As a member of your constituency, I am deeply concerned about the worsening humanitarian crisis in Sudan. While Congress once spoke out against the genocide in Darfur and called for accountability for Omar al-Bashir, attention has faded despite his ousting. Bashir’s close associates continue to commit genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. I urge you to be a voice for the people of Sudan, particularly in Darfur, where atrocities are escalating. We need your leadership to urge the Biden Administration and the U.N. Security Council to deliver humanitarian aid and authorize civilian protection forces to safeguard the vulnerable and hold perpetrators accountable.
Since April 2023, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have waged a destructive war, plunging Sudan into catastrophe. The violence, which started in Khartoum, has spread across the country. Darfur has seen the worst atrocities, including ethnic massacres of the Masalit people and other indigenous African communities. RSF forces occupy civilian homes, committing indiscriminate shelling and rampant sexual violence. Meanwhile, the SAF launches airstrikes and heavy artillery, indiscriminately targeting civilians and essential services.
In El Geneina alone, over 15,000 people have been slaughtered, with widespread rape and sexual violence committed against women and girls, some as young as 10. U.N. reports confirm the scale of these atrocities, including mass rape, sexual slavery, child recruitment, and destruction of public services like electricity and water. Both the RSF and SAF are responsible for these horrors.
Over 26 million people in Sudan face severe hunger, with famine declared in Darfur. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) reports that a child dies every two hours in Darfur’s displacement camps. Both RSF and SAF use starvation as a weapon against civilians. More than 10 million people are displaced internally, and over 2 million have fled to neighboring countries, where they live in deplorable conditions. The world cannot continue to ignore these atrocities.
I urge you to stand with the people of Sudan and advocate for the following:
1. Make Sudan a priority, calling for immediate humanitarian aid and protection of civilians.
2. Demand unconditional ceasefires from both the RSF and SAF and an end to attacks on civilians and humanitarian workers.
3. Impose targeted sanctions on those obstructing aid and perpetuating violence.
4. Expand the arms embargo from Darfur to all of Sudan to stop the supply of weapons and prevent further escalation.
5. Sanction those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The people of Sudan, Sudanese Americans, and your constituents look to you for leadership in these dark times. I urge you to be our voice and the voice of the voiceless in Sudan by supporting these urgent actions.
Thank you for your consideration.
First sent on October 10 by BlueCollarJew
