Year: 2019

Al-Bashir’s “Trial” & the Theatrics of the TMC

photo: SUNA
photo: SUNA

On Saturday,  Sudan’s chief prosecutor, Alwaleed Sayed Ahmed, announced charges of corruption against ex-President Omar al-Bashir. This action demonstrates the theatrical game the TMC is willing to engage in to distract attention from their own crimes.

It’s worth noting that Al-Bashir is not being tried for genocide–Al-Bashir is not being surrendered to the ICC. Al-Bashir, an internationally wanted war criminal, is being tried for corruption. In doing so, the TMC is not only attempting to display a sense of renewed accountability and state legitimacy but a display to rid al-Bashir of guilt. In sending the former president to court, the TMC is attempting to close the domestic criminal case of al-Bashir for good.

If Bashir is to be tried, it must be in the ICC for his 10 counts of crimes against humanity and war crimes, including three counts of genocide for the ethnic cleansing of the Fur, Masalit, and Zaghawa tribes. This corruption trial by the TMC is a ploy to provide Bashir judicial cover. It will not work. Nations, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Qatar, and India must stop promoting impunity and the international community should know better now what the cost of impunity can do to the people of Sudan.

Statement On the Appointment of Donald Booth, Special Envoy for Sudan

The Darfur Women Action Group does not approve of the appointment of Donald Booth as the U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan. We are wholly disappointed by his tenure as Special Envoy to Sudan and South Sudan under the Obama administration, and sincerely question his ability to produce tangible results for the U.S. government or the people of Sudan.
Booth is a career diplomat. It is not doubted that he is well-respected in Washington, and well-traveled on the continent of Africa. We refuse, however, to compromise the right we have for competency in our diplomats for that of seniority or ‘experience.’ We believe a new appointment––a fresh diplomatic face––with a less tumultuous past is necessary.
Donald Booth led the effort to “pave a road toward…normalization of U.S.-Sudan relations,” as he stated in a 2014 Atlantic Council meeting. Booth wanted to forge a relationship with Sudan on a “restoration of a relationship based on mutual understanding and shared interests.” The Darfur Women Action Group cannot fathom how the US can possibly maintain a ‘mutual understanding’ with a regime actively committing genocide. Booth, however, still perceived this relationship as peaceful. Booth was complacent; he failed to defend American values: protecting fundamental liberties and rights.
Under Ambassador Booth’s leadership, the people of Sudan have lost faith in America, its ability to broker peace. The Trump Administration has the opportunity to contribute to lasting peace in Sudan, but only if they can appoint a diplomat with the conviction and motivation to affect real change.
Not only did Booth want to normalize relations with a murderous regime, he actively neglected those being murdered. During his initial fact-finding missions to North and Central Darfur in 2016, Booth was silent. Booth failed to put forth any statements regarding the atrocities committed. We cannot trust him to speak up now. Internally displaced individuals who talked to Booth during his visits were quickly arrested afterward by the Sudanese National Intelligence and Security Service Forces without any prevail by Booth to grant them release or protection. His appointment will once again silence those who have been suffering in Darfur for 17 years.
For years the American public and policymakers have protested the longstanding crises in Darfur and consistently called for U.S. leadership in holding Sudan accountable. Similarly, in the recent weeks, they mobilized again in support of the people of Sudan demanding effective U.S. policy that will put the halt to the suffering and pave the way for peace, something that Both has repeatedly failed to deliver upon.
The people of Sudan have suffered long enough. Rather than appointing someone with a history of overlooking violations of human rights in the country, we urge the United States to select a diplomat not simply of expertise, but of passion, of a deep understanding of Sudan and its relations.

Darfur Village Set Ablaze : 16 Years of Genocide

65c9bf0f-1625-4c85-a26f-25904cbc1a8aOn Monday evening, reports came in that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had commenced the burning of Delaige, a village located in Western Darfur. The Darfur Women Action Group (DWAG) strongly condemns this egregious crime against humanity. DWAG is extremely concerned about the current surge of violence against civilians coupled with lack of access to communication and information. DWAG demands unimpeded access to humanitarian aid and that access to free and independent reporting be immediately provided. This attacks on Delaige camp is not an isolated incident. It’s a part of the systemic and orchestrated attacks against the indigenous Darfuris that has been carried out by Sudan government and the leaders of the current Sudan’s Transitional Military Council.

