Reps. Keith Ellison of Minnesota and Andre Carson of Indiana joined other black Democratic lawmakers making that call at a "Muslim Voices for Darfur" news conference on Capitol Hill. Sudan is a predominantly Muslim African nation.

Ellison asked Sudan’s government to stop the violence. "I further call on Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to exert all available influence on the international community and on the parties to the conflict," he said, "and I especially urge Secretary Rice to engage allies among majority-Muslim nations and the African Union."

Ellison was elected as the nation’s first Muslim member of Congress in 2006. Carson became the second after winning a special election this year to fill the remainder of his late grandmother’s term.

"We talk about America being one of the greatest nations on earth," Carson said. "If we are to have that title ... we need to step out on the world front and be a leader on this issue."

Fighting has raged in Darfur since 2003, when ethnic African tribesman took up arms, complaining of decades of neglect and discrimination by the Sudanese Arab-dominated government. The Sudanese government is accused of unleashing janjaweed militia forces to commit atrocities against ethnic African communities in the fight with rebel groups. The Sudanese government in Khartoum denies the accusations. President Bush has labeled the situation there genocide.