Actor and activist George Clooney, fresh from his visit to the region, brought his plea for peace in Darfur to the White House Monday night.
Meeting with President Obama for 15 minutes and with Vice President Biden separately, Clooney pressed for immediate action.
"I think somehow we should all know that these people are hanging on by the skin of their teeth," Clooney said on CNN’s Larry King Show. "There’s a moment coming up relatively soon — probably by the middle of next week — where the International Criminal Court is going to indict the president of Sudan for war crimes, which has never happened before. A sitting president!"
The fighting in Sudan — which has left millions homeless and starving — erupted in 2003 with an uprising against the dictatorial government. Sudanese officials responded by going from village to village in Darfur, killing, torturing and raping residents there.
Sensitive to the demands on Obama’s time and the nation’s resources, Clooney went out of his way to emphasize that he was not asking for money.
"This isn’t about needing American dollars," he said. "I understand that it’s a very difficult time. It’s not about needing American troops. It’s about needing what we do best — what we have done best since the start of this country — which is good, robust diplomacy all across the world."
