Phil Selway, of Radiohead, is helping to lead the drumbeat
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Outside of Darfur, Sudan has seen relative peace since 2005, a remarkable break from the preceding 22 years, during which time an estimated two million people were killed in the country's ongoing civil war. But there is concern from recent events that increasing tensions will lead the country back to war, and people around the world are working to press global leaders to help prevent that from happening.
Global Beat for Peace
Radiohead drummer Phil Selway, the Police's Stewart Copeland, Pink Floyd's Nick Mason, Snow Patrol's Jonny Quinn, Elbow's Richard Jupp, Jamie Catto of Faithless, and renowned African musicians Mohammed Munir, Yehia Khalil, and Mustaffa Tettey Addy are leading the global beat for peace in Sudan. The drum beat began in Sudan on Saturday, January 9 before 15 cities joined in.
Why now?
Because January 9 marked the fifth anniversary of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which was hoped would effectively end the country's ongoing civil war—and did, for awhile. (The north-south war is separate from the highly publicized conflict in Darfur, and began in 1983.) But tensions are building as the country prepares for April's presidential and parliamentary multi-party elections—the country's first in 24 years—and a referendum expected to be held in 2011 in southern Sudan to decide whether the region should become autonomous or remain part of Sudan.
There is concern over the possibility of renewed conflict, and the featured musicians are just a few of the thousands of Sudan365 activists calling for international pressure to prevent that from happening. You can join too—from Sudan365: "Join a beat for peace and call on governments worldwide and Sudanese leaders to protect the people of Sudan."
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