Pax Christi USA urges Darfur crisis be brought before the International Criminal Court

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February 2005

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Pax Christi USA urges Darfur crisis be brought before the International Criminal Court
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Pax Christi USA urges Darfur crisis
be brought before the International Criminal Court
Washington, D.C. - Pax Christi USA, the national Catholic peace movement, has signed onto a national call, led by religious organizations and faith-based groups, to urge the United States to support a United Nations Security Council resolution to refer the Darfur crisis to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Though the U.N. Commission of Inquiry has stopped short of labeling the Darfur crisis genocide, the Commission recommended that actions in Darfur be referred to the ICC for investigation and possible prosecution. A referral to the ICC would signal an awakening of conscience and hold out the hope that the violence might end, the displaced returned home and the guilty brought to justice.

Only the U.N. Security Council can refer Darfur to the ICC—though the U.S. has hinted at proposing an alternative to an ICC referral. This national sign-on letter joins in coalition people of faith calling on President Bush and the U.S. to support referral to the ICC.

"As people of faith committed to fostering peace and reconciliation in our world, we seek to amplify the voice of our movement in addressing the violence in Darfur at this critical time," said Dave Robinson, executive director of Pax Christi USA. "The atrocities in Darfur are a crime against humanity that have claimed more than 70,000 lives and displaced millions of people. The time is now for the ICC to be given clearance to exercise its jurisdiction over this tragic conflict."

The U.S. is the only major Western power that does not recognize the authority of the ICC.

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