President Obama, This is your Rwanda moment - Dave Eggers and John Prendergast in today's New York Times

The United States has a pivotal role to play in preventing a return to full-scale war in Sudan, a country that is approaching a January 2011 secession vote that could re-ignite a conflict that has already taken two million lives, argue Enough Co-founder John Prendergast and critically-acclaimed author Dave Eggers in a New York Times op-ed out today.Says the op-ed: “This is President Obama’s Rwanda moment, and it is unfolding now, in slow motion. It is not too late to prevent the coming war in Sudan, and protect the peace we helped build five short years ago.” Yesterday, the International Criminal Court issued a second arrest warrant against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, this time charging the head of state with multiple counts of genocide. When the ICC issued its first arrest warrant, President Bashir evicted more than a dozen international aid groups from Sudan, putting an estimated one million people at risk. The U.S. and international community should work together to ensure Bashir’s swift arrest and prevent violent retaliation by the ruling regime to this latest charge. “Accountability is a fundamental component of sustainable peace in Sudan,” says Prendergast in a joint statement issued yesterday by four human rights advocacy organizations. “President Obama should make abundantly clear his unequivocal support for peace rooted in justice in Sudan by sending the message that consequences will result from any retaliation against Sudanese civilians as a result of this warrant, and by building stronger international support for this warrant.” Read our joint statement on the ICC decision and take action to encourage U.S. leadership to prevent retaliation against Darfuri civilians. Read Prendergast’s and Eggers's New York Times op-ed here. And please consider submitting your own brief (no more than 150 words) letter to the editor, letters@nytimes.com. If you do send a letter, remember to include your name, address, and phone number. Thank you. Share article on Facebook Tweet it

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