Cry of the People of Darfur
A Statement of the President of the United States Conference of Catholic
Bishops
Bishop Wilton D. Gregory
Bishop of Belleville
President
November 17, 2004
Gathered in our Fall Plenary Assembly, we continue to hear the cry of the
people of Darfur. The conflict in this western region of Sudan has claimed the
lives of more than 100,000 people and forcibly displaced over 1.5 million
others.
For the past several years, as the people of Sudan have suffered and died, our
Conference of Bishops has repeatedly called for decisive action by the
international community to save human lives and restore peace and security. We
have sent a number of delegations of bishops to Sudan and have heard first
hand reports of the desolate and deadly situations there. Recent developments
that hold both peril and promise move us to raise our voices once again in
defense of human life in Darfur and Sudan.
Tragically, human beings are still being killed, raped, starved and driven to
desperation. We strongly condemn the action of the Government in Khartoum
against thousands of displaced persons in Otash and El-Geer Sureaf camps for
displaced persons who were surrounded by military forces on the night of
November 2, 2004, and forcibly removed. Credible reports indicate that
Government forces have conducted similar raids on camps of displaced persons
elsewhere in Darfur and have denied humanitarian workers access to some camps.
These actions violate international law, agreements between the Government in
Khartoum and the main rebel groups, and international memoranda of
understanding which the Government signed. Most importantly they violate the
sacred life and dignity of innocent people
At Abuja, Nigeria, the Government in Khartoum and the rebels agreed to a
“no-fly” zone prohibiting aerial attacks against civilians and rebels in
Darfur, and to security provisions for humanitarian aid workers. These
protocols, while important, will only make a difference for the hundreds of
thousands of lives at risk if the parties abide by them.
We are particularly discouraged that another raid on the El-Geer Sureaf camp
came just one day after the peace agreements were signed in Abuja. Another
disappointing development is a report by the World Food Program that 175,000
people were cut off from food aid in October, with that number expected to
increase to 200,000 this month.
The Government in Khartoum must be held accountable by the international
community for the violence it continues to perpetrate against its own people,
for its failure to implement Security Council resolutions 1556 and 1564, and
for promoting insecurity throughout Darfur. Although the Government bears the
greatest responsibility, the rebel groups should also be held accountable for
violations of ceasefire agreements and the violence perpetrated against
civilians and international aid workers. Pressure must be brought to bear on
all parties to the conflict to compel them to respect the agreements they have
signed and to foster a peaceful and just solution.
We welcome the upcoming Security Council session in Kenya and its focus on the
Naivasha Peace Process and securing a comprehensive peace agreement between
the Government in Khartoum and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A).
This meeting could also provide the Security Council with an opportunity to
unite its member states in order to act more forcefully in defense of peace.
The Security Council should consider imposing targeted sanctions and an arms
embargo to ensure compliance on the part of the Government in Khartoum.
In addition, the United States and the international community must
immediately provide sufficient financial and logistical support to the African
Union monitoring mission so that it can move quickly to protect innocent
civilians, ensure safe delivery of humanitarian assistance, monitor ceasefire
violations, and improve the security situation throughout Darfur.
The Catholic Church in the United States continues to pray for the peoples of
Sudan and will continue to provide assistance to the most vulnerable through
the work of Catholic Relief Services. It is past time for the world to act
together in effective defense of human life in Darfur.