Church in the World

International protests urge Darfur intervention

Sudan

Church activists were among tens of thousands of people who joined peace rallies, concerts and prayer vigils in some 30 cities around the world last Sunday demanding action to stop the killing in Sudan's Darfur region. Among those involved were the South African Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Canadian General Romeo Dallaire, who headed the UN peacekeeping force in Rwanda during that country's genocide in 1994, and whose warnings of the impending catastrophe fell on deaf ears in the international community. Archbishop Tutu wrote a special prayer for the day and, in Ottawa, Mr Dallaire, a Liberal senator, warned that Darfur could become the next Rwanda. "Darfur is tasting, smelling, looking in every way, shape and form like a repetition on a similar scale of what happened in Rwanda 12 years ago," the retired lieutenant general said.

The "Global Day for Action on Darfur" took place in the USA, Canada and across Europe, Africa and Asia. Sudan was urged to allow UN peacekeepers into Darfur to replace the African Union (AU) soldiers who are there only until the end of this month. The AU mission has struggled with 7,000 men, so a larger and better-equipped force has been proposed. Resolutions from both the UN Security Council and the AU have supported this proposal, but Khartoum has so far resisted international pressure and dismissed protests. Up to two million people have been displaced in three years of conflict in Darfur, largely as a result of government-approved militia activity, and despite a May peace agreement.

In London, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor joined Muslim, Jewish and other Christian leaders outside Downing Street on Sunday to pray for urgent protection for the people of Darfur. It was the first time the three major faiths had spoken out jointly about the situation there. The event was organised by the Catholic aid agency Cafod, Muslim Aid, World Jewish Aid, and other aid agencies.

The cardinal said, "Desperation is growing for the innocent people of Darfur. The conflict has left hundreds of thousands dead and driven millions more from their homes. It will be on the conscience of the world if we allow Darfur to descend further into suffering."

Sheikh Ibrahim Mogra, one of the UK's leading Muslim scholars, said, "There must be an end to the violence, the horror, the rape, the starvation, disease and mass slaughter of innocent victims. It is time the international community woke up to this crisis and acted positively to find a humanitarian solution to the crisis." Rabbi Barry Marcus, who represented the Chief Rabbi at the event, said, "We must not sleepwalk into another Rwanda. By working with other faiths we can show that principles like the protection of civilians are universal ones."

Revd David Peck of Lambeth Palace read out a plea by Archbishop Desmond Tutu. The Nobel Peace Prize winner said: "A few years ago an American politician said that if his phone had rung off the hook with his voters asking him to do something about Rwanda he would have been forced to act. Please pray for Darfur. Then let your prayer inform your actions: ask your elected representatives to ensure the protection of civilians in Darfur."

As thousands rallied in Central Park, New York, the US bishops called for the US administration "to redouble its efforts to end the intolerable moral and humanitarian crisis in Darfur through sustained, high-level engagement that will ensure the compliance of the Sudanese Government with its obligations under international law".