The RSF reportedly commenced the slaughter of those residing in Delaige on Sunday evening, killing six. By Monday afternoon, the Janjaweed had enclosed the village of Delaige, blocking escape and confining residents to indoors. At that time, the death toll was reported as 16 individuals.

A video surfaced this morning of the village in flames, suggesting a sharp escalation in violence. The RSF, with the motivation of forcibly ending civil disobedience, is committed to perpetrating more crimes against humanity to achieve their disingenuous goal.

It is extremely likely that the actual toll on lives lost is higher, but a blackout on communication, internet shutdown, and slaughter of dissidents has prevented verifiable reports truly encapsulating the massacre. On June 7, the United Nations issued a press release stating that the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) would look into, “the ‘rapid deployment’ of a monitoring team to look into allegations of serious rights violations.”

The Transitional Military Council leaders are equally responsible for the ongoing crimes committed in Darfur and the recent massacres. They will likely reject the advancement of the UN human rights monitoring team into Sudan, furthering an information blackout under which the TMC may commit more crimes against its own people. This attack has been systematically directed towards the same groups that have been targeted for years in genocide, and that have been forced to live in camps since 2003. The situation in Sudan is growingly volatile, given the ongoing crises and the vulnerability of civilians living in camps for years, this recent incident makes the situation ever so dire.

We strongly urge the United States government and the UNSC to take an effective action that will end the suffering in Darfur and bring lasting peace to Sudan. The U.S. must publicly condemn these attacks and pressure the Transitional Military Council for a timely transfer of authority to a civilian, democratic government.

With this dangerous development on the ground in Sudan and Darfur in particular, we must speak up and demand that world leaders take concerted action and hold the perpetrator of these heinous crimes accountable. In the coming days, Darfur Women Action Group will continue to monitor the situation and will provide updates and opportunities to take action. Please check us on Twitter, for updates of events on the ground as they become available.

A Brutal Massacre is Unfolding in Sudan

Darfur Women Action Group express its grave concerns about the brutal massacre against protesters in Sudan and calls for immediate investigation and accountability for the perpetrator of the most heinous attacks against innocent civilians.

In the capital city of Khartoum, Sudanese protestors have been staging a peaceful sit-in since April 6th. The sit-in began a revolution that toppled the regime of Omar al-Bashir, but the struggle for establishing a truly democratic government wasn’t over. Protestors continued their demands for a representative government and entered into negotiations with the Transitional Military Council (TMC) to transfer the power to civilian government.

On Monday, the TMC deployed troops from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia to quell the ongoing sit-in. The RSF then committed a massacre against civilian protestors. The RSF forcibly took control of the sit-in by seizing and setting fire to the tents of protestors and blocking all access roads into and out of Khartoum. RSF forces also attacked protestors with live ammunition, killing at least 100 individuals. The Sudanese Doctors Central Committee continues to count the individuals murdered by the RSF, closely monitoring the situation. It was reported on Monday that RSF forces and the security forces backing them forced individuals at the sit-in to lay on the ground, and then subjected them to whipping. They also shaved the heads of some protestors and reportedly forced others to drink sewage water. The Sudanese Doctors Central Committee also said that RSF and security forces laid siege to the Royal Care Hospital, El Mualim Hospital, and the clinic of University of Khartoum – effectively preventing the individuals they wounded while carrying out their attack from receiving care. Later, one doctor reported to Radio Dabanga that RSF troops were threatening to storm the hospital and kill the protestors inside.

RSF forces threw the bodies of those they murdered into the Nile, and on Wednesday, those bodies began floating to the surface. Forty individuals were pulled from the Nile, increasing the number of dead to at least 100. Some of these bodies are being identified while others were loaded into trucks by the RSF and taken to an unknown location; meanwhile families continue to report their loved ones missing since Monday’s massacre took place. Some of the bodies show signs of being shot or hacked by machetes.

