World Social Forum NGOs call for action on Darfur

The following petition gathered more than 500 signatories at the World Social Forum this week in Nairobi:

We, activists, civil society organizations, and other progressives gathered in Nairobi for the 7th World Social Forum, express our deep concern about the ongoing crisis in Darfur. Since the beginning of full blown hostilities in early 2003, the crisis has wreaked unimaginable damage. More than 400,000 civilians have died, more than 3.6 million are “war affected,” dependent on international assistance, more than 3 million have been displaced (the vast majority have remained in Sudan, while others have fled to neighbouring Chad and further abroad.

To the Government of Sudan:

We recall that the Government of Sudan bears primary responsibility for the protection of its population. We therefore call on the Government of Sudan to take urgent step to protect the people of Darfur by:

* Halting the military scale up in Darfur and disarming the janjaweed militias responsible for a large part of the violence;
* Urgently agreeing and implementing a timetable of deployment of a hybrid protection force with the United Nations and the African Union;
* Ensuring adequate access to Darfur by humanitarian personnel and the media;
* Reopening meaningful political negotiations with all parties, including the non-signatories to the Darfur Peace Agreement;

To the African Union and the international community:

African States have been willing to take the lead in responding to the Darfur crisis, but it must do even more. At the same time, the United Nations and its member nations must do more to ensure that the efforts of the AU are appropriately supported. To this end States should:

* Demand that the government of Sudan complies with its obligations to protect its population and decisions of the UN Security Council and undertake to ensure that there will be consequences in the event of non compliance;
* Immediately arrange for deployment of peacekeepers to Chad where over a half a million displaced Darfurians and Chadians are desperately in need of security;
* Prepare to send more African and international troops to Darfur;
* Do its utmost to facilitate revitalized and inclusive peace negotiations;
* Ensure that the Government of Sudan does not ascend to the Presidency of the African Union thus compromising the neutrality and independence of the AU as it struggles to fulfil its mission on the ground.