The tragic and ongoing genocide perpetuated by the government of Sudan is drawing growing international attention and alarm. The escalation of violence that began in 2003 is increasingly prompting nongovernmental organizations, academic institutions, states and municipalities to call for divestment from companies doing business in Sudan as a means to pressure the government to stop the murder, brutality, and displacement of innocent civilians. In September, for example, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a divestment bill governing his state’s public pension funds, thus joining New Jersey, Illinois, Oregon, Maine, and Connecticut in legislating state divestment plans.

Consistent with our human rights guidelines, Walden will not invest in companies believed to provide significant support to the government of Sudan. Since 1997 when the U.S. government identified Sudan as a state that sponsors terrorism, U.S. firms have been prohibited from operating in the country. Therefore, nearly all companies commonly identified as divestment candidates are foreign based. Nonetheless, there is a sizable international corporate presence in Sudan. In the oil industry, for example, where estimates point to as much as 80 percent of revenue going to fund arms purchases, there is rising pressure to divest holdings of market leaders such as PetroChina.

For more information visit The Sudan Divestment Task Force Web site at www.SudanDivestment.org.

-H. Soumerai