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Reflection: Darfur Rally
Montclair, New Jersey
April 9, 2006
By Rev. John L. McCullough
Darfur is a living hell, and it is almost impossible for me to think of a worse or more damning scourge of our humanity in the 21st century than the genocide that continues to unfold in Northern Africa every day.
- Even though on the tenth anniversary of the Rwandan Genocide (April 2004) the International Community declared its resolve to never again allow such an atrocity to occur;
- Even though later in that same year (July 2004) the U.S. Congress passed a resolution declaring that genocide is taking place in Darfur;
- Even though the Sudan Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005 acknowledges the longest running conflict in Africa, tragic loss of life, the destroyed infrastructure of the country, eroded economic resources, and the sufferings of the people of Sudan;
- Even though in 2005 the United Nations reported that more than 400,000 people have died, more than 200,000 have fled to neighboring Chad, and some 1.65 million are displaced;
- Even though these same displaced persons have been denied any type of human security, and the protection of an adequately prepared and supported peacekeeping force;
- Even though these same millions literally are wasting away from lack of food, water, medicine, and shelter; and
- Even though Sudan and Darfur are conflicts that are nearly half a century old, the oldest conflicts in Africa, and have taken an enormous humanitarian toll impacting the entire region given Sudan's geographical spread and several contiguous borders...
There remains little resolve to bring the world's worst humanitarian crisis -- our humanitarian crisis -- to an end.
I find the International Community, including our own government, disingenuous when it comes to Sudan. In the spirit of the Christian Holy Week, I say to the powers and principalities, you can try to wash away the stain of your failure to act decisively, but it will never come off until you actually do something to stop the murder, rape and other forms of sexual violence, torture, pillaging, arson, enforced disappearances, racism, and acts of genocide. Until you step into the abyss and stop the violence, the blood of Darfur will remain on your hands.
As for our part:
- We must advocate for our government to provide real leadership beyond political rhetoric in this crisis, and stand firm on the basis of our national values for substantive intervention;
- We must lift our voices so that the government in Khartoum will be held to the standard of good governance for all of her citizens, if its sovereignty is to be respected -- no government can be a partner in the war on terror if it is executing a war of terror against its own people;
- We must call for a broadening of the peacekeeping mandate in order to allow for the protection of civilians;
- We must demand that whoever is in need has immediate access to adequate food, water, temporary shelter, and medical care; and,
- We must be resolute in our commitments to stay with this issue until the Darfurians are finally able to go back to their homes, resume their livelihoods, and live in peace.
Media Contact:
Lesley Crosson, CWS/New York, 212-870-2676;
Jan Dragin, 781-925-1526;
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