(Washington, DC) – Tom Andrews, President of Genocide Intervention Network/Save Darfur Coalition issued the following statement welcoming today’s release of the Presidential Directive on Mass Atrocities:
“President Obama is exactly right – preventing mass atrocities is very much a core moral responsibility of our nation while also being in our national interest. We welcome the release of the Presidential Directive on Mass Atrocities and steps outlined by the administration to strengthen our nation’s capacity to prevent mass atrocities and genocide. These include ensuring that vital early-warning information about a possible mass atrocity or genocide is able to get from the ground to the highest levels of government decision making.”
“Strong action to stop mass atrocities is needed now more than ever. President Bashir of Sudan, wanted for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, is now attacking the people of Sudan’s South Kordofan region. Swift action by the United States and its allies is literally a matter of life and death for civilians who are being attacked because of their identity. In Syria, more and more lives are being lost at the hands of government forces. It is imperative that the United States act expeditiously to build and leverage a whole of government response to the world’s worst crimes. Presidential leadership, interagency coordination and high-level prioritization are welcome steps forward.”
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The Save Darfur Coalition and Genocide Intervention Network merged to create a more powerful voice dedicated to preventing and stopping large-scale, deliberate atrocities against civilians. The organization remains committed to its work to end the crisis in Darfur and bring peace to all of Sudan as well as to end violence in other areas of mass atrocities such as Congo and Burma. The merger creates the world’s largest anti-genocide organization, with a membership base of hundreds of thousands of committed activists globally, an unparalleled nationwide student movement, more than 190 faith-based, advocacy and human rights partner organizations, and a network of institutional investors collectively representing more than $2 trillion in assets under management.
CONTACT:
Ann Brown, abrown@annbrowncommunications.com, 301-633-4193
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