June 14, 2012
Ambassador Princeton Lyman
Office of the U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW, Room #3817
Washington, DC 20520
Dear Ambassador Lyman,
Thank you for your letter dated May 9, 2012 in response to the advocacy community’s letter dated April 25, 2012 urging the Administration to implement the Sudan Peace, Security and Accountability Act (H.R. 4169) and in particular to “insist that the Government of Sudan permit free and unfettered access for international humanitarian aid throughout Darfur, South Kordofan, Blue Nile and Abyei.”
Your letter of reply indicates that UN Security Resolution 2046 “directs the Government of Sudan to accept the Tripartite proposal and immediately allow urgently needed humanitarian aid access to all of the affected areas of Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states.” In addition, the letter states that if steps are not taken promptly to comply with the Resolution, the UNSC is “prepared to examine further steps, including sanctions under Article 41 of the Charter, should the parties not comply with these mandates.”
The crisis in Southern Kordofan is a year old and it has only gotten worse. Recent reports indicate that those who are unable to flee the area are starving to death. Thousands are displaced from Blue Nile and the humanitarian crisis in Darfur is ongoing and also worsening. In addition, the Government of Sudan recently expelled aid groups from the impoverished region of Eastern Sudan. Despite international pressure and condemnation, the regime’s treatment of Sudan’s vulnerable citizens is not improving.
As you may be aware, 89 civil society organizations from 31 U.S. states and from Canada, Egypt, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan and the United Kingdom sent a letter to the members of the UNSC on June 6, 2011. The enclosed letter urges the UNSC to follow through with consequences as outlined in Resolution 2046 if the Government of Sudan does not allow immediate access to Nuba Mountains/Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile by June 14, 2012.
While we understand that the United States is only one member of the UNSC, it is a powerful member and other countries follow its lead. Now more than ever, the people of Sudan need the United States to live up to its responsibility to protect vulnerable citizens who are subjected to state sponsored violence and forced starvation.
During the next biweekly review of implementation of Resolution 2046, please recommend that the UNSC take the strongest possible action against the Government of Sudan under Article 41 of the UN Charter. If the UNSC does not agree, we support and urge the United States to pursue action outside of the UNSC in order to save lives.
Sincerely,
Martina Knee
Co-Founder
Act for Sudan
Ruth Messinger
President
American Jewish World Service
John Bradshaw
Executive Director
Enough Project
Bama Athreya
Executive Director
United to End Genocide
Enclosure
cc: Secretary of State Hilary Clinton
National Security Adviser Thomas Donilon
Deputy National Security Adviser Denis McDonough
Senior Director for Multilateral Affairs Samantha Power
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