Damanga Urges Cooperation and Intervention in Darfur

March 8, 2006

Recent reports of fissures among Sudanese rebel organizations in Darfur are cause for great worry. Damanga Coalition for Freedom and Democracy maintains that the first priority of all involved must be to achieve a comprehensive peace agreement as quickly as possible to protect lives in Darfur. Rather than focusing on individual or tribal agendas, the SLA and other factions of the rebel leadership should subordinate all other disagreements and concerns while they work for Darfur and the security of its people.

This is not a time for personal interests. Those who are working to bring peace to Darfur and save lives have a moral responsibility to put the safety of Darfurians before their own ambitions. These divisions only serve the government and Janjaweed, who will never commit truly to any process which demands a comprehensive peace agreement. Those who engage in massive destruction and crimes against humanity are necessarily opposed to peace in practice. Rebels should not give the government and Arab militias an opportunity to exploit and manipulate divisions among Darfurians.

Darfur also needs its leaders and civilians to work in concert with the international community. We thank all those around the world who are working to stop the killing of civilians in Darfur: the United Nations, the United States (especially the US Senate for its resolution last Thursday calling on President Bush and NATO to intervene and the UN to approve a peacekeeping mission), the European Union, the African Union, the world’s numerous human rights organizations, students, American civilians and all individuals who are concerned with the safety of Darfurians. We ask all of these parties to work together in this critical time to initiate an international peacekeeping mission as soon as possible.

The people of Darfur cannot wait any longer, as their situation continues to deteriorate. To await further Security Council resolutions and hope for Sudanese cooperation takes too much time. The international community does not need permission from the government of Sudan to protect human lives from genocide. There is no use seeking consent from criminals to intervene on behalf of the victims of their crimes. The urgency of the situation requires deployment of peacekeepers as soon as possible, even without Sudanese approval, which will never be forthcoming.

Damanga Coalition for Freedom and Democracy regrets the recent statements made by UN envoy Jan Pronk, who expressed reluctance to support a peacekeeping intervention without AU approval. It appears the Sudanese government successfully dissuaded Mr. Pronk with bellicose threats of armed resistance to Western peacekeepers. Such a response permits the Sudanese government to dictate the terms of international action. The international community must not be intimidated by the Sudanese government, which seeks to prevent a peacekeeping mission only because they know that a UN force would quickly halt the genocide.

The UN has a moral responsibility to send peacekeepers to stop the killing in Darfur. Damanga enthusiastically supports US Ambassador John Bolton’s efforts toward deployment of a UN force. Ambassador Bolton also requested that Western nations provide close air support for those AU troops stationed in Darfur who may confront combat situations. We thank Mr. Bolton for this request, and we also commend Kofi Annan for his statements encouraging UN members to consider providing such air support. Only through the cooperation of all parties can we achieve a lasting peace.