Activist in front of White House. Copyright: Martha Bixby

On July 23, 2011, Darfuri Diaspora and American activists participated in a Peace in Sudan Rally at Lafayette Square in Washington, DC.  The rally, which was co-sponsored by Fur Cultural Revival, GI-Net/SDC, and Sudan Now, was held in front of the White House in order to draw the attention of the U.S. government and the international community to the dire situation in Darfur, the Nuba Mountains, Abyei and other parts of Sudan.  The rally was held on July 23 to mark the 7th anniversary of the recognition of the crisis in Darfur as genocide by the United States Congress.

Youth activism. Copyright: Martha Bixby

Demonstrations began at 1:00 p.m. following the conclusion of the hunger strike and lasted until 3:00 p.m. Speakers included policy makers, genocide survivors, leaders of advocacy movements, musicians, and media correspondents.

Speaker. Copyright Martha Bixby

The speakers called upon the U.S. government for immediate protection of civilians, unimpeded humanitarian access, the arrest of al-Bashir and other suspects for crimes committed in Darfur, accountability for the Sudanese government, and justice for victims of genocide and other atrocities committed in Darfur and Sudan at large.

Tom Andrews, president of Genocide Intervention Network/Save Darfur Coalition. Copyright: Martha Bixby

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Over 150 people participated in the DC rally, despite the unbearable heat. Activists and Diaspora traveled to the rally from across the country including from Eastern states such as Maine, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, and Connecticut, and from as far away as Texas, South Dakota, and California.  In addition to the DC rally, hunger strikes and rallies were held in other U.S. states including: South Dakota, Indiana, Arizona, and Nebraska and internationally in the UK, France, Egypt, Uganda, and South Sudan.

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The united action of the advocates this weekend shows that there is a strong commitment from people from all walks of life to end the genocide in Darfur.  They have made it clear that impunity is not an option and that there is a consensus that protection of civilians in the Nuba Mountains and Darfur should be a priority for both the U.S. government and the international community.

Protestors. Copyright: Martha Bixby

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On July 22, 2011, Darfuris Against Genocide initiated a global hunger strike to stand in solidarity with the victims of the Darfur genocide, who have endured unimaginable suffering over the past 8 years.  Darfuris Against Genocide is a group of activists who stand for protection, peace, and justice in the face of the deteriorating situation in Darfur.  Most of its activists have fled from genocidal attacks in their homeland and are currently residing in the United States.  They have experienced first hand the atrocities of the crisis and demand that the United States end President al-Bashir’s campaign to slaughter their people.

The 24 hour hunger strike began at 12:00 p.m. on July 22 and lasted until July 23 at 12:00 p.m.   Over 4000 people signed up on Facebook, where they wrote comments and uploaded videos on an hourly basis.  Videos were also uploaded on YouTube by a variety of individuals including human rights activists, Darfur Diaspora, GI-NET/Save Darfur Coalition and Enough employees, and government officials.  All videos from the 24 hour campaign can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Hunger+Strike+for+Darfur+Hour&aq=f

Click here to view the embedded video.

The global hunger strike demonstrates once again that there is a united movement to end the targeted bombing of civilians, blockades of humanitarian access, arrests, and the torture and rape of women that have become commonplace in the lives of the people of Darfur.

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Myself and many others were forced to abandon our families, friends and our beloved homeland, but we are lucky to survive the brutal genocide of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and his allied Janjaweed militias. We traveled across continents through the journey of hopes, fears and frustration and finally came to the United States.

On July 23, 2004, the United State Congress declared the atrocities in Darfur as genocide. The recognition of the genocidal crimes by the US government at the time was big news for all of the victims, survivors and the advocates.  It gave us the hope and motivated us to speak up hoping that sooner our people will be protected and the perpetrators will be brought to justice.

We are joined by persons of conscience from all walks of life including students, religious leaders, and human rights advocates from all over the world to call for protection, peace and justice for the vulnerable. Millions of Darfuris such as myself have been crying for many years and demanded the simple right of our people to be protected and to live with dignity. Sadly, we have only been given a handful of promises from the international community and the situation is worsening everyday due to the ruthless regime of al-Bashir.

We were very appreciative that seven years ago, international aid agencies came to Darfur to save lives. The African Union troops were authorized and sent in to protect the people of Darfur, but failed.  5 years ago, UN troops were authorized to join the AU to protect the vulnerable and the resolution for disarmament of the Janjaweed was issued. Unfortunately, it has never been implemented and the Janjaweed continue to kill, rape, torture and terrorize civilians. In 2005, the UN Security Council unanimously referred the case of Darfur to the ICC but only after they exhausted all other options for bringing peace to Darfur. The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has then done his best in investigating the crimes committed and later, the court issued two arrest warrants for al-Basher with 10 counts of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Unfortunately, the Security Council leaders haven’t come forth to enforce the court’s decision. The arrest warrants are left pending and world leaders are still divided between seeking justice for genocide victims and granting impunity for this brutal dictator. As a result, al-Bashir has been emboldened and allowed to defy and deny human rights because of the inaction of the international community.

