Year: 2019

We were alarmed to learn that yet another U.S. Congressional delegation visited Sudan on the weekend of March 16^th, 2019.  If this delegation, whose trip is facilitated by the Humpty Dumpty Institute (HDI), is looking to build upon least year’s Congressional visits to Sudan sponsored by HDI, they are sending a wrong and dangerous message to President Omar al-Bashir and his government.  The American people deserve an answer.

They should have numerous questions regarding HDI, as it seems that the organization’s primary purpose has become taking politicians to Sudan and working on rebranding the genocidal face of the regime in Khartoum while the Sudanese people themselves reject Mr. al-Bashir.  HDI stopped posting financial information on its website in 2011. We also have questions regarding the funder of the previous trips, Bash Pharma.  The delegations visited a Bash Pharma manufacturing facility, and we would like to understand better the role they are playing.

Last year, two HDI-sponsored delegations visiting Sudan met with political leaders in Khartoum.  During these visits, the delegation was hosted at the house of the First Vice President, at the National Assembly, at the home of the Chargé d’Affaires, and with the National Intelligence and Security Service.  While there, they were undoubtedly told about all the steps the government was taking to end the violence, make reforms, and return the country to prosperity.  The delegation worked with the al-Bashir regime to open up their banking system, remove further sanctions, and be removed from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list.  History is not on the side of this being constructive.

When the world was up in arms about the genocide in Darfur, Mr. al-Bashir promised to reduce his attacks and promised reforms.  He falsely convinced the world that the genocide was over, and used the interim time to gain greater control of the media and the messages the world would hear.  Once most economic restrictions were lifted, however, Mr. al-Bashir returned to violent methods of rule.  The number of displace persons has risen dramatically over the past few years. Mass rapes, theft and murder have not only returned to Darfur, but have spread to other regions.  Three million displaced Sudanese remain under attack and too afraid to return home because of insecurity.  The policies of normalization have only emboldened this regime.

Luckily, the people of Sudan understand what American politicians do not: This violent regime will never change, and the time for new leadership has come.  In December, nationwide protests calling for Mr. al-Bashir to step down erupted, and despite an unconstitutional state of emergency aimed at quelling dissent, they continue to grow.  The government has responded the only way they know how—with violence.  Dozens have been killed, thousands jailed, and reports of beatings and torture are common.  Doctors have been targeted, six hospitals have been attacked, members of the free-press are jailed, and brave human rights defenders and lawyers are arrested regularly.

This is not a regime that will change and any policy that aims to work with it is horribly misguided.  U.S. voters need to understand why yet another congressional delegation is visiting Khartoum and why they are pushing to give Mr. al-Bashir more power.  Voters also need to know why these delegations are not visiting Darfur, Blue Nile, and South Kordofan where the people there will tell them a much different story than the ones they are being told in Khartoum.

Press reports regarding the current and past congressional trip to Sudan can be found here:

http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article67195

http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article67230

http://www.startribune.com/sudan-secures-300m-loans-from-regional-fund-amid-protests/507265372/

 

Details of the last year’s trips can be found on HDI’s website here:

http://thehdi.org/congressional_delegations/sudan_delegation_july_2018.html

 

Mike Hall

Policy Advisor

Darfur Women Action Group

darfurwomenaction.org

Keep Your Eyes on Darfur

While the world’s attention turned to the government of Sudan’s violent response to the nationwide protests, massacres, brutal rapes and violent attacks on innocent people of Darfur have been going unnoticed. Those who have been displaced 15 years ago in Darfur are still facing systematic attacks and rape of civilians every day.

• On March 14: Three students from Sheikh Yousef Mustafa Koran Institute were victims of armed robbery in South Darfur. After exchanging blows with one robber, Hanafi Ismail was fired at and killed instantly, while the other 2 students were seriously wounded. One of the robbers was a corporal in the Sudan Armed Forces.

• Last week, three young women and girls were repeatedly raped at gunpoint by militiamen in North Darfur while collecting firewood. One girl (14) was also “beaten, whipped, and verbally humiliated”. The Incident was reported to Kutum-area police, but perpetrators have not been pursued nor arrested.

• On March 13: Six displaced persons were massacred in the Ardamata camp in West Darfur while collecting straw. The Darfur Media and Journalists Associations held the government responsible and demanded an investigation to bring those responsible to justice.

• Credible sources from the ground estimate that more than 150 women are currently imprisoned for participating in protests in Sudan. While a portion of these young women were released from Omdurman Women’s Prison in Sudanlast Tuesday, there is a lack of information as to how many remain detained.

• Post declaring a State of Emergency on 22 February, President Bashir has “appointed a new government, installed military and security officers in all state governments…established emergency courts and deployed large numbers of security forces on the streets”. Many of these emergency courts are harshly distributing punishment to the hundreds of protestors being tried.

• On March 9: Nine women were arrested for participating in peaceful anti-government protests and sentenced to one month in prison and 20 lashes, though the latter punishment was appealed and reversed.

