July 16, 2012
Act for Sudan, a bipartisan alliance of American citizen activists and Sudanese U.S. residents who advocate for an end to genocide and mass atrocities in Sudan, welcomed the statement released by Mitt Romney on July 9, 2012, the first anniversary of South Sudan’s independence from Sudan. In his statement, Romney said, “America must … speak clearly on the ongoing atrocities of the regime in Khartoum and the resulting refugee crisis.” Romney reiterated his commitment to “protecting innocents” and “ensuring access to humanitarian aid.”
Act for Sudan praises Mr. Romney for clearly stating his commitment to protect innocent people in Sudan from government-sponsored atrocities and to ensure humanitarian access. In contrast to Mr. Romney, President Obama has been silent regarding America’s responsibility to protect the mass numbers of civilians now at risk in Sudan due to the actions of the Khartoum regime. Although the administration is assisting some humanitarian relief efforts, aid is not reaching hundreds of thousands of people in the Nuba Mountains/South Kordofan and Blue Nile.
For over a year, the government of Sudan has blocked humanitarian aid from reaching civilians in its border regions of the Nuba Mountains/Southern Kordofan and the Blue Nile State, and has cut-off the main evacuation route for those attempting to escape. On July 5, USAID published an alert declaring a food “emergency” for the Nuba Mountains in South Kordofan as a result of the government of Sudan blocking humanitarian access and bombing the people. USAID noted the need for emergency action because of “large food consumption gaps, very high levels of acute malnutrition, and excess mortality.”
Act for Sudan requests that Mr. Romney elaborate on his specific plans for protecting and ensuring aid to the hundreds of thousands of people in imminent danger in Sudan for immediate review and possible implementation by the Obama Administration.
Act for Sudan requests that President Obama also make a public statement about his commitment to and his plans for fulfilling the responsibility to protect civilians in Sudan who are being attacked and starved by their own government and ensuring life-saving aid reaches those in need.
In a statement issued on June 27, 2012, Act for Sudan stated, “The policies of the NCP are the root cause of Sudan’s problems that include but are not limited to genocide, mass atrocities, displacement, and extreme poverty. Sudan is the only nation whose head of state is indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. Bashir and the NCP regime are intent on killing massive numbers of civilians through forced starvation and aerial bombardment in the Nuba Mountains/South Kordofan and Blue Nile, continuing its violence against Darfuris, dismantling camps for internally displaced persons in Darfur, expelling humanitarian aid organizations in Eastern Sudan and Darfur, abusing the right to free speech for students, activists and journalists throughout Sudan, and violating the sovereignty of the Republic of South Sudan through illegal attacks by air and ground forces.”
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Act for Sudan is an alliance of American citizen activists and Sudanese U.S. residents who advocate for an end to genocide and mass atrocities in Sudan. Act for Sudan is dedicated to advocacy that is directly informed by the situation on the ground and by Sudanese people who urgently seek protection, justice, and peace. For more information please visit http://www.actforsudan.org/.
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