WHEREAS, A civil conflict erupted in the western Sudanese region of Darfur in early 2003 between rebel groups and Sudanese government-backed militias called Janjaweed; and
WHEREAS, This conflict has resulted in 400,000 deaths, 2.5 million persons being displaced, and 3.5 million persons living in starvation; and
WHEREAS, While there have been atrocities on both sides, respected international observers place the blame for the abuses primarily on the Janjaweed and their practice of ethnic cleansing; and
WHEREAS, The atrocities include, but are not limited to, murder, rape, torture, beatings, mutilations, and genocide; and
WHEREAS, Observers with respected human rights groups, the United Nations, and the United States government have determined that the Sudanese government in Khartoum has financed, armed, and encouraged the militias in the conduct of their atrocities; and
WHEREAS, The Sudanese government has accepted a peace-keeping force from the African Union but has repeatedly declined to accept a force of 10,000 United Nations peacekeepers to bring about a cessation of hostilities and provide the stability necessary for safe food distribution, humanitarian relief, and development activities; and
WHEREAS, The civil conflict in Sudan has spilled over into the neighboring country of Chad and threatens to bring the same atrocities and destabilizing forces into the eastern portion of that country; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the messengers to the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in Greensboro, North Carolina, June 13-14, 2006, commend the President of the United States, George W. Bush, and the United States government for steadfastly pursuing a resolution to this humanitarian crisis; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we encourage the government of the Democratic Republic of Sudan, and their president, General Omar al-Bashir to disband the Janjaweed militias and allow the United Nations peace-keeping force unlimited access to the Darfur region; and be it further
RESOLVED, That we encourage the government of Sudan to turn over the perpetrators of the atrocities to the appropriate international tribunals; and be it finally
RESOLVED, That we urge the international community to provide food, water, and international development assistance to the people of the Darfur region of Sudan.