Clooney urges action on Darfur
2006-04-28 09:29
Washington - Hollywood star George Clooney on Thursday implored the US government to work harder to end what he called "the first genocide of the 21st century" in Sudan's troubled Darfur region.
"What we cannot do is turn our head and look away and hope that this will somehow disappear, because if we do, they will. They will disappear. And an entire generation of people will be gone," Clooney said at a press conference.
"Then only history will be left to judge us," said the actor, who returned earlier this week from a tour of the Darfur region in southern Sudan and Chad.
The George W. Bush administration has taken a tough line on the Darfur crisis, calling the violence there "genocide," while the US Senate and House have both passed legislation that would slap sanctions on Sudanese officials deemed responsible.
Rallies to be held in US
But Clooney said a louder public outcry would encourage governments around the world to do even more, and urged broad participation at rallies to be held on Sunday in San Francisco and Washington.
"The president wants to put a stop to it, the Congress want to put a stop it. What they need now is the American people and the world's populations to help them, to tell them that it matters that much to them."
"It is the first genocide of the 21st century," he said.
US sanctions
Clooney made his plea as US President George W. Bush on Thursday ordered sanctions against four individuals linked to the strife in Darfur.
Bush acted after the same four individuals were placed on a UN Security Council sanctions blacklist on Tuesday.
Rebels have been fighting government-backed militias in Darfur since February 2003. The conflict has left up to 300 000 people dead from violence or disease and more than 2.4 million homeless.
- AFP