Around the country protestors are taking to the streets, outraged by the violent attacks in Khartoum. The Alliance for Freedom and Change (AFC) has ended all negotiations with the Transitional Military Council, refusing to cooperate with the individuals responsible for the carnage that occurred on Monday. The AFC is calling for an escalation of the revolution, an “open, nationwide, general strike and complete civil disobedience until the regime is overthrown.” In Darfur, where over 3 million genocide victims are still in camps, people are calling for more sit-ins, political strikes, and civil disobedience. The internet and direct communication lines are cut off, militia vehicles patrol the streets, and there is no way in or out of Khartoum – making an already dire situation even more critical. The RSF also responded to sit-ins and protests in other parts of the country. Protestors in El Gadaref were wounded when police dispersed protestors with live ammunition and tear gas. In El Nahud of West Kordofan, one protestor was shot dead while another was wounded. In Ed Damiz of the Blue Nile State, RSF forces again attacked protestors by seizing and burning their tents and arresting them.

This tragic attack is not an isolated incident. The same Transitional Military Council that is perpetrating the massacre in Khartoum this week has been slaughtering civilians in Darfur for 17 years. The result is genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity – for which criminal president al Bashir has been indicted by the International Criminal Court. The transitional Military Council led by Al Burhan and Hemeti are equally responsible for the genocide committed in Darfur. Now, they extended their violent reach to Khartoum, which is only possible because they haven’t been held accountable for their crimes. – Niemat Ahmadi, DWAG President

These tragic attacks have brought about multiple international responses – individuals and organizations are speaking out in formal statements condemning Monday’s massacre. The United Nations Secretary General is calling for “unimpeded access to deliver essential care,” and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights is calling for and end to violence and promotion of peaceful demonstrations. The British Foreign Minister and Ambassador to Sudan, the European Union, the African Union and the US embassy in Khartoum have all released statements condemning the attacks. Human Rights Watch too condemned the actions of the RSF, with Jehanne Henry declaring “yesterday’s violence reminds us of the serious RSF abuses against civilians in Sudan’s war zones and it requires more than condemnations… Key international actors should impose targeted punitive sanctions against those responsible for the violence and urgently establish a UN inquiry.”

While DWAG appreciates these responses, we believe the situation in Sudan is dangerous and needs effective actions, not a few words of condemnation by the international community. How many more people must be killed before the international community acts? DWAG strongly believes that world leaders, regional and international bodies must take a rigorous action to end the current and the long-standing crimes committed with impunity in Sudan. The brave decision made by the African Union to expel Sudan from the AU is type of action that we want to see, and hope other international bodies will take similar measures to force the Military Council to end its barbaric  and violent rule.

  • We urge the United Nations Security Council members to immediately send human rights observers, investigate the crimes and hold the perpetrators accountable.
  • We urge the member states of ICC and UNSC to demand immediate arrest of President al-Bashir and the former officials wanted by the ICC to be surrendered to the court to face justice.
  • We call on the United States Government to exercise pressure over the Transitional Military Council, backed by Islamist regime, to immediately seize attackers and transfer power to a civilian government.
  • We urge the US and the African Union to stop the Saudi and the Emirati governments from interfering and exploiting the conditions on the ground in Sudan.

We wish to remind the world that the current violence in Sudan is the cost of impunity for the genocide crimes enjoyed by al-Bashir and these very military leaders who are trying to shield him.

Thank you,

Darfur Women Action Group

Stars for Darfur: A call from Rome that shifted the conversation in DC

A story of an inseparable bond that brought the Italian community close to Darfur.

In today’s polarized environment, I feel compelled to share this beautiful story.