The question remains, “did impunity for al-Bashir receive a silent vote from world leaders who had the power to enforce the arrest warrant OR has the need to attain justice for victims not yet gained attention among world leaders?”

Eight years is too long for the Darfuri people who have been forced out of their homes, oppressed, starved, dehumanized, while their fate is left to be decided by their murderer, al-Bashir. It’s been too long for the more than 250,000 refugees in Chad who have been constantly harassed, raped, abducted and sometimes handed over to al-Bashir’s forces by the Chadian government. It’s been too long for the hundreds in the Central African Republic who have left without protection, relief or a dignified life.  Indeed, it’s been far too long for the immeasurable number of women who have endured rape nearly everyday and for their children who do not have enough food or shelter. They now live in a state of severe malnutrition and are left to die everyday without ever being counted.

Although the unspeakable tragedy in Darfur has recently been downplayed, Darfuri women named their camps and their children after President Obama when he was elected.  Many schools have been named Obama’s own schools, out of their optimism from a statement in which he said, “the genocide in Darfur is a stain on our souls,” words that made both the victims and the advocates hopeful.

In a statement made by the former US envoy to Sudan, he stated, “the situation in Darfur is not a genocide, it is a remnants of genocide.” Following that statement, the outgoing UN commander Randolph Adada confidently made another reinforcing statement in saying, “the war in Darfur is over” while the janjaweed were still with working in full capacity.  This confused the international community and made them doubt whether or not the genocide was still taking place.  While the International Criminal Court has found evidence and issued an arrest warrant against Al-bashir, the damage was already done and diffusion of the cause took place.

In less than a month, the Government of Sudan found the audacity to use new genocidal tactics.  They forced the most effective aid organizations out of Darfur causing Darfuris die of starvation and diseases.  Even though they were not attacked, this damage is nearly impossible to repair. Later eastern Jebel Marra was attacked by government forces.  As a result, more than 100,000 civilians have been displaced and over 150 people were killed.  The UN did not dare go in to verify or investigate the incidence and the entire international community did not know how to respond because they were told that the genocide does not exist and the war was over.

From 2010 to 2011, hundreds of thousands of civilians have been driven from their homes multiple times since the beginning of the crises and the world is watching.  UNAMID has been constantly obstructed and the remaining aid workers have been repeatedly attacked and forced to leave one by one.  The regime has further used every possible means to oppress its victims and have moved toward occupying Abyei and wiping out the Nuba mountains, knowing that the world will not likely impose serious measures against their ruling power.  To me, these have revealed that the Responsibility to Protect will remain a rhetorical notion unless it is used as a blanket measure that can be applied against those who are killing their own people, namely al-Basher of Sudan.

The world has chosen the easy path by allowing impunity for al-Basher and has damaged accountability for genocidal crimes.  That is why we are here today entering a twenty-four hour hunger strike to tell the international community led by the United States that we will never give up fighting for justice.  We the victims and survivors, with our friends and allies from all over the world have faith in equal rights for all and respect for human dignity!  We will continue to remind them that the promise of never again can be brought about by ordinary citizens if we are determined and work hard to realize it. We will never give up advocating for the rights of the vulnerable, for protection, justice and lasting peace!  If the world has abandoned the people of Darfur, we will not.  The Darfuri diaspora from the United states, Canada, Europe, Africa and all the American activists have come together to fight genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur, Nuba Mountains, Abyei and elsewhere.  We will never give up until the responsibility to protect becomes morally driven, not politically driven.  This will be a wake up call to the Obama administration and the entire world community that what will do all that it takes to save lives and restore the dignity of the people of Sudan.  We will continue.

Rebecca Tinsley visits with Darfuri children

Rebecca Tinsley is an accomplished journalist and human rights activist who was inspired to write her novel When the Stars Fall to Earth after returning from a trip to the Darfur region of Sudan.  When interviewing survivors of the genocide in Darfur at the El Geneina refugee camp, Rebecca was met by a request from the women of the camp: they asked her to be their voice. She wrote When the Stars Fall to Earth in keeping with that request, telling the stories of millions of Darfuris through the journeys of five young people displaced by the conflict in their homeland.  Rebecca’s portion of the proceeds from the sales of the book will go to organizations dedicated to helping survivors of genocide in Africa.

When the Stars Fall to Earth begins with 14 year old Zara clinging to a bare rock face, pressing herself as flat as possible to escape detection by Sudanese militia forces.  She is exhausted and utterly alone after surviving a brutal attack on her village in Darfur.  The book follows Zara’s journey, and the journey of four other young people also fleeing Sudanese militia attacks, to find safety in a world often hostile to their very existence.  The five encounter vastly different obstacles – from living in a refugee camp, to fighting in a rebel army, to growing accustomed to life in Western culture – but they all share the strength, dignity, and resilience of the Darfuri people.

