Call 202.647.5291 today -- then forward this message to 10 friends!
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice allows a U.S. lobbyist to represent the government of Sudan in Washington, D.C.
On Aug. 12, 2005, Rice exempted Sudan from long-standing sanctions to permit the hiring of a Washington lobbyist (and former State Department official). The State Department claims that the lobbyist is helping the United States and Sudan communicate. But throughout September, the government of Sudan attacked civilians in Darfur. (See articles here, here and here.) Clearly, the lobbyist is not getting the right message to the government of Sudan.
WHY DOES IT MATTER?
The freedom to hire a U.S. lobbyist is a privilege enjoyed by governments that protect their people.
The government of Sudan wants to pretend nothing much is happening in Darfur. On Friday, The New York Times reported that Sudanese President Omar el-Beshir "denied that the government-financed janjaweed militias existed." Sudan wants to be treated as a regular government. If the United States makes an exception for the government of Sudan, it will be sending the wrong signal. The government of Sudan must be held accountable for its active role in perpetrating genocide against its own citizens.
WHAT CAN I DO?
The State Department is ashamed of the exemption and vulnerable to pressure from concerned Americans.
The State Department has been very careful to say the right things about Darfur. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell declared Darfur a genocide and criticized the government of Sudan publicly for its role in creating the crisis. Secretary Rice and her colleagues do not want to be perceived as taking the Darfur issue lightly -- which is why the exemption for the lobbyist happened without any public mention. If it becomes a public issue, the State Department will revoke the exemption.
TELL SECRETARY RICE TO FIRE SUDAN’S LOBBYIST: CALL 202.647.5291 TODAY.
For more on the issue, see:
Rep. Wolf (R-Va.) Critical of Lobbyist Representing Government of Sudan
"Lobbyist to Put In a Good Word for Sudan," Al Kamen, The Washington Post, Oct. 26, 2005
Original Action Alert from the Genocide Intervention Network