Press Release

International Community and the Sudan Government
Must Insure Full Participation of All Sudanese Civil Society Groups to Stop Civil War and Make Peace

March 30, 2004

The Sudan Human Rights Organization Cairo Office appreciates the serious effort by the United Nations, the US, and the other regional entities, as well as international human rights groups, to urge the Sudan Government and the other warring groups to stop civil war in the region of DarFur, establish just and permanent peace, and provide immediate humanitarian support to the victimized people of DarFur (please see petitiononline.com/darfur for urgent appeal to stop the conflict).

The Organization is deeply concerned with the exclusion of the DarFur indigenous Massaleit Community in Exile whose integral reports and updated reports on the DarFur Crisis consistently enlightened the Sudanese all over the world about the gross human rights Sudan Government and the government-supported militias have been committing in DarFur.

SHRO-Cairo has repeatedly asked the Sudan Government to allow the largest participation possible in peace talks and the other critical issues of national decision making for all political parties, indigenous populations, human rights organizations, and the other Sudanese civil society groups.

The elusive attitude of the government towards this legitimate appeal caused grave consequences to the urgent needs of the country for democratic transition, State reforms, and the rule of law. The ongoing North-South peace talks, in particular, witnessed unnecessary stoppages due to the meaningless exclusion of the major forces of the Sudanese democratic forces and civil society groups from the peace process.

The Organization is gravely concerned for the exclusion of the Sudanese human rights group, the Massaleit Community in Exile, which is an original party to the DarFur Crisis, from full participation in the DarFur peace efforts.

· SHRO-Cairo supports the Massaleit Community in Exile appeal to be fully included in all international-regional or national peace efforts to insure viable solutions to the DarFur Crisis.

· SHRO-Cairo strongly appeals to the United Nations, the US and regional entities, as well as all international human rights groups to support the Organization’s call upon the Sudan Government to allow full participation of all Sudanese political parties, indigenous populations, and civil society groups in peace talks towards comprehensive solution of the Sudan’s Crisis.

Press Release from the Massaleit Community in Exile

Exclusion from Chad Meeting on Crisis in Western Sudan

The RMCE appreciates the efforts of the USA, European Union, Chad, African Union, UNHCR, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and others to arrange a meeting in Chad on Tuesday, 30 March 2004 to bring together the various organizations concerned with the situation in Western Sudan. However, we wish to express our dismay at not having been invited to this meeting.

The RMCE has been publicising details of the genocide in western Sudan since 1995. Had the international community paid more attention to our reports, the scale of the current crisis might have been averted. We have frequently emphasized the importance of including civil society organizations in the search for a durable solution to the suffering of the people of Western Sudan. Unlike political parties which are often driven by their leaders' political ambitions , civil society organizations represent the interests of the vulnerable groups in society and are committed to promoting their welfare.

We believe that all Darfurian civil society organizations should be allowed to participate in the search for a durable peace in our troubled land. Moreover, we consider that the different ethnic groups, political parties and key individuals should be involved in the process of reconciliation to represent a broad spectrum of opinions.

We call on the sponsors of the meeting to explain:
Why has the Massaleit Community in Exile not been invited to attend this meeting?
Who will be representing the Massaleit tomorrow?

We wish to stress our appreciation for this initiative to address the current crisis, but reiterate our call for all civil societygroups to be included in the search for a solution to the problems in Western Sudan, and in Sudan as a whole.

Mr. Mohamed Adam Yahya,
Chairman and Spokesman,
The Representatives of the Massaleit Community in Exile (RMCE)
USA.
Telephone: (434) 409 9638
Email: Kamasarakendy@hotmail.com or Massaleitcommunity@yahoo.com
March 29, 2004
Visit the Massaleit Community Web site for previous reports on human rights abuses in western Sudan http://www.massaleit.info/