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.

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.

Like us on FB, Twitter and Instagram.

Thank you for your support.

Niemat Ahmadi

 

Darfur Women Action Group Observes International Women’s Day

Every day we hear stories of resilience, tragedy and horror, and yet, international institutions continue to betray and ignore the women of Darfur. Your voice can change this.

Dear supporters,

On this International Women’s Day, we would like to bring your attention to the daily suffering of the women of Darfur—and to honor their resilience.  Despite the fact that Darfuri women are still under genocidal attack and continue to be victims and survivors of brutal and systematic mass rape, they continue to persevere and serve as the lifeblood of their communities.  Today, on International Women’s Day, we need to let them know that they are not alone, and that there is hope.

Darfur Women Action Group strives to changes the way the world responds to crimes committed against women in Darfur and we need your help to do so.

Today, we will honor some of these brave women by sharing their story.  On February 5^th, two women, three girls and two boys from the Zamzam camp for displaced Sudanese set out on a 13-kilometer journey to collect straw to make bed mats, hats, baskets and other items essential to daily living.  Being able to complete this task safely is something many of us would take for granted.  But in Darfur, common activities like this are fraught with risk, and is all too common, this one ended in tragedy.

“A sheikh of Zamzam camp for the displaced, near to El Fasher, capital of North Darfur, told Radio Dabanga that on Monday, a group of herders attacked two women, three girls, and two boys while they were collecting straw at Um Hashaba area, 12 kilometres west of Zamzam camp.

The attackers beat the boys, took the women and girls at gunpoint, and raped them repeatedly from 4 pm until 10 pm. 

The sheikh said the incident was reported to the police and the victims given medical treatment. 

A patrol under the leadership of the Commissioner of El Fasher went after the culprits on Tuesday, but there are no reports of arrests.” 

We were horrified by the news reports of this incident (https://www.dabangasudan.org/en/all-news/article/women-girls-gang-raped-in-north-darfur-attack).  These women and children will be expected to pick themselves and find a way to continue to persevere in the face of the type of adversity that is unimaginable.  They need to know the world is watching.  They need your support.

What is happening in Darfur?

For more than 15 years, the Sudanese government’s military forces and their allied militia, the Janjaweed, have carried out systematic attacks against the Darfuri people based on their ethnicity. They have bombed villages, abducted civilians, looted private property, and used rape against women and girls as a weapon of war.

Rapes in Darfur are well-planned and deliberately orchestrated attacks to tear apart families, break down leadership structures, and leave long-term social, emotional, and physical scars on entire communities. All of these tactics are used by the Sudanese government and its allied militia to perpetuate genocide.  No research has been conducted to determine the exact number of women raped and the impact of sexual violence on women and girls. Regrettably, not a single perpetrator has been brought to justice.

As a result, more than 3 million Darfuris were forced to leave their villages for internally displacement camps or ones located in Chad.  More than 80% of these people are women and children.  The government of Omar al-Bashir has blocked much of their access to humanitarian assistance, and they have little access to education or protection.

You can help.  The saddest part of all of this is that it can be stopped, but the world community refuses to act.  World leaders are convinced by the Sudanese government’s narrative that the crises in Darfur is over, even though news reports confirm that the violence in Darfur is progressively getting worse. In November alone, 50 villages in one region were burned, displacing 50,000 people.  In February, the government declared a state of emergency allowing unfettered ability to arrest anyone who questions their authority.

If your elected leaders knew that you were aware of the situation in Darfur, they might change their policies.  Currently, Western governments are removing sanctions, allowing al-Bashir to travel freely, reducing peacekeeping forces, establishing new diplomatic relations, and taking other steps to normalize relations, But we know that the more freedom al-Bashir attains, the more violent he becomes.

 Please join us this month to speak up for the women in Darfur, empower survivors, and seek justice for victims. 

 How can you help?

Please take the following actions to help DWAG:

• Share the story of the women and girls of Zamzam and educate 5-10 of your friends and family. Please let us know their reactions. Report back to us via Facebook, Twitter, or via email at policy@darfurwomenaction.org.
• Support our Stand with Sudan campaign by contacting your member of Congress, the United Nations Security Council, or writing a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. Follow this link for more information: http://www.darfurwomenaction.org/stand-with-sudan/
• Share our statement on social media and use the hashtag #StandWithSudan.
• Donate to our organization to support our “Women Empowering Women” project by following this link: http://www.darfurwomenaction.org/donate/
• Organize a screening of our “Violence Against Women” video to educate more people. Contact us and we will send you a link!
• Organize a fundraising event for DWAG. We will give you all the tools to help us reach our fundraising goals.
• Invite DWAG to speak at your school, congregation or community in order to educate more people about the situation in Darfur.

“Every day I hear stories of resilience, tragedy and horror. And yet, international institutions continue to betray and ignore the women of Darfur.  Together we can change this.”

Niemat Ahmadi, DWAG President.