John,
This week we recognize the one-year mark of a brutal and cruel war in Sudan, and I wanted to share a few thoughts with you.
In 2020, I visited Sudan as part of a Congressional delegation to meet with the new President after the Sudanese people inspired the entire world when they rose up and demanded an end to the dictatorship of President Omar al Bashir and a transition to democracy.
I met many of the leaders of the peaceful nonviolent movement, and seeing their courage and resilience continued to give me hope. It breaks my heart to see the country plunged back into chaos and widespread suffering.
Too many of the Sudanese people have been displaced from their homes, and face not only the violence and cruelty of war, but also critical shortages of food, water, medicine, and electricity.
For decades, brutal military dictatorships have denied the Sudanese people their basic human rights. And since the start of the current conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) more than 12,000 people have been killed, 6 million have been internally displaced, and 1.5 million have fled the country as refugees.
Human rights groups have documented extremely high rates of sexual violence against women and girls in the region. Estimates also forecast that as many as 250,000 children and pregnant women could die of malnutrition in the coming months and only 30 percent of hospitals in Sudan are functioning.
I have been in close touch with the U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan and urged the White House to utilize every tool in its toolbox — including sanctions for those involved in furthering this violence — to push for successful peace talks that implement the Sudanese people’s vision of civilian democracy and towards funding immediate humanitarian assistance from all our global partners.
We cannot turn a blind eye to the loss of life and suffering of the Sudanese people and their clear desire for a constitutional transition. I hope all of us can become engaged in protecting innocent Sudanese civilians and work hard to ensure that all Americans understand the human consequences of what is happening in Sudan.
In solidarity,
Pramila Jayapal
 |
 |
 |
Email us: [email protected]
This email was sent to [email protected]. Email is the most important way we keep in touch with people like you, and small-dollar contributions sustain our movement for transformative change. To contribute by check, please address to Pramila for Congress, PO Box 21912, Seattle, WA 98111.
Paid for by Pramila for Congress