A four hour emergency session in the House of Commons was held October 3rd addressing the need for increased UN intervention in Darfur in light of ongoing genocide, but no decision was made. KAIROS, an ecumenical justice initiatives organization that helped organize the Day for Darfur September 17, asked constituents to call MPs and pressure Canadian foreign minister John McKay to help implement UN resolution 1706.

“Harper took on the responsibility to protect those…where there is a massive loss of life. We’re saying—you need a plan how you are really going to protect civilians and to make sure no one obstructs deployment of troops in Sudan,” says John Lewis, KAIROS program coordinator for international human rights.

The “chapter 7” security council resolution calls for UN military intervention without the consent of the Sudanese government, a diplomatic struggle that has cost the lives of millions of Sudanese who await protection.

The House session quickly became partisan, Lewis said, as McKay presented what Canada is doing in the present, but failed to mention any future commitments.

Since inception, the Harper government has reduced Canadian diplomatic presence and communication with representatives in Sudan.

Although there are 9,000 troops already in Sudan under the authority of the African Union through another UN resolution, Senator Romeo Dalliare and aid organizations are calling for follow through on UN security council resolution 1706 which says participant countries will “do its best” to send more troops to the region. Echoes of Rwanda haunt Dallaire, as 3.5 million Sudanese are now dependant on foreign aid.

A faith-based coalition of various Christian denominations, KAIROS researches and assesses the Sudanese conflict and partners with the Sudan Council of Churches in humanitarian work in Africa.

—Andrew Siebert