14 July 2010President Barack ObamaThe White House1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20500Dear President Obama:On Monday, July 12

, 2010 the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) Pre-Trial Chamber 1 judgesissued a second arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir after determining that there arereasonable grounds to believe he is responsible for three counts of genocide committed against the Fur,Masalit and Zaghawa ethnic groups in Darfur. As faith-based, advocacy and human rightsorganizations working together to bring peace and justice to Darfur and all Sudan, we welcome thisnew arrest warrant and urge you to lead the international community in pursuing justice for the peopleof Darfur in parallel with efforts to achieve peace and security for all Sudanese.It is urgently necessary for your administration to send a clear signal to the Government of Sudan thatany acts that threaten civilians, Sudanese human rights activists, aid workers or peacekeepers in Darfur will not be tolerated. After the first ICC warrant was issued for al-Bashir’s arrest in March 2009,Khartoum expelled over a dozen international aid groups and disbanded three Sudanese aidorganizations, forcing an emergency response from the United Nations and international community to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in Darfur. Despite these efforts, many humanitarian programs,including aid for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, have not been restored over the lastsixteen months. Vigilant monitoring and action by your administration and other world leaders isnecessary to prevent compounding this tragedy. Such vigilance is particularly critical given that thisarrest warrant comes in the midst of a spike in violence in Darfur and a government crackdown onhuman rights and political freedoms in Sudan in the wake of seriously flawed elections this past April.The United States government should also publicly reaffirm its support for the ICC’s pursuit of justicein Darfur. As a leader in the international community and a permanent member of the UN SecurityCouncil (UNSC), which referred the situation in Darfur to the ICC in 2005, the United States has a vitalrole in ensuring justice and accountability for the gravest crimes committed against civilians. Your administration should work together with the UNSC and ICC member states to ensure the swiftenforcement of this and all ICC arrest warrants for those accused of atrocities in Darfur.Finally, the United States must intensify its diplomatic efforts to negotiate a just agreement thataddresses the root causes of the conflict in Darfur and to press for the full implementation of theComprehensive Peace Agreement in its last stages. Toward these ends and to prevent a return to broader conflict in Sudan, your administration should put into action the promised consequences and pressures for the lack of measurable progress and continued backsliding on key benchmarks by theGovernment of Sudan and other Sudanese actors. During this volatile period in Sudan, it is imperativethat the ICC warrants are not manipulated by the Government of Sudan to disrupt or distract from thefragile Darfur peace process or preparations for the upcoming referendum on southern secession.

In light of the challenges currently faced by the Sudanese people, justice and accountability remaincritical components of a comprehensive and lasting solution to the crisis in Darfur. As advocates, wethank you for the leadership you have shown pushing for peace in Darfur and supporting theInternational Criminal Court’s pursuit of justice. In this historic moment – a milestone in the pursuit of international justice and a pivotal step for the people of Sudan – strong leadership by the United Statesis of utmost importance. We urge your administration to seize this opportunity to lead the internationalcommunity in working for a just resolution to the conflict in Darfur and lasting peace for all Sudanese.Sincerely,Gerald LeMelleExecutive Director

Africa Action

David HarrisExecutive Director

American Jewish Committee

Ruth W. Messinger President

American Jewish World Service

Nikki SerapioDirector

Americans Against the Darfur Genocide

Larry CoxExecutive Director

Amnesty International USA

Barbara ThomasClerk

Annapolis Friends Meeting (Religious Society of Friends)

Bryan ArdounyExecutive Director