In excess of 400,000 Darfurians have been murdered. 2.5-3 million people have been dislocated.This is a state sponsored genocide perpetrated by the Northern Arab elite -in power- in Sudan. The Janjaweed ( Arab militia) backed by its Arab masters has engaged in a massive campaign of murder rape and pillage. Thousands of women -both young and old- have been raped. Young children have been thrown into fires and burned to a cinder.
Largely the world stands idly by. In the US a huge 'Save Darfur' campaign has developed. Placards have appeared saying 'Out of Iraq into Darfur'. Some companies such as Siemens AG and Rolls-Royce, have already cut their ties to Sudan. States such as Oregon, California Vermont, Illinois, Connecticut and Maine – have passed resolutions divesting state funds.It is expected that another 10-15 states will follow. Universities, such as Harvard, Stanford, Yale and the University of California system, have also passed divestment measures.
The US and British Governments have made an effort to tackle the Butchers of Khartoum. However their efforts are not sufficient. They must exert greater pressure. What has the EU or Irish Government done about Darfur? It is time for EU governments including the Irish Government to get off the fence. Shame on the EU. Shame on Russia and China. Shame on Arab states. Extreme pressure must be exerted on China and Russia to withdraw support from the mass murderers of Khartoum. China has blocked decisive action by the UN. Vladimir Putin can assert Russia’s moral authority in the world by a principled stand on Darfur. Assets of senior government officials in Khartoum must be frozen . These leaders must face trial at the International Court of Justice. It is time to send a much larger international peace keeping force.
A US Senate committee is expected to vote Thursday on a plan to divest state pension funds from companies that do business with the government of Sudan. For details read SaveDarfur
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