Just a reminder for our meeting tomorrow nite at 9:00 PM in the food
court of Ivory Towers.

I would also like to share the attached email with you. As many of
you know students from Swarthmore are working on the Genocide
Intervention Fund which works to raise money to fund the AU. I
received a call from one of the members urging our group to donate
some or all of our money to this fund. I personally have some
reserves about this fund and prefer our donations to go to
humanitarian aid but please review the information sent and let me
know how you feel about the genocide intervention fund.

See you all tomorrow night.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Andrew Sniderman <andrewsniderman@...>
Date: Sat, 19 Feb 2005 16:41:12 -0500
Subject: AU mandate, other relevant passages
To: sara.weisman@...


Sara,
I've attached a piece I wrote about a month ago outlining our logic.
Also, I've attached the AU mandate and some relevant passages from UN
Secretary-General reports, which
provide the most detailed accounts of the situation in Darfur.

http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N05/229/23/PDF/N0522923.pdf?OpenElement

Here is a notable passage:

"[T]he presence and pro-active initiatives taken by the African Union
mission have surpassed expectations. The mission has facilitated the
movement of humanitarian relief, prevented the escalation of violence
by mediating between groups of fighters and moving to pre-empt attacks
by deploying to likely flashpoints. The African Union force is also
providing a valuable neutral assessment of the situation, defusing
tensions through diplomatic efforts and providing security by its
presence. It needs and deserves the continued and enhanced support of
the entire international community."

From the January report:
http://daccessdds.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/N05/201/40/PDF/N0520140.pdf?OpenElement

"The 2 December Kebkabiyah incident is an example of scucesssful
diplomatic intervention by the AU Ceasefire Commision and illustrates
the importance of hanving sufficient African Union Mission in the
Sudan troops on the groupnd. When there were rumous f possible armed
militia attach on the Kebkabiyah market, the Ceasefire Commission
intervened and discussed with the militia the readiness of AMIS to
protect the civilians if attacked and also its resolve to defend
itself under similar circumstances. Such sotnrg message bore fruit,
not least because the sector in question is the one where the greatest
number of AMIS troops have been deployed.

"The strengthening of the AU force on the ground has proved to be
effective not only in performing monitoring tasks but more importantly
in protecting the civilian population by a combination of deterrence
and good offices. AU has not been able to put in as many forces as
originally hoped, and they need help from the international community
to make it happen. We need to do whatever is required, working with AU
and others, to accelerate the rate of deployment and ensure that we
have more troops on the ground to assist."

"The AU force, itself now under threat of attach, has done more than
any other outside agent to improve the security situation on the
ground by its presence and its actions to mediate and forestall
violent actions. Whatever actions and new initiatives are undertaken,
AU, both in its troops on the ground and its leadership of the
political process, will remain, for the foreseeable future, the best
mechanism for promoting peace in Darfur".

I've also attached an articled I wrote in the beginning of January,
outlining the logic of the GIF. Also, please check out our FAQs at
http://www.genocideinterventionfund.org/about/faq.php

Please ask me more questions when you sort through all this stuff.

Sincerely,
Andrew




--
Sara Weisman

2222 Eye Street NW
Room 312
Washington, DC 20052
609-937-3190