In 2011, media coverage of the Darfur genocide began to rapidly decline along with support from the international community. As a survivor of the Darfur genocide and with people still suffering on the ground, I felt betrayed.  Although overwhelmed, I worked hard to not get discouraged and to find ways to ensure maintaining attention on Darfur.  At that time, the Darfur Women Action Group was just a logo and a registration certificate, a Board consisting of three members, two volunteer staff members comprised of only me and an intern, who was a junior at American University. We needed and decided to do something to rescue the waning Darfur anti-genocide movement. This movement, aimed at mobilizing citizens against the genocide in Darfur, had begun in the United States and had extended around the globe. We needed to get DWAG to work and our initial goal was to give women survivors a voice. Secondly, we focused on sustaining the engagement of committed individuals. We planned to do both via an annual symposium where the two groups meet annually. To these ends, we decided to do three things: (1) maintain close contact with survivors on the ground and document the atrocities they had experienced, (2) launch a strong advocacy program led by survivors, and (3) organize an annual multi-day symposium on women and genocide in the 21st century. Our intent was to avoid replication of what was already being done and to focus on addressing the weakness of the existing movement. Then we identified two important gaps: violence against women within the context of genocide and the lack of empowerment of the affected communities.  Our plan was to give women and all survivors a voice by giving them a platform in which to share their stories with committed individuals, activists, policy makers, advocates and students. The immediate goal was for all to be educated, re-energized and reengaged and to continue to fight.  We began approaching the people we knew and who we thought might support our effort. However, the response was less than positive.  We were told that there was Darfur fatigue and organizing a conference was not “sexy” and that it would be very challenging to find support for our entire work, let alone our symposium. Needless to say, it was challenging to remain optimistic.

And then, it happened! I have received a call from an artist in Rome telling me that his group are supporters of Darfur and that they have been supporting a Rome based organization called Italians for Darfur and they looked online and found our organization and wanted to come to DC to organize a concert for us to support our work. I was dumbfounded! People here were telling me that no one cares about Darfur any longer and, out of the blue, came this call from a complete stranger from Rome! That call replenished my hope that what I had heard about Darfur fatigue was not true and that there were still people who cared.  So, we decided to proceed with not even a penny in our organization’s account.   We moved forward and organized our symposium and Antonio (Tony) and his American friend, Mark Kosabi, came and performed along with one of our Sudanese musicians. It was a smashing success!  (Subsequently, Tony produced an album for Darfur with proceeds dedicated to Italians for Darfur. He has suggested that he do the same for DWAG.)  Since then, we have become close friends and strong allies in our cause.

In 2016, I was invited by the Italians for Darfur to speak in Rome, where I testified before the Italian Parliament about the escalation of violence in Darfur. People often asked me how I came to be involved with the Italian community. I have to tell the whole story often and the reaction is that it is fascinating, so I thought I’d share it with a wider audience

The background to this story: In the wake of the Darfur genocide, the Italian people, particularly in Rome, refused to stand idly by. They had organized themselves and joined hands with the Darfuri community in Rome to speak about genocide and had demanded that their government take action. They also organized protests, performed sit-ins in front of Parliament and launched a letter writing campaign. In 2007, Italians for Darfur was founded by a prominent Italian woman activist, Antonella Napoli, who is now its executive director. Since then, Italians for Darfur has become a strong international voice for the people of Darfur. Through their work, Tony Esposito learned about the crisis in Darfur and felt he had do something about it. He decided to use his music and art skills to support Italians for Darfur and has subsequently been organizing concerts in Rome and other cities. In 2010, Tony travelled to Darfur. He visited refugee camps in Chad and in western Darfur where he sponsored an education project run by IFD. Since then he has committed himself to continue to speak and do everything possible to help the people of Darfur, including bringing his best friend, Mark Kostabi, and his brother, Paul Kostabi, on board – and the three have become staunch dedicated supporters of Darfur.

