George Clooney: Sudan War Crimes Need Action
George Clooney recently spoke out regarding alleged war crimes in South Sudan and the Hollywood actor urged the international community to take action.
Clooney and a group of U.S. genocide scholars in the United States argue that a series of war crimes have occurred in recent months in certain parts of South Sudan, including one recent incident which saw 26 villages deliberately set ablaze by Sudanese forces.
"Razing a village is a war crime, and the torching of now at least 26 Nuban villages, plus the systematic destruction of crops and grasslands for cattle, is a crime against humanity," Clooney said according to CBS News.
"What we're seeing here is a widespread campaign of village and crop burning. We've seen this in Darfur, and it's happening again in South Kordofan and Blue Nile. The international community must act more robustly to counter and create a consequence for these crimes," he urged.
The 51-year-old famed actor is renowned for his ongoing humanitarian work, particularly for his dedication in working towards ending the war in Darfur. In 2010, he co-founded the Satellite Sentinel Project (SSP), a group that uses satellite imagery to monitor acts of war in both Sudan and South Sudan.
Clooney made headlines in March when he was arrested outside of the Sudanese Embassy in Washington for civil disobedience during a protest. The actor was protesting against President Omar Al-Bashir, who he alleges is a war criminal, urging him to stop the violence and allow humanitarian aid into Sudan.
Troops in Sudan are at war with rebels in the Nuba Mountains, who were once aligned with what has now become South Sudan. After South Sudan peacefully broke away from Sudan in 2011, the rebels' region was placed with the Sudan side, although many say they wish they would have been placed with South Sudan.
