Darfuri Leaders Network: ‘We implore the U.N. Security Council to take no actions that would impede the work of Mr. Moreno-Ocampo and the ICC.’

In an effort to ensure that their voices were heard, the Darfuri Leaders Network, a broad-based alliance representing Darfur diaspora organizations across the United States, responded yesterday with a letter that was delivered to U.N. Security Council member states.

WASHINGTON –The Darfuri Leaders Network, a broad-based alliance representing Darfur diaspora organizations across the United States, today weighed in on the recent developments in The Hague – urging the U.N. Security Council not to obstruct the International Criminal Court’s action against Sudanese President al-Bashir. While many experts and opinion-makers have weighed in on the potential implications of the recent ICC actions against al-Bashir, a voice that has been utterly drowned out of the dialogue is that of the Darfuri people themselves.

In a letter delivered to the Security Council member states, the DLN expressed its appreciation for the ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo’s formal request for an arrest warrant for President al-Bashir and reiterated that the council must ensure that peace and justice move forward concurrently. The group also called on the council to make clear that reprisals against the Darfuri people following the ICC actions will not be tolerated.

“Despite the immense magnitude of suffering and unimaginable pain of our people, we have witnessed many governments and international experts condemn Mr. Moreno-Ocampo’s decision with some of the same justifications and rationales as President Al Bashir and the Government of Sudan,” the letter states. “These criticisms ignore the Darfuri voices that uniformly approve of the ICC’s efforts and view the ICC as the only available outlet to secure justice and accountability for the crimes committed in Darfur since 2003.”

The full text of the letter appears below.

July 17, 2008

Dear Members of the Security Council:

We write to you as members of the Darfuri civil society living in the diaspora. We are a network of Darfuri-led human rights and humanitarian organizations in the United States and around the world, united together to raise awareness about the genocide in Darfur and to advocate for the rights of the people of Darfur to have security, justice and lasting peace in Darfur.

We write to you today to express our appreciation for the Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo’s formal request for an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the President of The Sudan Omar Hassan Ahmad Al-Bashir. Mr. Moreno-Ocampo’s unwavering commitment to seeking justice for the people of Darfur led him to this historic decision and we sincerely thank the UN Security Council for referring the case of Darfur to the ICC and providing Mr. Moreno-Ocampo with the mandate to carry out his assigned mission.

Our people have cried out for justice for the last five years only to see the humanitarian and political crisis worsen in Darfur. Mr. Moreno-Ocampo’s request to examine the culpability of President Al Bashir for the genocide committed against our friends and families brings us some hope that the international community may finally match its rhetoric with actions that lead to real results in The Sudan. It is for this reason that we give our unequivocal support to Mr. Moreno-Ocampo’s decision which aims to provide much delayed accountability for those responsible for the destruction of the lives and livelihoods of Darfuris.

Mr. Moreno-Ocampo’s courageous act comes at a time when the situation in Darfur leaves our people increasingly vulnerable. Violence continues each day unabated, as the notorious Janjaweed and Government of Sudan forces attempt to intimidate the UN-AU Mission in Darfur (UNAMID). Indeed, we were sincerely saddened to hear reports about the deadly attack by such forces against UNAMID on July 8, 2008. We believe the Government of Sudan launched such a brazen assault as part of its on-going campaign to weaken the effectiveness of UNAMID. In addition to this attack, we are gravely concerned about the countless obstacles presented by the Government of Sudan to hinder the deployment of UNAMID.

Despite the immense magnitude of suffering and unimaginable pain of our people, we have witnessed many governments and international experts condemn Mr. Moreno-Ocampo’s decision with some of the same justifications and rationales as President Al Bashir and the Government of Sudan. These criticisms ignore the Darfuri voices that uniformly approve of the ICC’s efforts and view the ICC as the only available outlet to secure justice and accountability for the crimes committed in Darfur since 2003. Therefore, we implore the UN Security Council to take no actions that would impede the work of Mr. Moreno-Ocampo and the ICC.

We further ask the UN Security Council to provide global leadership to ensure that the campaigns for “peace and justice” in Sudan move forward together. Such an effort begins with sending a message to the Government of Sudan that the international community will not tolerate any reprisals against the people of Darfur on account of the proceedings at the ICC. Equally important, we believe that no one should ask the people of Darfur to relinquish their rights to hold their perpetrators accountable in exchange for unreliable promises regarding the establishment of peace and security in Darfur. Our people have witnessed too many peace initiatives fail and too many delays in the deployment of an effective peacekeeping mission to put all of our hope in only these two domains. We understand the difficulty at hand in dealing with an authoritarian and genocidal government such as the one led by President Al Bashir. However, there are no moral or legal grounds to strip our people – who are the undisputed victims – of their legitimate rights for justice. We have full confidence that with coordinated diplomacy and pressure from the members of the UN Security Council peace, protection, and justice can all be achieved for the long-suffering people of Darfur.

We believe that Mr. Moreno-Ocampo has greatly contributed to this effort, as he was requested to do so by the UN Security Council. It is our sincere hope that the member states of the Security Council will continue to support his efforts to reveal the truth about the genocide committed in Darfur as the proceedings of the ICC will help end the culture of impunity in Darfur and Sudan and assist all Darfuris and Sudanese in their efforts to end the Darfur catastrophe and build sustainable peace.

Sincerely,

Member Organizations of the Darfuri Leaders Network (United States)

Darfur Alert Coalition
Ibrahim Hamid
Treasurer

Darfur Association in the United States
Mahmoud Braima
President

Damanga Coalition for Freedom and
Democracy
Mohmamed Yahya
President

Darfur Association of Colorado
Ahmed Adam Ali
Secretary General

Darfur Association of Illinois
Mohamed Abdel Rahman
Secretary General

Darfur Association of Nebraska
Adam Omar

Darfur Association of Texas
Bashir Gamous Abdelrasoul
Branch Leader

Darfur Community Organization (Nebraska)
Bakheit Shata
Executive Director

World Relief Organization
Elgasim Salih
President

Darfur People’s Association of Iowa
Anwar Elnour
President

Darfur People’s Association of New York
Motasim Adam
President

Darfur Rehabilitation Project, Inc.
Elnour Adam
Projects Director

Fur Association of North America
Ishag Ahmed
President

Fur Cultural Revival
Mansour Ahmed
Secretary General

Western Sudan Aid Relief in the U.S
Abdeljabbar Seddik
President

Badawi Osman

Darfur Working Group
Philadelphia, PA

Darfur Community Development
Hamza Ibrahim
President

At-Large Members of the Darfuri Leaders Network in the U.S

Amal Allagabo
Washington, D.C.
Niemat Ahmadi
Washington, DC
Fatima Haroun
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Suad Mansour
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Marwa Salah Eddin
Portland, Maine
Mastora Bakheit
Indiana

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About the Save Darfur Coalition – The Save Darfur Coalition – an alliance of more than 180 faith-based, advocacy and human rights organizations – raises public awareness about the ongoing genocide in Darfur and mobilizes a unified response to the atrocities that threaten the lives of people throughout the Darfur region. The coalition’s member organizations represent 130 million people of all ages, races, religions and political affiliations united together to help the people of Darfur. For more information on the coalition, please visit www.SaveDarfur.org. To obtain footage from the Darfur border region, coalition events, various interviews, and more, please visit the Save Darfur Coalition media gallery at http://media.savedarfur.org. All footage may be previewed in non-broadcast quality and may be purchased in broadcast quality by filling out the purchase request form provided on the site.