Text 2575, 117 rader
Skriven 2006-05-08 23:34:52 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0605087) for Mon, 2006 May 8
===================================================
===========================================================================
Fact Sheet: Darfur Agreement: A Step toward Peace
===========================================================================

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
May 8, 2006

Fact Sheet: Darfur Agreement: A Step toward Peace


˙˙˙˙˙ In Focus: Africa

Last Friday, The Government Of Sudan And The Largest Darfur Rebel Group
Signed An Agreement And Took A Step Toward Peace. We are still far from our
ultimate goal of returning millions of displaced people to their homes so
they can have a life without fear, but we can now see a way forward. The
President is particularly grateful for the leadership of President Obasanjo
of Nigeria and President Sassou-Nguesso of the Republic of the Congo.

The President Has Called The Massive Violence An Act Of Genocide - No Other
Word Captures The Extent Of This Tragedy. A 22-year civil war between north
and south took more than 2 million lives before a peace agreement that the
United States helped to broker was signed early last year. At about the
same time, another conflict was raging to the west - in Sudan's vast Darfur
region. Darfur rebel groups had attacked government outposts. To fight that
rebellion, Sudan's regime armed and unleashed a horse-mounted militia
called the Janjaweed, which targeted not only the rebels but the tribes
thought to be supporting them. The Janjaweed murdered men and raped women
and beat children to death and burned homes and farms and poisoned wells,
stole land to graze their own herds, and destroyed hundreds of villages.
About 200,000 people have died from conflict, famine, and disease, and more
than 2 million were forced into camps. A ceasefire was declared in this
conflict in April 2004, but it has been routinely violated by all sides.

With This Peace Agreement, Darfur Has A Chance To Begin Anew. Sudan's
government has promised to disarm the Janjaweed by mid-October, and to
punish all those who violate the ceasefire. The main rebel group has agreed
to withdraw into specified areas. Its forces will eventually be disarmed as
well, and some of its units will be integrated into the national army and
police. The African Union will meet a week from today, and the President
urges its members to help implement this agreement.

The President's Plan To Assist Darfur Has Two Critical Components:

First, America And Other Nations Must Act To Prevent A Humanitarian
Emergency. America is the leading provider of humanitarian aid, and this
year alone we account for more than 85 percent of the food distributed by
the World Food Program in Sudan. The situation, however, remains dire.
  ū The United States Has Met Its Commitment - But Other Major Donors Have
    Not Come Through. The World Food Program has issued an appeal for funds
    necessary to feed 6 million people over the next several months. The
    United States has met our commitment - but other major donors have not
    come through. As a result, this month the World Food Program was forced
    to cut rations by half. The President has proposed, in the emergency
    supplemental before Congress, to increase food aid to Sudan by another
    $225 million. The President hopes Congress will act swiftly on this
    true emergency.

  ū The President Is Directing The Federal Government To Take Numerous
    Actions To Provide Relief To The People Of Darfur. The President has
    directed USAID to ship emergency food stockpiles, and he has ordered
    five ships to be loaded with food and to proceed immediately to Port
    Sudan. The President has ordered the emergency purchase of another
    40,000 metric tons of food for rapid shipment to Sudan. These actions
    will allow the World Food Program to restore full food rations to the
    people of Darfur this summer. Americans who wish to contribute money to
    help deliver relief to the people of Darfur can find information about
    how to do so by going to the USAID website at www.USAID.govand clicking
    on the section marked "Helping the Sudanese People."

  ū The European Union - And Nations Like Canada, The United Kingdom, The
    Netherlands, And Japan - Have Taken Leadership On Other Humanitarian
    Issues, And The People Of Darfur Urgently Need More Of Their Help Now.
    In addition, the government of Sudan must allow all UN agencies to do
    their work without hindrance by removing the visa and travel
    restrictions that complicate relief efforts. And all sides must cease
    attacks on relief workers.

Second, America And Other Nations Must Work Quickly To Increase Security On
The Ground In Darfur.
  ū America Is Working With NATO Members To Increase Security In Darfur.
    America is working with our NATO allies to support the African Union
    forces in Darfur with immediate assistance in the form of planning,
    logistics, intelligence support, and other help, and the President
    urges members of the alliance to contribute to this effort.

  ū America Is Working With The UN To Increase Security In Darfur. The
    African Union troops must be the core of a larger military force that
    is more mobile and more capable, generates better intelligence - and is
    given a clear mandate to protect civilians from harm. So the President
    is dispatching Secretary Rice to address the United Nations Security
    Council tomorrow and to request a resolution that will accelerate the
    deployment of United Nations peacekeepers into Darfur.

      ū We Are Working With The UN To Identify Countries That Can
        Contribute Troops To This Peacekeeping Effort. The President has
        called President Bashir of Sudan, both to commend him on his work
        for this agreement, and to urge his government to express clear
        support for the UN force. The vulnerable people of Darfur deserve
        the active protection that UN peacekeepers are called to provide.

While America Is Providing Aid To The Suffering People In Darfur, Al Qaeda
Wants To Add To The Misery By Killing Those Who Want Only To Help. In a
recent audiotape, Osama Bin Laden attacked American efforts in Sudan and
urged his followers to kill international peacekeepers in Darfur. While the
terrorists are attempting to exploit the misery of fellow Muslims and
encourage more death, America and other responsible nations are fighting
misery and helping a desperate region come back to life. The contrast could
not be clearer.

# # #
===========================================================================
Return to this article at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/05/20060508-7.html

 * Origin: (1:3634/12)