“The April elections are a lie. Please tell Americans to not support in any way these lie elections.” Abdullaziz, a displaced Darfuri leader living in a refugee camp in Chad, tells Gabriel Stauring, Director of Stop Genocide Now, during their 3am phone call. Like many Darfuris, Abdullaziz is deeply concerned about what April elections will bring to his people.
Grassroots groups and Darfuris across the nation have joined together to say: No support for sham elections in Sudan! For the 50 days leading to the election, regular citizens in every state will take targeted and effective action to say we do not support elections that will legitimize an indicted war criminal.
Under the current climate of violence and political intimidation, the Sudanese elections currently scheduled for April 11, 2010 will be anything but free and fair. The electoral reforms laid out by Sudan’s 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement – necessary for a credible election – have been delayed, obstructed and outrightly violated by the Sudanese government. With insecurity continuing in Darfur and violence mounting in the South, fraudulent elections in April could be a dangerous flashpoint for Sudan.
Join us in the Sudan Sham Elections 2010 campaign. For 50 days leading to the elections, February 20th through April 11th, each of the 50 states and Washington DC will take daily action to show overwhelming support for peace, protection, and justice for Sudan.
Each state will organize one day of action for the campaign. Actions will be easy and available for everyone in the state to take, yet targeted and effective. Our grassroots actions will support high-level advocacy campaigns by the national groups: Enough, Save Darfur, and Genocide Intervention Network. Actions will urge our government not to legitimize a war criminals reign through elections built around violence, intimidation, and coercion.
Join this national, grassroots campaign! Visit the website, Sudan Sham Elections 2010, to:
1. Sign the petition
2. Find your state on the map – contact the leader to get involved locally.
3. If your state doesn’t yet have a leader, sign up! We need all 50 states represented for success.
4. Tell 3 friends about the upcoming campaign – use your facebook, myspace, or twitter status to spread the word!
States who still need a leader: Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming
We are regular citizens around the 50 United States and DC, standing with the people of Sudan—the marginalized, the disenfranchised, and the brutally oppressed—in demanding truth and strength. An indicted war criminal, responsible for millions of deaths, will never be a legitimate leader. Peace, protection, and justice will come from strength in effort and conviction from our leaders.
Do Not Stand Idly By – Join Us! Contact Katie-Jay Scott, ktj@stopgenocidenow.org to get involved.
The opinions expressed here are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Save Darfur Coalition.