So, back to 2011 when Italians for Darfur partnered with DWAG and introduced Tony and the Kostabis to me. In 2012, Tony and Mark traveled from Rome to DC to perform at the first ever women and genocide symposium. Since then they have become DWAG’s number one supporters.  Mark Kostabi has donated several paintings for DWAG to use for fund raising. In 2015, as Tony was coming to perform and the DWAG President reached out to DC’s Italian community to inform them that an Italian musician friend of DWAG’s was coming to DC, the Italian community, led by Claudio Bazzichelli, immediately decided to join DWAG, not only in support of Tony but also for Darfur. Since then the partnership between DWAG and the Italians in DC has grown stronger and, today, our partnership has demonstrated that people-to-people connections are the most important investment that we need to make. It’s the best example of unity in diversity that today’s world so desperately needs.  I speak Arabic and English, my mother tongue is Fur and I am a naturalized American citizen. I don’t speak Italian and Tony speaks a little English but no Arabic, but our mutual American friend, NY- based Mark Kostabi, helps us communicate perfectly – so much so that I consider them my brothers.  The relationship we have developed means the world to me and the people my organization serves . Although we didn’t meet at a bar, a wedding or a concert, places where people usually meet, it’s the cause that brought us and bound us together.

Again this year in the midst of the international community’s controversial political dynamics  in Sudan, which  has been largely characterized by Europe’s  anti-African migration policy, and the United States’ bold move toward normalization with Sudan (ignoring the fact that the country is led by an indicted genocidal criminal) and while people are still dying in masses in Darfur, our friends from Rome to NY to DC have decided to come together and launch a new initiative – Stars for Darfur, a concert and donated arts auction. They have brought many Italian American organizations to partner with Darfur Women Action Group, to mobilize support for Darfur and to show the world that if our leaders decided to walk away from Darfur, committed individuals like Tony his wife Elinora and the Kostabis and their supporters will never walk away. It’s extremely inspiring, heartwarming and empowering to have people like these in your life.  It takes compassion and passion of only a few individuals to bring continents together.

This is not to say that we haven’t, over the years, received support from many people, but I wanted to explain the timing and the significance of that call from Rome which was the impetus to our decision and ability to continue our work.  We still have not received significant funding, but after that call, small and individual support started pouring in to help us get to where we are today. With Darfur thousands of miles away from Rome and DC, it is rarely, if ever, in the news any more. But the support and commitment of the Italian community represented by Tony and the American people represented by the Kostabis has shown the people of Darfur that they are not alone; that if we can connect with one another as people, regardless of our social, geographic and cultural boundaries, the world will no doubt will be a better place for all. As the situation in Darfur grows grimmer, I am hopeful that if we can reach more people and find connections with them, as we have done with the Italian community, and work with them as allies and reach many others, we will overcome!  I am a believer that if we all believe that humanity transcends social, geographical and cultural boundaries, there will not be a genocide anywhere in the world. We are pleased to welcome Antonio Esposito, his wife Elinora and Mark Kostabi in DC again this Saturday for a benefit concert in support of DWAG.

By Niemat Ahmadi, President and founder

Darfur Women Action group

@niemata @DWAG6

FB: https://www.facebook.com/DarfurWomenActionGroup/

www.darfurwomenaction.org

 

 

Genocide Awareness Month Statement

WHEN A GENOCIDAIRE BECOMES A CELEBRITY

As April is Genocide Awareness and Prevention Month, every year, human rights advocates and anti-genocide activists from around the globe come together to commemorate previous genocides and renew their commitment to work toward preventing future ones.  With Darfur in mind, they recognize that stopping genocides remains one of humanity’s most pressing and important challenges – and calling attention to these atrocities is an important part of global action. At this time each year, we at Darfur Women Action Group ask, “How can the world be serious about ending these atrocities when Sudan’s genocide, one of the longest and most widespread in modern history with more than 300,000 dead in the first three years and millions displaced, now in its 17th year, continues to be ignored by the global community?”. Discussing prevention of future genocides while ignoring an existing ongoing one makes genocide prevention a theoretical concept, not a reality.

In the wake of the Sudanese government’s scorched earth campaign to systematically kill and displace the people of Darfur in 2003, the world outcry was loud and forceful.  A sizable United Nations (UN) and African Union force was deployed to stop the violence – and a peace agreement was signed in 2006. The person responsible for these horrific crimes, President Omar al-Bashir, was indicted by the International Criminal Court for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.  It seemed to prove that global action had been effective.

