The Brooklyn-based Darfur People's Association of New York (DPANY), the Brooklyn Coalition for Darfur, the New York Coalition for Darfur and other local and national advocacy groups rallied in Dag Hammarskold Park on Wednesday in support of the International Criminal Court's (ICC) issuing of an arrest warrant for Sudan's president, Omar Hassan al-Bashir.

The indictment is for crimes against humanity and war crimes, which, according to the Save Darfur Coalition, resulted in upwards of 400,000 civilian deaths and three million Darfuris in refugee camps in western Darfur and neighboring Chad.

Both the U.N. and the U.S. government have labeled the systematic attacks on these Darfuri subsistence farmers and herders as acts of genocide.

"We support the decision to indict al-Bashir and bring justice to the Sudanese people," said DPANY president Bushara Dosa. "The ruling party now has to deal and react to the warrant. They can't fight the whole world."

Dosa implored the international community, especially the African Union, Arab League, and Sudan's big trade partners and arms suppliers, Russia and China, to put diplomatic and economic pressure on the al-Bashir regime.

"They should send the strong message that we do not deal with criminal regimes and he can't continue the massacre," Dosa said.

Al-Bashir has threatened reprisals if the ICC acted against him, and currently only an under-manned, combined U.N.-African Union force is in Darfur now.

"We remain fearful of al-Bashir's threats against peacekeepers, humanitarian workers, and Darfuri civilians if an arrest warrant is issued for him," declared Dosa. "But the international community never should tolerate such threats, and immediately should provide all protective support needed to prevent loss of innocent lives in response to the ICC arrest warrant."

Hamza Ibrahim, of DPANY's Foreign Affairs Committee, feels the Bashir warrant is an important step towards peace and a return of the refugee population to Darfur.

"If the Sudanese government does not comply with the warrant, sanctions will be imposed by the international community," Ibrahim said. "The attacks will decrease and, in fact, are decreasing over the last month because the militias realize that if the president can be indicted, they can be indicted too.There is no immunity for anybody."

But there is immediate peril. As the warrant was announced, the al-Bashir government immediately curtailed all non-governmental organization (NGO) humanitarian distribution services in the Sudanese-based refugee camps. DPANY secretary Rahama Deffellah reacted vehemently to the news.

"We urge people to contact the president, Congress; the United Nations to protest this retaliation against the aid workers," he said. "This act against 150 or so NGOs will create a vacuum, and the refugees can't live without food for a week."

Deffellah cites other weapons in the world's arsenal against al-Bashir, including sanctions on official government travel outside the country, a freezing of Sudanese government bank accounts abroad, an embargo of weapons flowing into Sudan, and a Security Council imposed oil-for-food program - much like in Saddam Hussein's Iraq - to benefit the Sudanese people. But, this can only happen if Security Council major players China and Russia join in.

"DPANY also supports the establishment of a no-fly zone over Darfur because currently that air space is being used for al-Bashir's bombers and gun ships to attack civilian populations," Deffellah.continued. "The U.N., the U.S., and other nations must stand together and impose a no-fly zone and see that al-Bashir complies with it. The rule of law must be imposed in Sudan to save the Darfuri people"

Brooklyn is home to the largest number of Sudanese refugees in the United States. The expanding Darfuri communities are located in areas of Kensington, Borough Park, and Midwood.

In 2003, residents banded together to form the non-profit Darfur People's Association of New York (DPANY) - now about 300-members strong - to speak out against the genocide, strengthen their sense of community, welcome and assist newcomers, and organize humanitarian collection drives for refugee camp occupants in Chad. They just completed their fourth shipment of lightweight clothing, including flat shoes, T-shirts and caps, and 500 large laundry bags filled with basic school supplies.

Deffellah explained the group's social mission.

"We help with general immigrant orientation and necessary forms, computer skills, and job application procedures," he said. "We offer housing assistance and, in some cases, psychological referral for those still impacted by the horrors of the genocide. Finally, we encourage Darfuris here to educate themselves and train in various fields that can be useful for rehabilitation after the war."