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Congressman Doyle Calls for U.S. Action to Stop Genocide in Darfur
Washington, DC – April 25, 2006 – U.S. Representative Mike Doyle (PA-14) today called for U.S. action to stop the Sudanese government’s genocidal policies in Darfur.
“Over the last three years, hundreds of thousands of innocent men, women, and children have died and more than a million have been displaced as a result of the genocidal policies of the Sudanese government,” Congressman Doyle said. “It’s completely unacceptable that the United States is standing by and allowing this tragedy to go on year after year after year.”
The Pittsburgh Darfur Emergency Campaign (PDEC) recently collected more than 12,000 postcards from local people concerned about the ongoing genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. The PDEC’s efforts are part of a national campaign by the Save Darfur Coalition to pressure the Bush Administration to do more to end the genocide.
“I can’t begin to express how proud I am to be from a community where so many people really care about this critical issue,” Congressman Doyle said. “I hope that this postcard campaign, the vote today in City Council, and the upcoming rally in Washington serve not only as examples of the kind of accomplishments that are possible with hard work and dedication – but also as motivation for people around the world to undertake similar endeavors in order to help end complacency, raise people’s awareness of this pressing human rights crisis, and compel them to action.”
Immediately after the rally, the Pittsburgh City Council approved a resolution sponsored by Councilman Bill Peduto that urged President Bush to continue pushing for a multinational peacekeeping force presence in Sudan to end the genocide in Darfur.
“Today’s vote in City Council is another important effort to call attention to the suffering of the people of Darfur and help put pressure on the world leaders who have the power to stop this horrible slaughter,” Congressman Doyle added. “I want to commend Bill Peduto, Dave Rosenberg, and all of the individuals and groups that have organized and participated in this effort.”
Representative Doyle has been actively involved in Congressional efforts to get the Sudanese government to end the genocide in Sudan. He is a cosponsor of several bills designed to put pressure on the government of Sudan. The House of Representatives recently passed one of these bills, the Darfur Peace and Accountability Act, which would freeze the assets of any individuals responsible for genocide or crimes against humanity in Sudan and deny them visas. The bill would also deny entry to U.S. ports to Sudanese ships and prohibit U.S. assistance to any country violating the U.N. embargo on military assistance to Sudan. In addition, the bill calls for an expansion of the African peace-keeping force currently operating in Darfur.
“I urge everyone concerned about the people of Darfur to keep the pressure on Congress, the Bush Administration, the international community, and most of all the Sudanese government in the coming days,” Doyle said.
Congressman Doyle accepts postcards urging greater US action to end the genocide in Darfur from David Rosenberg and other members of the Pittsburgh Darfur Emergency Coalition on the steps of the City-County Building in Pittsburgh on April 25, 2006.
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