There have been many declarations of victory in recent weeks – with the signing of the peace agreement in Abuja and the launch of the United Nations (UN) assessment mission that could pave the way for a UN peacekeeping mission in Darfur – but the fact is that the only change on the ground in Darfur is that things are getting worse. It is time for us to take to the streets again to let decision-makers know that we will not be silent until the genocide stops. Join us at the White House on June 20th or at the UN on Tuesdays, or consider crafting an event of your own in this critical month.

Africa Action has been monitoring the peace agreement signed between the Government of Sudan and one of the Darfur rebel factions. The UN has taken the first step towards a possible future peacekeeping mission by authorizing a UN assessment team that is likely leaving this week. The UN Security Council is also in Sudan this week to continue to pressure the Sudanese government to accept a UN mission to support the work of the African Union on the ground.

These are all positive first steps, but unfortunately, the Sudanese government and their proxy militia, the Janjaweed, have already violated the peace agreement on several occasions by attacking villages and camps for internally displaced people. With the breaking of the ceasefire, it is clear that this peace agreement is fragile at best. Any hope for a new and more substantive agreement signed by all parties rests on a UN peacekeeping mission being deployed to protect the people and create a safe passage for humanitarian aid thereby fostering a climate of security that is conducive to lasting peace. For more analysis on the deal please read our latest policy statement and our campaign update.

The linchpin to achieving a multilateral intervention continues to be the United States. The U.S. has special leverage with each of the key stakeholders and will be the most powerful and persuasive voice in decisions about troop size, mandate and the speed of deployment. While the Bush Administration has been on record in support of a UN intervention, we hear from our sources that the U.S. has failed to do the diplomatic heavy lifting required to secure peace in Darfur. We have the power to protect the people of Darfur, but will we use it?

As a movement, we demonstrated our size in the rallies and marches over the past several months, but it is easy for the Bush Administration to think that we are just voicing support for what they are already doing. We have never been better poised to make change than at this moment, but too many people think that, with the signing of the Abuja deal, the genocide is all but resolved. Please help us to set the story straight by taking to the streets to stop genocide in Darfur.

Africa Action will host an action at the White House on World Refugee Day, June 20th at noon in Lafayette Park (16th and H St. NW). (NOTE THE NEW DATE! This event was moved from the previously announced date in earlier June.)

We invite you to join us and to wear black or dark clothing. At 1:00 PM, after hearing rousing speakers and raising our voices for the people of Darfur we will walk to the White House fence and enact a “die-in”, where willing participants will be asked to lie down to symbolize the rising death toll in Darfur and eastern Chad and to call for a greater international response to protect people.

We will not risk arrest in this non-violent action, and those who choose not to participate in this part of the program can stay in solidarity in Lafayette Park. Let us know if you have any questions. (LINK to email) Please help us to spread the word. (LINK to flyer) Together we can let the White House know that we are watching and calling for the Bush Administration to move beyond rhetoric to achieve results in Darfur.

Also in Washington, DC Africa Action is supporting the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) in weekly actions at the Sudanese Embassy where each Tuesday at 10:00 AM at least one Representative risks arrest. Please mark your calendars and join the CBC!

In New York, the weekly vigils that have been going on courageously since February will continue at the U.S. Mission to the UN, 140 E. 45th Street, between 3rd and Lexington Avenues, from noon to 2pm in June on the 6th, 13th, 20th and 27th. Come when you can for as long as you can. Please contact Helga Moore (212-628-4005) for more information and help us spread the word by downloading a flyer.

If you are wiling to craft a vigil in your hometown, please contact us. A guide to crafting your own event can be downloaded from our Activist Toolkit along with chants, sample flyers, and other tools. If you let us know the date and time of your event or vigil we can help you to publicize it and send an alert to the other activists in your region to support your action.

Not a fan of the outdoors? Timid about event coordination? Letters to the editor are critical at this moment, when many in America seem to think that Darfur is done, so feel free to write to your local newspaper. A sample letter can also be found in our Action Center.

Africa Action will host a grassroots training on “How to Host an Event” by conference call on June 14th at 8:00 PM Eastern. All you need to participate is a telephone. To join the call dial 1-866-613-5223 and then enter the passcode 7662722. Please call in from a land-line, not a cell phone. Please RSVP at mobilize@africaaction.org. We will post the call in MP3 format by the end of that week in our Activist Toolkit on the website.
Thank you for your continued commitment to the people of Darfur – and your vigilance in this campaign.

Sincerely,


The Staff at Africa Action