But as we now know, al-Bashir’s determination to wipe out the entire African population of Western Sudan and his greed for power has not waned.   He increased his control over the free media and found allies in powerful nations. He then told the world that he would disband the militia responsible for committing genocidal acts and created a false narrative that Sudan had turned a corner.  The global community believed him and echoed this sentiment.

Subsequently, the United States (US) began a push to normalize relations with Sudan and the European Union (EU) paid the Sudanese government hundreds of millions of euros, relying on a genocidal government to increase border security forces, whereby stopping the flow of African migrants into Europe. In addition, the UN endorsed plans to decrease its peacekeeping operations in Darfur.  With this newfound power, al-Bashir not only restarted his campaign of violence but expanded it to the South Kordofan and Blue Nile regions.

The violence surged in 2013, and al-Bashir’s second wave of violence displaced another million people in Darfur.  To date, more than three million people live in refugee camps in Sudan and neighboring countries, fearful of returning home. Meanwhile, their land has already been allocated to and is occupied by al-Bashir’s loyal settlers. How is this an end to the genocide?

Al-Bashir’s move to exterminate the entire population of Darfur is as systematic today as it was in 2003.  In 2014 alone, more than 3,000 villages were burned to the ground.  In 2016, the government used chemical weapons against its own people, killing more than 250, mostly women and children, and leaving hundreds suffering from debilitating injuries.  Humanitarian aid has been systematically blocked, and if the UN makes good on its promise to remove all of its forces, there will be nothing left to protect civilians or ensure they have at least some access to food, water, and medicine.  At that point, al-Bashir’s goal of exterminating the African population of western Sudan will be nearly accomplished.

Rape continues to be used as a weapon of war.  Women are raped during attacks, while seeking refuge, and even while just performing daily chores within the premises of the internally displaced persons (IDPs) camps.   These incidents of rape are grossly underreported by humanitarian agencies and UNAMID.  To date, the medical, psychological and social needs of victims are still not being addressed.

In addition, rape victims are threatened for speaking out. After the 2014 rape of 221 women and girls in Tabit, government forces threatened the victims and witnesses of these attacks, ordering them to not provide any information to UNAMID. Women who tried to resist or fight back were regularly cut, stabbed, and/or mutilated with knives to instill fear in them. Moreover, Sudanese laws are reinforcing institutionalized violence against women and allowing perpetrators to walk free.   In April of 2018, a 19-year-old girl, Noura Hussein, was sentenced to death for defending herself against her rapist. She had stabbed him as he attempted to rape her for the second time, and without intending to, she killed him. The international outcry at the unjust and misogynistic legal system in Sudan led to the overturning of her death sentence, but shockingly, she was still sentenced to five years in jail and ordered to pay a fine of $18,700.

How can we honestly say that we want to stop future genocides when we turn a blind eye to what is happening in Sudan?  Al-Bashir, with the two warrants of ten counts for his arrest, travels freely and is welcomed by international dignitaries as if he is the world’s most important celebrity. US Congressional and Administration delegations travel to Khartoum, Sudan to discuss how the two countries can do more business together while its president presides over multiple genocides.  In its most recent report on the global refugee situation, the UN did not even list Sudan as a pressing concern.  Rather than discouraging future genocides, these actions tell brutal autocrats that the world will not stand in the way of their bestial behavior. When accountability for the most heinous crimes is dismissed by our leaders, when criminals are celebrated, and when we choose silence – nothing will stop the current or deter the future atrocities from happening. As he sees his freely granted pass and as he preens in the midst of his new found celebrity status, Omar al-Bashir is now emboldened by securing his special place in the hearts and minds of superpower leaders.

