A Trial for Crimes in Darfur

Check out this op-ed on Darfur by UNHCR goodwill ambassador Angelina Jolie in today's Washington Post. Our advocate Rick Neal recently met the actress while they were both traveling through Abeche, Chad.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) just announced the indictments of two Sudanese, a government official and a militia commander, for atrocities committed in Darfur.

In her op-ed, Angelina writes:

Accountability is a powerful force. It has the potential to change behavior -- to check aggression by those who are used to acting with impunity. Luis Moreno-Ocampo, chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), has said that genocide is not a crime of passion; it is a calculated offense. He's right. When crimes against humanity are punished consistently and severely, the killers' calculus will change.

RI supports the ICC's actions on Darfur as well. Our President Ken Bacon is quoted as saying:

Many attacks by government forces and government-backed militias have targeted innocent civilians, including acts of murder, torture and mass rape. We applaud the ICC for treating these crimes with the seriousness they deserve and urge the international community to support the court’s efforts in bringing justice to Darfur.