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Muslim rights group call on Arab League to help solve Darfur crisis |
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By The Associated Press
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CAIRO, Egypt – A coalition of Muslim organizations and rights groups called for the Arab League on March 28 to play a more active role in trying to solve the humanitarian crisis in Sudan’s Darfur region. Sudan is part of the Arab League.
“The (Darfur) crisis has cost the lives of at least 200,000 Muslims, yet has not yet captured the attention of the Muslim world in the way that it should,” the Muslim coalition said in an open letter to League Secretary General Amr Moussa.
Darfur’s fighting opposes mainly ethnic-African local rebels against the Sudanese government.
While the United Nations is struggling to piece together a strong peacekeeping mission with the African Union, critics say the Arab League has done little to help address the crisis.
“Arab nations must take a stand to prove their claim that they are not taking ‘ethnic sides’ in the violence in Darfur,” said the open letter, signed by the British-based Islamic Human Rights Commission, the Friends of Al-Aqsa, Crescent International and some 20 other religious or rights groups from various Muslim and non-Muslim countries.
It said the league could contribute “much more” to the humanitarian operation in Darfur, urging the 22-member organization to pressure the Sudanese government to stop obstructing the United Nations’ deployment.
Arab League member states should also offer more troops for the severely understaffed U.N. peacekeeping mission and press for a solid cease-fire agreement between Khartoum and the rebels, the letter said.
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