ISG Action Alert

Critical Darfur advocacy action:
Identify the Genocidaires in Khartoum

This Tuesday, February 8, 2005, Khartoum's National Islamic Front regime will address the UN Security Council in New York City. Representing the regime will be the enormously powerful First Vice President, Ali Osman Taha.

Taha bears at least as much responsibility for Khartoum's genocidal policies in Darfur as any other individual in the regime. Taha's name appears on an important list of genocidaires compiled in a report by the US Congress (October 22, 2004). Moreover, Taha's name has in all likelihood been suppressed in the recent Report of the International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur to the UN Secretary-General (Geneva, January 25, 2005). And Taha's name also almost certainly appears on a confidential list of Khartoum's genocidaires compiled by the US State Department.

What is the diplomatic or moral logic by which Vice President Taha's appearance before the UN Security Council goes unchallenged? Why hasn't the State Department been compelled, under the legal obligations of the Comprehensive Sudan Peace Act (October 2004), to release its list of genocidaires? ---

"[The US State Department should] identify the perpetrators of such violations [of international law] with a view to ensuring that those responsible [for genocide in Darfur] are held accountable" (Section 12, subsection [a], Comprehensive Sudan Peace Act, October 2004).

Demand of your Congressional representatives that the State Department fulfill its legal obligations. Demand that the Bush administration order the State Department to fulfill the legal obligations of legislation signed into law by President Bush.

Congressional and White House contact information can be found at a number of websites, including:

http://www.house.gov/writerep/
http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/home/
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

Eric Reeves
Smith College
Northampton, MA 01063

413-585-3326
ereeves@smith.edu
www.sudanreeves.org

REFERENCES

http://www.house.gov/writerep/
http://www.visi.com/juan/congress/
http://www.congress.org/congressorg/home/
http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

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