For 30 years, the man has used divide-and-conquer tactics as he divided the people of Sudan across ethnic, religious, political and geographical lines. While his regime was actively exterminating the people of Darfur, the rest of the Sudan populace was just doing business as usual.  Today that tactic has expired as the entire country has awakened in an unprecedented uprising that brought hundreds of thousands to the streets to demand the resignation of al-Bashir, whereby allowing the possibility of peace, freedom and justice to take hold in Sudan.  al-Bashir’s response has been brutal violence. And yet, Sudanese from all walks of life remain united and determined – with hope increasing nearly every day. Regrettably, the international community continues to fail to respond to al-Bashir’s brutality. While the regime is killing protesters, its regional and international allies are secretly meeting, assuring al-Bashir of their backing in a 2020 election. By doing so, they are actively stealing the hope for change from the Sudanese people and allowing criminal al-Bashir to get away with murder.

When people’s power prevailed, al-Bashir has been forced to step down, dismayingly his defense minister has been Installed in to control the military with hope to grant impunity for al-Bashir and other criminals. Subsequently he stepped down as people unanimously rejected his leadership. Again, they nominated the most notorious military commanders,   the twin  head of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), forces loyal to Bashir responsible of genocide committed in Darfur As the news of change is welcomed, these developments put Sudan at a dangerously defining moment that needs us to stay vigilant-make it know that impunity for genocide crimes must not be an option.

In 2006, the world woke up with outrage to the campaign of genocide in Darfur.  Politicians, celebrities, scholars, students and ordinary citizens demanded action to great effect.  What we need now is a sustained re-awakening.  The only way to stop future genocide is to make sure that Celebrity Omar al-Bashir does not get away with the one being perpetrated right under our noses.

Niemat Ahmadi, President, Darfur Women Action Group

 

Darfur and Sudan: News Update

DArf
A women travels miles just to collect a  bit of water from this well. Image from Unamid. 

President Bashir, has been rhetorically reiterating the state’s supposed desire to bring “Peace to all states in Sudan”, yet violence against innocent civilians by the state speaks the volume of his political will to do so:

  • On March 22, the head of the Golo Veterinary Unit in Central Darfur “was beaten and had his head shaven by agents of the National Intelligence and Security Service after he refused to allow the sale of unauthorized meat to one of the butchers in the market”. Veterinarians in the area have gone on strike to protest this injustice.
  • Those hiding from conflict in the remote caves and valleys of Jebel Marra are pleading for rapid interventions for the rampant spread of diseases in the area. Ranging from measles to pneumonia to dysentery, these diseases have already killed dozens and infected hundreds. Though not an example of physical violence, the government’s barring of humanitarian aid for its own citizens is just another example of abuse of its own people.
  • On March 18, meetings began in Paris between Sudan Call alliance of opposition parties, and representatives of the government of France, Britain, Norway, the EU, and the USA. Sudan Call is urging these nations to stop dialogue with the current Sudanese regime, to keep Sudan on the list of state sponsors of terrorism, and to support the people of Sudan in transitionary efforts towards a democracy.

 

On top of the ongoing violence against innocent civilians, the citizens of Darfur continue to face a plethora of other hardships:

  • The extreme lack of water in East Darfur is a current major crisis. The destruction and disruption of water sources has not been addressed so far, and many callers told Radio Dabanga that there is an “extreme lack of water”. Residents from Abu Sineit area said that they must make a six-hour trip to find water. This is having a gravely negative impact on civilians, livestock, and agriculture.
  • Economic hardship rages on in Sudan as hyperinflation remains another major issue. High prices of food, fuel and medicine, as well as limits on cash withdrawals are devastating many, due to a liquidity crisis within the government. Many report inability to access their February salaries, hence they can’t meet the basic needs of their families such as food and medicine.

The same al-Bashir regime that orchestrated the genocide in Darfur is currently ordering brutality against peaceful protesters in Sudan. Your voices are urgently needed to expose al-Bashir’s crimes in Darfur and across Sudan.  It takes only one action to contribute to ending genocide in Darfur and the unprecedented carnage across Sudan.

If you can share this with 5-10 people in your network and ask them to do the same, you will make a difference. Use your voice to urge the Us government not to normalize relation or delisting Sudan from states sponsor of terrorist until there is a lasting peace in Sudan

With our collective effort we can make a difference.  We can end it.

Please also check our STAND with Sudan campaign  and take one of the actions if you have not done so yet.

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