The International Religious Freedom Roundtable & Alliance Against Genocide Working Group is circulating a letter to the United Nations Security Council requesting a UN/African Union Peacekeeping Mission to stop the genocide in Darfur, Sudan.
The Working Group is seeking "sign-ons" to the letter through August 10, 2024.
Please read the full letter below and sign-on here: https://forms.gle/vQv5rvcrtj4CEDT2A
Summary of the letter:
While acknowledging the positive steps taken by UNSC Resolution 2736, such as demanding the lifting of the siege of El Fasher and opening humanitarian corridors to leave El Fasher, the letter highlights critical gaps in the resolution.
It calls for a specific deadline for the Rapid Support Forces to lift their siege and the creation of enforcement mechanisms to ensure compliance.
The letter advocates extending the arms embargo on Darfur to the entire country and imposing sanctions on violators.
The letter calls for authorizing UN/AU Mission police to arrest persons charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court.
Supporting proposals from Human Rights Watch and Genocide Watch, the letter urges the drafting, passing, authorization, and funding of a robust UN and African Union peacekeeping mission.
United Nations Security Council
405 East 42nd Street
New York, NY 10017
Re: Urgent Appeal for Stronger Action in Sudan & Addressing Gaps in UNSC Resolution 2736
Dear Members of the UN Security Council:
We, the undersigned, are a group of individuals and organizations that advocate for human rights and religious freedom around the world. We represent diverse religious and ethnic backgrounds but are united in our goal of promoting freedom of religion and human rights for all.
We are writing to you to express our concern regarding the deteriorating situation that is currently unfolding in Sudan.
We appreciate the passing of UN Security Council Resolution 2736 on June 13, 2024. The resolution addresses some of the concerns that we have about Sudan. The ending of the siege of El Fasher by the Rapid Support Forces, protection of civilians, and opening of humanitarian corridors so people can leave El Fasher are key elements in the resolution.
However, we have significant concerns about what the resolution failed to address. Regarding the resolution’s call for lifting of the siege of El Fasher by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), we have two questions.
First, what is the deadline for lifting the RSF siege? UNSC Res. 2736 contains no specific deadline for when this siege should be lifted. How much time does the RSF have to lift this siege? Respectfully, we urge the Security Council to set a deadline for the RSF to lift its siege of the beleaguered city.
Second, where is the enforcement mechanism to enforce the lifting of the siege? Resolution 2736 did not authorize any enforcement by the United Nations or African Union if the RSF refuses or fails to lift its siege.
We also have two other concerns. The resolution failed to address the brazen flouting of the arms embargo currently in force for Darfur. The arms embargo should be extended to all of Sudan. The Security Council should call for sanctions on UN members that violate the embargo.
The resolution also fails to call for accountability by both the RSF led by General Hamdan and the Sudanese Armed Forces led by General Burhan. The war crimes and crimes against humanity against the civilian population by both forces should be tried in the International Criminal Court, the courts of Sudan, and courts with universal jurisdiction around the world.
Human Rights Watch has called for the African Union to work with the United Nations to deploy a Civilian Protection Mission to Sudan. Genocide Watch has called for such a UN/AU peacekeeping mission since July 2023.
We, the undersigned, agree with these proposals made to the UN Security Council and the AU Peace and Justice Council. We encourage you to authorize, mandate, and fund these proposals for a strong UN and AU peacekeeping mission in Sudan.
We ask that a new UN Security Council Resolution be drafted, debated, passed, and implemented in time to save the lives of the hundreds of thousands of people now trapped by the civil war in Sudan.
We thank you for your consideration in this critical situation.
Sincerely,
Gregory H Stanton, Founding President, Genocide Watch
Scott Morgan, Co-Chair, Africa Working Group, IRF Roundtable
Areeka Khan, Sudan Task Force Leader, Genocide Watch
Rebecca Tinsley, Founder, Waging Peace
Hilly Moodrick- Even Khen, Director, Ariel University Center for the Research and Study of Genocide
Simon Billenness, Executive Director, No Business With Genocide
Lauren Homer, President, Law and Liberty Trust
Rafal Pankowski, Co-Founder, NEVER AGAIN Association
Ellen J. Kennedy, Ph.D., Executive Director, World Without Genocide
Marcus Steiner, CEO, Crane Center for Mass Atrocity Prevention
Fadel Abdulghany, Executive Director, Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR)
Kyle D Abts, Executive Director, International Committee on Nigeria
Ann Buwalda, Executive Director, Jubilee Campaign
Soumava Basu, President and Founder, Council for Global Cooperation (CGC)
Gloria Samdi Puldu, President, Leah Foundation
Farhad Shamo Roto, Founder and President, Voice of Ezidis
Abid Shamdeen, Co-founder, Nadia's Initiative
Y Phic Hdok, Co-founder, Montagnards Stand for Justice (MSFJ)
Rev. Dr. Marian Edmonds-Allen, Executive Director, Parity
Rev. Neal Christie, Executive Director, FIACONA
Lareina Kiser, Communications Director, Prayer Pioneers
Sara Pierson, Just Law International
Minh Le, AFJV, Author of Drawn Together
Tanya Nguyen-Do, Coordinator, Friends of Thien Am Zen Monastery
Sydney Kochan, Government Relations & Special Projects Coordinator, Jubilee Campaign
Teresa Merk, Legal Assistant, Compliance
Aiden John Carlton, Middle East Research, Genocide Watch
Bekir Hodzic, Podcast Manager, Genocide Watch
Grace Harris, Africa Research, Genocide Watch
Trinity Huynh, Research and Advocacy Team, Genocide Watch
Brooklyn Quallen, Lead Alliance Coordinator, Genocide Watch
Lea Gruber, Legal Team, Genocide Watch
Sue Taylor, Congressonal Working Group, International Religious Freedom Roundtable
Claire Kedeshian, International Religious Freedom Roundtable
Edward D'Agostino, International Religious Freedom Roundtable
Please sign-on to the letter here: https://forms.gle/vQv5rvcrtj4CEDT2A