of $514 million for peacekeeping and humanitarian aid programs in Sudan. Also, Senators Biden and Brownback introduced a resolution calling for NATO help for the AU mission and for implementation of a no-fly zone in Darfur.

Rubenstein said these combined actions represent a major shift in momentum toward providing the people of Darfur with the security and protection they so desperately need.

"It is imperative to remember, however, that beyond these important steps on the path, many more will be required before security is achieved for innocent Darfurians," he said.

Steidle coming to Indiana

In conjunction with this announcement, the Save Darfur Coalition also announced that Brian Steidle, a former Marine captain who currently is investigating war crimes in Darfur for the International Criminal Court, will be speaking in Bloomington, Ind. March 30-31, and on Sunday, April 2 in Fort Wayne during both 8:30 and 9:50 a.m. worship services at Aldersgate United Methodist Church. Steidle served as the U.S. representative to the African Union's peacekeeping mission in Darfur from September 2004 to February 2005.

As one of only three Americans serving with a coalition of African representatives, Capt. Steidle speaks from a unique and personal perspective about witnessing mass murder, rape and other atrocities in Darfur sponsored by the Sudanese government and perpetrated by its paramilitary allies, the Janjaweed militias.

According to Beth Reilly and her pastor, the Rev. Brian Witwer, Aldersgate will join the Fort Wayne faith community in a "Darfur Genocide: An Interfaith Response."

Christians, Jews and Muslims in the Fort Wayne community will gather to hear Steidle and then will be invited to respond to the Darfur crisis by writing postcards to President Bush to support the Million Voices Campaign, sponsored by Save Darfur.

For more information about the coalition, log on to www.savedarfur.org.

Last updated on 25 Apr 2008

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