In February 2006, the United States will become the Chair of the UN Security Council. As citizens of the United States we need to step up pressure now on the President and Congress to assert international leadership to intervene against the Darfur genocide. Passing and enacting proposed legislation and resolutions at the national and international level can secure the region and protect its citizens and allow peace negotiations to continue.

At the national level, we can do this by urging our Representatives to

1. pass HR 3127, the Darfur Peace Accountability Act which has already passed the Senate. This bill includes:
   • Sense of Congress language reaffirming the finding of genocide, urging expansion and a stronger mandate for the AU mission; calling on the U.S. to render assistance to efforts of the ICC in Darfur; calling for "additional, dispositive measures" if the AU mission fails to stop the genocide; and calling for appointment of a Presidential Envoy for Sudan;
   • Asset and travel sanctions against individuals designated by the President as responsible for atrocities in Darfur (allowing a Presidential waiver);
   • Authorization to the Administration to provide assistance to reinforce the AU mission (AMIS), "including but not limited to" logistics, transport, communications, training, command and control, technical, and aerial surveillance;
   • Instructions to use the U.S. voice, vote, and influence to advocate NATO reinforcement of AMIS, including assets to deter air strikes against civilians, logistical, transport, communications, training, technical, command and control, aerial surveillance, and intelligence support;
   • Denial of entry at U.S. ports to cargo ships or oil tankers engaged in business or trade in the oil sector of Sudan or involved in the shipment of goods for use by Sudan Armed Forces;
   • Prohibition of non-humanitarian assistance from countries which violate the military embargo imposed by UNSCR 1556 and 1591;
   • Direction to the Administration to pursue passages of a UNSC resolution expanding AMIS, pressing on peace talks, imposing individual sanctions, and calling for suspension of Sudan's rights and privileges of membership in the General Assembly; and,
   • Reporting requirements on sanctions imposed by the Comprehensive Peace in Sudan Act (2004) and on the status of the AMIS mission and U.S. assistance to it.
2. At the international level, we must urge our congressional delegation and the President to introduce a resolution to the UN Security Council to transform African Union troops in Darfur into UN troops, to expand their mission to active protection of civilians and to add 20,000 other UN troops to the mission to secure the region and to protect civilians and humanitarian relief workers. An international intervention is necessary to:
   • stop the killings, rapes and pillage in Darfur
   • provide security to facilitate humanitarian assistance programs for internally displaced people and refugees
   • enforce the African Union cease-fire between Khartounm and the rebels in Darfur
   • facilitate the voluntary return of displaced persons to their land the reconstruction of their homes in a secure environment.
3. To remove obstacles to passing this resolution in the Security Council we must urge President Bush to challenge China's support of the Sudanese government and to negotiate China's support of the UN resolution to intervene against the genocide in Darfur.