Stars destroy children's toys in Darfur demonstration

Apr 13 2008 By Fariha Karim

Stars Wreck Toys In Darfur Demo

ACTRESS Joely Richardson shares the pain of millions of warzone refugee children as she tears apart a teddy bear.

Hollywood tough guy Matt Damon smashes a doll's house with a baseball bat.

And Mission: Impossible star Thandie Newton blowtorches a doll while socialite Jemima Khan burns a child's drawing.

The stars' wrecking spree highlights the plight of suffering children in the war-torn Darfur region of Sudan.

They are backing a global protest today to mark five years since the start of the war.

Damon said: "After the genocide in Rwanda we all shook our heads and said never again.

"Today, as killings mount in Darfur, we need to make never again a reality and demand protection for the most vulnerable."

War has ravaged the western region of the country since 2003, killing up to 400,000 people.

A further three million Darfur civilians have been forced to flee their homes due to the fighting.

The armed conflict is between the Sudanese military, backed by the Janjaweed militia group, against rebel groups led mainly by the Sudan Liberation Movement.

Now campaigners - including human rights groups, writers and politicians - are determined to raise the profile of the conflict by holding events in 30 countries in a Global Day for Darfur.

Harry Potter writer JK Rowling has released a letter, signed by 13 other children's authors, asking the world to help bring childhood back to Darfur.

Hollywood heart-throb George Clooney said: "If we all raise our voices, the international community will have to listen and respond."

UK politicians have joined the day of action, backed by the Government.

Lib-Dem leader Nick Clegg will today join protesters outside the Sudanese Embassy in London.

International development Minister Shahid Malik said he and Gordon Brown were working to bring peace to Darfur.

Speaking after he had met Darfuri schoolchildren, Malik said: "The current situation is completely unacceptable.

"The painfully slow deployment of the peacekeeping force UNAMID has led to acts of violence against civilians at the hands of both the rebels and the government of Sudan.

"Humanitarian workers are being attacked and consequently unable to access and help all those people in need."

Georgette Gagnon, Africa director at Human Rights Watch, said: "World leaders have let Sudan - and some rebels - get away with murder.

"Millions of Darfuris struggle to survive on aid handouts under the daily threat of being raped, beaten or killed."

Tawanda Hondora of Amnesty International added: "We are determined to ensure that Darfur is not added to the list of conflicts that the world forgot."

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