09.14.06

Cantwell Urges Immediate Deployment of U.N. Peacekeepers to Sudan to Halt Hostilities in Darfur

African Union peacekeepers to leave this month; Cantwell urges quick action to prevent more bloodshed

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) is urging President Bush to take immediate steps to help stop the killing in the Darfur region of Sudan. African Union peacekeepers currently deployed in Darfur are scheduled to leave by the end of the month and Cantwell is calling for the quick deployment of U.N. troops to fill the void and avert what U.N. Under Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs Jan Egeland has called a potential “man-made catastrophe of an unprecedented scale.” While the U.N. has approved a peacekeeping force for Darfur, the Sudanese government has resisted its deployment and has begun to send its own troops into Darfur.

“The recent rise in violence and U.N. warnings about the worsening humanitarian situation make it all the more important that we act urgently and redouble our efforts to stop the widespread killing in Darfur,” said Cantwell. “We can't delay any longer. U.N. peacekeepers must be deployed to Darfur.”

A resolution introduced by Senator Joe Biden (D-DE), Cantwell, and others, and approved by the Senate late Wednesday night, calls on President Bush to appoint a special envoy to Sudan and to work with allies to impose a no-fly zone in Darfur. In addition, the resolution calls on Bush to work to secure the support of China, Russia, and U.S. allies in the Arab League in backing U.N. efforts to deploy peacekeepers. It also urges the international community to support humanitarian assistance efforts and to impose targeted sanctions against those in the Sudanese government determined to be responsible for human rights violations, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

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