A grassroots campaign aimed at getting investors to pull money out of war-torn Sudan is now targeting the Los Angeles City Employee Retirement System, also known as Lacers.

A grassroots campaign aimed at getting investors to pull money out of war-torn Sudan is now targeting the Los Angeles City Employee Retirement System, also known as Lacers.

Representatives from Jewish World Watch and the student-led Sudan Divestment Task Force met last week in an effort to convince the Lacers corporate governance committee to divest itself from companies with ties to Sudan.

So far this year, the UC Board of Regents and the California State Teachers' Retirement System have both voted to divest of their Sudan holdings. The $208 billion California Public Employees' Retirement System has identified $1.5 billion in Sudan-linked holdings, but has not yet made a decision to unload them.

Los Angles attorney Janice KamenirReznik, who is president of Jewish World Watch, said it was unusual for a Jewish group to commit to a divestment campaign because some campaigns have targeted Israel.

"We decided in this case it would actually be an act of cowardice not to support divestment," she said, adding that the Los Angeles City Council passed a unanimous resolution last month supporting divestment. "We're an anti-genocide organization."

Staff reporter Kate Berry can be reached at [phone], ext. 228, or at [e-mail].