At the end of last week, in a presentation at Georgetown University, U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan Andrew Natsios claimed that the crisis in Darfur no longer constitutes "genocide". This represents a blatant attempt to shift U.S. policy on Darfur and rule out the necessity of new U.S. action to protect the people. Please take action today! Write Mr. Natsios and his boss President Bush and let them know that there are consequences for denying genocide. We will not stand idly by as genocide escalates in Darfur, and we will not allow the Bush Administration to undermine the urgency of the crisis and the imperative for U.S. action.

Despite the fact that he spent the majority of his speech giving personal witness to several of the violent acts described in the Genocide Convention, Natsios concluded, "The term genocide is counter to the facts of what is really occurring in Darfur." This statement contradicts Natsios' own testimony, numerous statements from the White House and State Department over the past two years, and recent reports coming out of Darfur. As recently as last week, reports from the United Nations, the African Union and human rights groups confirm that the Sudanese government continues its attacks on civilians. Even in the same Georgetown speech where he denies the genocide in Darfur, Natsios said, "The place is littered with mass graves." After describing how the Sudanese government-sponsored Janjaweed militia has destroyed homes, and confiscated land and animals, Natsios acknowledged, "Without property in Darfur, you will die…You cannot go back to your homes because you have nothing to live off of."

The definition of "genocide" laid out in the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide continues to describe the realities in Darfur. The "intent" of the Sudanese government to destroy, in whole or in part, specific African communities in Darfur is clear from documentary evidence, from the pattern of attacks and from the testimony of witnesses in the region. Furthermore, the five types of violent acts described in the Convention continue to be visited upon the people of Darfur, including widespread killings, the infliction of bodily and mental harm through rape and other crimes, and the deliberate destruction of livelihoods throughout Darfur. Click here for a fact sheet further describing the definition of "genocide" as it applies to Darfur and for Africa Action's latest press release on this subject.

The real danger in Natsios' denial of genocide is that it enables the Bush Administration to deprioritize its efforts to address the situation in Darfur. The U.S. continues to have unique leverage with Sudan and the rest of the international community that could stop the genocide. We must build the political will to ensure that Darfur becomes a key concern for the Bush Administration, yet Natsios' statement threatens to further sideline Darfur in U.S. foreign policy priorities. Join us by taking action today, and invite ten friends to do the same.

Together in the Struggle,

The Staff of Africa Action