Neighbors Of President Bush, Religious Leaders, Send Open Letter To Government Of Sudan

Some 100 religious leaders, rights activists, and officials in Midland, Texas, some friends of President Bush and his family, today sent an open letter to the Government of Sudan urging it to conform to the terms of the Sudan Peace Act, signed into law by President Bush last October.

The letter warns Sudan that it would be "making a strategic error of historic proportions" if it disregarded the terms of the peace act, which proscribes penalties if Khartoum continues its war against the largely Christian and animist populations in southern Sudan.

Khartoum has continued its deadly offensive against civilians in Western Upper Nile province and a concomitant military build-up, despite recently signing a cessation of hostilities agreement.

The letter states that a formal finding that Khartoum stands in "material breach of the conditions of the Sudan Peace Act" could soon be in order. It asserted: "We write to communicate our vow, and our confidence, that [our] commitment, and the U.S.'s commitment to fully enforce the Sudan Peace Act, is strong and certain."

The letter urges Khartoum "not to test our resolve, or that of the United States, and, with statesmanship and courage, to take the steps necessary to bring a rapidly negotiated peace to the people of Sudan."

Signatories include the heads of Midland's First United Methodist Church, TrueLite Christian Fellowship, Cornerstone Christian Fellowship, First Church of the Nazarene, the Midland Association of Churches, the Ministerial Alliance of Midland, the Black Pastors Alliance of Midland, the Hispanic Ministerial Alliance of Midland, the Catholic and Episcopal Bishops for West Texas, the Mayor and several city council members of Midland. Other signatories include Southern Baptist leader Richard Land, Catholic theologian Michael Novak, and Todd Bassett, National Commander of the Salvation Army.

The letter, written in Arabic and English, was sent by the Ministerial Alliance of Midland Texas to Sudan's Embassy in Washington. It is available online at: www.freedomhouse.org/religion