Time for Divestment in the Sudan

How long will decent people let the genocide in Darfur, Sudan continue? Over three years ago Congress and even President Bush named the violence in Darfur what it is: genocide. Yet it continues. After the Holocaust of the Third Reich, the world said: “Never again.” After the horror of Rwanda, the world said: “Never again.” People of conscience want to know when “never”, with regard to Darfur, will finally begin.

Since 2003, the Sudanese government and its proxy militia, the Janjaweed (the devil on horseback), have been conducting a scorched earth campaign against targeted African communities in Darfur, an area in western Sudan the size of Texas. With extensive support from the Sudanese military, the Janjaweed have terrorized and killed civilians, raped women and girls, and burned villages to the ground. Nearly a half million people have been slaughtered.

When, please tell us, does “never again” begin? With nearly 4.2 million people in need of humanitarian aid, and more than 2 million of whom have been displaced from their homes to live in make-shift camps dispersed through out the regions, the genocide has gone on and on and on.

Despite condemnation from the international community and countless U.N Security Council resolutions, Khartoum has not taken any steps to disarm the Janjaweed, or to end attacks on civilians. Shrugging their shoulders at the U.N. arms embargo, the government continues to fly weapons into the region, and it does little to discourage the ever growing numbers of splinter rebel groups in order to keep the chaos going.

Let us remember the prophet Jeremiah who cried out against the rulers and people of his time: “For from the least to the greatest of them everyone is greedy for unjust gain; and from prophet to priest, everyone deals falsely. They have treated the wound of my people carelessly, saying ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace. They have acted shamefully, they have committed abomination; yet they were not ashamed, they did not know how to blush.” (Jeremiah 6:13-15)

Are we not embarrassed by the outrageous acts destroying innocent people in Darfur? It is time to do more than to shake our finger and label the events for the past three years as genocide. It is time to use some muscle, and exercise the real clout that is based in economics. If we do not, we are party to the abominations and shameful acts.

The Sudanese government depends heavily on foreign investment to fund its military campaign in Darfur. For example, more than 70% of Sudan’s oil revenue is used to purchase or produce the military equipment Sudan uses against its own citizens. While U.S. sanctions currently prevent domestically-owned companies from doing business in Sudan, many U.S. companies, mutual funds and individuals are unwittingly funding the Sudanese atrocities through their investments in foreign companies operating in Sudan.

Federal divestment legislation – H.R. 180, passed in July in the House by a vote of 418 to one; and a similar Senate bill (S.2271)—the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act that was introduced in October—could go a long way to increase dramatically the economic pressure on the Sudanese government by prohibiting U.S. government contracts with all foreign companies whose business helps fund the Sudanese campaign in Darfur. These companies which engage in the oil, energy, mineral extraction and weapons industries would be forced to choose between contracts with the U.S. government and business with Khartoum.

Citizens who are bothered by the whole catastrophe in Darfur should know that the Bush administration has slowed the progress on this legislation, fearing that it might endanger some current diplomatic activities with Sudan. American people of conscience know that time has already run out for too many people. Thanks to the efforts of citizens throughout the U.S., 21 states have already enacted Sudan divestment measures.

Now it’s time for the U.S. Senate to stand up and demonstrate that the U.S. isn’t just giving lip-service to its opposition to genocide. If the Senate fails to act, a critical opportunity is lost. Call Senator McConnell and Senator Bunning and ask them: When does “never again” really begin? Now is the time to act for our brothers and sisters in Darfur. Tell them to vote for the Sudan Accountability and Divestment Act.