DENVER—Colorado plans to move $42 million in state pension funds as part of an effort to send a message to Sudan that the killings in Darfur must stop.
Critics have accused the Sudanese government of trying to eliminate its non-Arab population. More than 200,000 people have been killed and more than 2 million have been displaced.
Colorado lawmakers passed a law earlier this year requiring pension funds to maintain a list of companies that either directly or indirectly help the Sudanese government. The pension funds are required to divest from companies that do not change their business practices in Sudan.
House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver, who sponsored the law, said Thursday the Colorado Public Employees Retirement Association will transfer the funds from companies that do business with the Sudanese regime to those that do not.
“We started a prairie fire in Colorado, and it’s now spreading across the country. More and more states are joining our effort to bring the horror of Darfur to an end,” Romanoff said.
Since the passage of Colorado’s divestment legislation, 12 states have passed similar laws, bringing the current number of states divesting from Sudan to 20, Romanoff said.
Romanoff said the boycotts are having an impact. In August, the Brookings Institution reported that Rolls Royce’s withdrawal from Sudan this past year surprised the government and reduced the import of machine parts.
He said several major companies, including CHC Helicopter, ICSA of India, WeatherFord International and Schlumberger had ceased operations in Sudan or reformed their business practices.
