Friday, October 23, 2009

Darfur News Updates -- October 23, 2009

Darfur Activists Frustrated with Obama's Sudan Policy -- Time Magazine

Supporters of President Obama have learned this year that the realities of government rarely live up to expectations. One group particularly angered by the White House's lack of action are activists and lobbyists for Darfur, who backed him in last year's election and wanted quick action to end the killing and start fixing the humanitarian disaster in the troubled Sudanese region. Frustrated by the absence of an official policy, groups such as the Save Darfur Coalition, the antigenocide advocacy organization the Enough Project, and Humanity United, a California foundation that provided a significant portion of the money behind the Darfur movement, lashed out at Obama in early September. Furious at the President for not keeping his campaign promises, they bought full-page advertisements in major U.S. newspapers (including the local paper in Martha's Vineyard, where the First Family was vacationing) and ads online, rallying supporters to call, e-mail, Twitter and Facebook the White House to remind Obama that he once said, "Sudan is a priority for this Administration" and "There must be real pressure placed on the Sudanese government."

Read more ....

More News On Darfur

Aid workers free in Darfur after reported kidnap -- AFP
Darfur gunmen kidnap aid worker -- BBC
Kidnapping is big business in Sudan's Darfur -- ABS-CBN News
AU invites al-Beshir for Darfur talks in Nigeria: source -- AFP
Activist response to Darfur strategy -- MSNBC
Is the new U.S. policy on Sudan the dawn of a new era of engagement with Khartoum? -- Reuters
US takes carrot and stick to Sudan problem -- Financial Times
Obama and Darfur -- Wall Street Journal opinion
Obama's Sudan policy: 'incentives and pressure' -- L.A. Times editorial

No comments: