Brethren Witness/Washington Office director arrested at Sudan embassy.

Phil Jones, director of the General Board's Brethren Witness/Washington Office, was arrested at the Sudan embassy on July 30, one of several religious and political leaders to commit civil disobedience in a campaign of daily arrests coordinated by Christian Solidarity International to protest the genocide taking place in Darfur, in western Sudan.

Jones was arrested with American Baptist minister Rob Turner while attempting to deliver a letter asking Sudan to "take the bold and necessary steps to curb this violence and bring reform." When denied entry, he and Turner knelt in prayer in front of the doors. They were arrested for "disorderly conduct" and blocking the entrance to a public building, and were held for a few hours and fined $50. Others arrested in the continuing nonviolent protest have included National Council of Churches general secretary Robert Edgar, Congressman Charles Rangel of New York, Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, and actor Danny Glover.

An estimated 30,000 to 148,000 people have been killed and more than 1,000,000 have fled the violence in Darfur, which is being carried out by Arabic tribes and militias armed by the Sudan government and pits Arabic nomads against black African farmers and villagers. UN envoy to Sudan Jan Pronk said Aug. 4 that Sudan had stopped militia attacks in Darfur, but Church World Service reported Aug. 3 that violence was continuing or even increasing. Hunger and disease contribute to a CWS estimate of 500 deaths daily of refugees in camps in Sudan and Chad.

In related news, in mid-September the Brethren Witness/Washington Office will host Haruun Ruun and Emmanuel LoWilla, leaders of the New Sudan Council of Churches (NSCC), in a US visit to draw support for RECONCILE, a program for civil leadership development in southern Sudan. The NSCC leaders will explore funding and partnership development with the Brethren, US AID, the State Department, and others.

Source: Newsline 8/06/2004
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