PAIN seeks for lasting peace in Darfur

People Against Injustice The Gambia (PAIN), has called on the African Union and United Nations to collectively work together in order to restore lasting peace in the war torn Sudanese Region of Darfur.

PAIN The Gambia, a local human rights NGO and a member of Save Darfur Coalition worldwide pressure group, which was formed to lobby for an end to the Darfur war made this call at a press conference held at the Catholic Mission Secretariat offices along Kairaba Avenue last Saturday, September 15, 2007 with the theme ‘Don’t Look Away Now.’ Shaka Ceesay, Director of PAIN, complimented the efforts of The Gambia Government in bringing lasting peace in Darfur. He said that his organisation has been engaged in series of consultations with African Commission and African Union to end the crisis in Darfur. He registered his appreciation for the efforts made by the African Commission on Human and People’s Right, the African Union and Civil Society Organisations.

According to him, there is a need to closely monitor the advance human right violation in the Darfur crisis and the activities of peacekeeping troops as the area is becoming too serious and there is a need to put an end to the menace.

For his part, Musa Shariff, the Co-coordinator for Network of Human Right Journalist (NHRJ), stressed the need for journalists to highlight the issues in Darfur. He blamed the African Union for what he described “as not taking the right step to address the situation in Darfur.”

Yusupha Gassama, Secretary-General of PAIN called on Africans and the United Nations to work collectively to ensure that peace is restored in Darfur as  over half a million  people are currently barred from humanitarian assistance.

According to him, despite the deteriorating security situation in Darfur, the World Food Programme has announced that they will give US$18M for the continuation of helicopter operations to supply food aid to the victims of the crisis.

Aminata Hydara of the National Youth Parliament hails the efforts of the Youth Ambassadors of Peace for the efforts made over the years to advocate for peace in Darfur. She also thanked PAIN The Gambia for coming up with such an initiative and urged  Gambia Youths to raised their voices against the crisis in Darfur.