Galway : Amnesty takes to the street over the obscenity of Darfur.

galway | anti-war / imperialism | news report Tuesday September 12, 2006 21:11 by TD - Amnesty International Irish Section

The UN says some 23,000 peacekeepers are needed in Darfur to protect civilians and implement the peace agreement – Amnesty says they are needed NOW!

As part of a worldwide week of action by Amnesty International and other coalitions of organisations Galway AI took to the streets today in Galway to highlight the obscenity of what's happened and happening in Darfur :

From L to R; Aileen, Stevo, Andy and Karen.

Since 2003, Darfur in Western Sudan has been embroiled in a vicious conflict: 85,000 civilians have been killed and more than 200,000 have died from war related causes. More than 2 million people have been displaced and live in displaced-persons camps in Sudan or in refugee camps in Chad; more than 3.5 million people are reliant on international aid for survival.

António Guterres, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has described the situation in Sudan and Chad as “the largest and most complex humanitarian problem on the globe.”

Governments have been quick to call for an end to the violence, but slow to act. UN resolutions have not been implemented and six rounds of peace talks over almost two years have failed to resolve the crisis. A new approach is needed by the international community to prevent further violence and suffering. Amnesty International is calling for the immediate deployment of a strong UN peacekeeping force to protect civilians in Darfur. Strong public action is now essential to put pressure on the UN Security Council member states into taking action, and calling for the immediate deployment of a UN Peacekeeping force in Darfur.

As part of Galway's contribution, signatories to our petition were also encouraged to sign the post card to Ambassador Zhang Xinsen of the People's Republic of China - China's a major transgressor of the arms embargo on Darfur.

Ambassador Zhang Xinsen
Embassy of the People's Republic of China in Ireland
40 Ailesbury Road,
Ballsbridge,
Dublin 4,
Ireland

Dear Ambassador,

I am writing to you to express my ongoing concern at the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. Between 2003 and 2005, more than 85,000 people were killed as a direct result of the conflict in Darfur. An estimated 200,000 more died from conflict-related disease. Meanwhile, the conflict in Darfur has not abated, and has gained an increasingly regional dimension, leading to concerns about an upsurge of human rights violations in neighbouring Chad, as much as in Darfur itself. Over two million people have been displaced, including some 200,000 refugees, who have sought asylum across the border into eastern Chad.

I urge the Chinese government to support the deployment of a UN peacekeeping force with a strong mandate and means to protect civilians and to urge the Sudanese government to accept the UN force. I also urge the Chinese government to respect the arms embargo on Darfur and restrict the flow of arms into the area in the interest of long and lasting peace. The evidence that Amnesty International has been able to gather suggests that China has been a significant supplier of arms to Sudan.

The continuing violations of international human rights and humanitarian law in Darfur and the inability of the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) to ensure effective protection of civilians requires the urgent deployment of an effective UN peacekeeping mission. Until a UN peacekeeping mission is established Amnesty International is calling for high level funding of AMIS in order to prevent further loss of life and suffering. I am calling upon the Chinese government to offer its support.

Yours Sincerely

As part of this campaign, Galway AI is also screening Hotel Rwanda at 8PM in the Irish Centre for
Human Rights (opposite the Cathedral) on Friday 15th Sept. at 8PM. Entry is FREE

On Sunday 17th Sept, wear a blue hat or any other item of blue clothing, in
support of a Global Day to support the people of Darfur,

For the next week we'll be outside Lynch's castle in Shop street doing our duty, to participate in this action, call Jameen/Anna or Marianne at our shop in Middle Street; 091 533 637.

The noted Galway solicitor and activist; Pat Lynch is in the foreground.