Clooney urges action on Darfur
Story by Jack Foley
GEORGE Clooney has been speaking of the horrors he witnessed in the Sudanese region of Darfur following a recent visit.
The Oscar-winning actor said that he was convinced ethnic cleansing was taking place and called upon the world to take notice of the worsening situation and send more peacekeepers.
According to latest figures, an estimated 200,000 people have died in the region and some 2.5 million are homeless after three years of fighting. Rape and murder is widespread.
Some 250 relief workers have recently withdrawn because of the sharply deteriorating security. But their absence has left many more potential victims vulnerable.
According to the BBC, the United Nations Security Council is gravely concerned about the situation and has condemned attempts by rebels to destabilise the government and seize power.
Speaking to the BBC in New York, Clooney said that he had heard many reports during his visit of families becoming victims of targeted violence.
He added: “That’s not just a war, it’s actually ethnic cleansing.”
He has subsequently called for a larger peacekeeping presence to be sent to the region and urged all rebel factions to sign up to a May ceasefire agreement.
He also believes that both Egypt and China should do more to encourage Sudan to increase the number of peacekeepers.
“We think they can do a lot better,” he told reporters.
The conflict in Darfur began in 2003, when a rebellion by local groups triggered a counter-offensive by the army and government-backed Arab militias.