End the Suffering of the Sudanese

Dear Senator Boxer,

In just over two years, the Sudanese Government and its paramilitary allies have killed more than 400,000 people, driven 2.5 million from their homes, and left 3.5 million without the food they need to sustain themselves.

There is a moral imperative to respond to these atrocities. An effective response must pursue four basic goals: protect innocent civilians; provide humanitarian aid to those in need; hold the perpetrators of violence accountable; and ensure that those forced from their homes can return in a safe, voluntary, and dignified manner.

These reasonable and necessary goals cannot be achieved without the leadership of the United States.

While the Bush Administration continues to pick and choose which crises it deems "action-worthy" and invade countries under transparent pretexts—causing the deaths of thousands of innocents—the real suffering of millions of Sudanese is ignored by our government.

Fortunately, the United States Constitution guards against the tying of the hands of those citizens who wish to take action when their "leader" is inept, apathetic and ill-qualified to do so.

We appeal to you to help bring health, dignity, safety and long-term security back into the lives of the Sudanese and ask you to urge your fellow senators to resolve to do more for the Sudanese.

Although, the U.S. has led the world in humanitarian aid to Darfur, has led the United Nations to adopt measures holding the Sudanese Government accountable for international crimes, and has dispatched two secretaries of state to Sudan to press for change, these actions have done little to end the misery of the Sudanese because these “measures taken” were more about grandstanding and less about problem-solving and therefore insufficient.

As recently as early October 2005, 37 African Union (AU) troops and one U.S. observer were taken hostage by rebels. The release of the hostages involved a gun battle and an ambush of the rescue team causing Kofi Annan to threaten to suspend aid to Sudan. Rebel splits have meant that not all fighters on the ground are under the control of a faction negotiating for peace. The April 2004 ceasefire has been shaky at best, and AU forces, only 6,000 “strong,” are concerned about the “shoot-to-kill” policy being employed against their troops.

The Sudan Tribune reported on October 12, 2005 that the European Union (EU), and specifically Germany, are preparing themselves for an increased commitment in Sudan within the framework of an EU mission. It is clear that the EU recognizes that revocation of support is not the answer and that global backing of the AU is what will put an end to the efforts of ground fighters.

Instead of continuing the illegal occupation of Iraq, the U.S. should focus its energies and resources on lessening the effects of the Darfur genocide on the “survivors” coping in a violent Sudan.

Suffering should not have to be caused by natural disaster before the United States becomes involved in tragedy in order to help end suffering. Indeed, if we could start an illegal war for oil, certainly the Congress and the Senate can form a resolution that encourages President Bush to take an international leadership role and propose a Security Council resolution expanding the mandate of the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) to include civilian protection with the guarantee that the United States and other nations will provide the AMIS with the financial and logistical support necessary to fulfill that mandate, among other measures that need to be taken.

With each new chapter in the history of genocide, people of goodwill hope and pray that it will be the last. If we act with leadership and resolve in Sudan, history may recount how the American people helped script the hopeful, final chapter of this shameful tragedy.

We urge you to encourage the Senate to write the first page of that script so that the Sudanese may finally say, “The end.”