Mia Farrow, Ronan Farrow Return To Darfur

Mia Farrow, Ronan Farrow Return To Darfur

GI-Net Spokesperson Ronan Farrow Advocates for Protection, Intervention

Genocidal Attacks 'Business as Usual' with Insufficient Peacekeeping Force

WASHINGTON — Ronan Farrow, Representative of the Genocide Intervention Network, is joining his mother, actress Mia Farrow, on a trip to Darfur, Sudan, to highlight the need for civilian protection in the face of ongoing genocide there.

Mia Farrow is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, and the pair are traveling to Darfur with the aid agency.

Currently, a small peacekeeping force deployed by the African Union has been trying to halt a genocide that has claimed the lives of more than 400,000 civilians and displaced 2.5 million Darfurians. Numerous reports by the African Union and humanitarian aid organizations have directly implicated the government of Sudan in funding and perpetrating these attacks on civilians.

“Banditry, car hijackings, robbery, and armed attacks against [African Union] posts are ‘business as usual’ these days according to aid workers,” Ronan Farrow said on his first day in Darfur. “The humanitarian community remains edgy.”

The Farrows, who last traveled to Darfur in November 2004, will meet with Darfurian refugees to hear their stories of survival, as well as pressure representatives of the Sudanese government to end their genocidal campaign against civilians and allow a robust peacekeeping force to enter the region.

The government of Sudan signed a preliminary peace agreement in early May, but appears to have already initiated new attacks in northern Darfur.

Ronan and Mia Farrow will be writing regular accounts of their visit while in Darfur, which will be made available on the website of the Genocide Intervention Network, at http://www.GenocideIntervention.net/. They will also be available for media interviews through UNICEF Media.

“Ronan and Mia Farrow represent countless Americans who have called on the international community to commit to protecting civilians from genocide in Darfur,” says GI-Net Executive Director Mark Hanis. “The United States must follow through on its promise of ‘never again’ allowing genocide to occur by supporting a strong multinational peacekeeping force.”

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