Rebecca provides a framework for her story by including valuable information about the complex history and culture of Sudan, as well as explanations of the political motivations behind the genocide in Darfur. As a result, When the Stars Fall to Earth leaves the reader both educated about the intricate situation in Sudan and emotionally connected to its survivors.  It is a stunningly relevant book about the strength of the human spirit that bears witness to the tragedies of Darfur while continuing to hope for peace.

Click here to order the paperback version of When the Stars Fall to Earth on Amazon.com

Click here to order When the Stars Fall to Earth for your Kindle on Amazon.com

Darfuri Mother and Child

My mother insisted that I go – and I know it was the hardest thing she ever had to do.

When the genocide began in Darfur and attacks by the Janjaweed and Sudanese Armed Forces were getting worse – I, along with so many other women – stood up for our people and demanded that we be protected.

We were harassed and threatened, and I became a target for killing by the government. My family and friends advised me to flee Sudan but I refused to leave for my own safety while my people were dying.

Finally, it was my mother who insisted I go, saying, “You are outspoken. If you remain, we may all be killed. If you are safe, you will be able to speak for us and tell the world of our suffering.”

I can’t imagine how hard that had to be for her – but it is because of her that I survive today, and it is because of her that I’ve committed my life to telling everyone who will listen about the suffering of women, men and children in Darfur.

I hope you’ll consider making a special Mother’s Day gift in honor of all the mothers in Darfur and throughout Sudan who long for peace – and who have to make heartbreaking decisions day after day to protect their families.

Today, even though there are many still suffering in Darfur, my mother’s dream has come true. I became their voice, speaking in regional and international forums, advocating for protection, fighting for peace and justice for my people.

Educating the world about the situation in Darfur is an incredible challenge – so I need your help. Please, make a Mother’s Day gift to Save Darfur and help me continue to be just one of the many voices speaking out for my people.

Eight years after the genocide began, the attacks in Darfur continue. Villages are still regularly burned and many women live with the constant fear of violence and rape.

Now is not the time to turn away from the people of Darfur. Your generosity this Mother’s Day will mean so much to me, and to all of those I left behind. Together, we will make our voice louder and continue to demand protection for the women of Darfur and their families.

Guisma’s story, one of many similar accounts, parallels the conflict in Darfur.  In the  first of three episodes about her experience, Guisma’s home is destroyed and many of her family members are killed.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The second episode in Guisma’s story shows her journey to the refugee camps and her life there:

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Please help shine a light on Guisma’s story and the plight of Darfuri’s by taking action at Sudan Now’s website.   You can also  join the rapid response team through their Twitter and Facebook pages.

March 8 was International Women’s Day, a very special day for me personally as a Sudanese woman from Darfur. It’s an important moment in which I stand in recognition of the struggle of the Darfuri women and as part of women’s struggle worldwide. Despite the suffering, Darfuri women have demonstrated outstanding resilience and strength and have served as leaders and spokesperson’s for their communities during the ongoing genocide in Darfur, for which they have to be recognized, particularly those who are still living in the camps.

March 8th was the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day. In 1911 – the year the holiday was first celebrated internationally – women could not yet vote in most countries. It is worth noting that women have accomplished a lot globally since then , however, that is  not because the world have changed or opened its arms for women to come forward and have access to the different levels of participation, no, this is not simply the case! It’s because of women’s unspeakable struggles. Despite the fact that today a number of women serve as presidents and in other positions of power, there is still a long way to go if women are to enjoy the same access and rights as men. Looking at UN’s  this year’s theme for International Women’s Day, “Equal access to education, training, and science and technology: Pathway to decent work for women,” indeed it is a very vital goal to be accomplished, however it’s extremely overwhelming when I look back and see the challenges ahead for women like those in Darfur.

For 8 years, while women around the globe have celebrated International Women’s Day, Darfuri women endure horror and fear every single hour of their existence. Since 2003, women in Darfur have been crying for security, protection and decent life with dignity as their minimum very basic rights, only to see handful promises from the international community.

Today as I am writing, rape and all forms of sexual violence has become part of the Darfuri women’s daily life, following news coming from on the ground in Darfur, at least 10 women are raped every week and these reports are only from those who can be able to speak or find someone who can speak for them. There are many more uncounted cases of those out of reach who can’t speak for themselves. After 8 years of suffering and oppression, it’s very unfortunate to see how the world leaders have failed the Darfuris by their inaction.

Listening to the Netherlands based Radio Dabanga, women have been asked in this occasion to describes  their situation, as one woman from Zalingi said, “in this special day we are not celebrating , because we have been deprived from  life, we are constantly oppressed and set to live in fear for being attacked at any time. The government has oppressed us through rape, starvation and forced us to live in salience, this is happening within the watch of the United Nations/African Union Mission (UNAMID) that is suppose to protect us”.

In Sudan today, the systematic rape have been extended by the government’s security apparatus to target even Darfuri women in the capital Khartoum as in case of Safia Ishag who was arrested following the students uprising and brutally raped by three national security agents. The government has also integrated violence against women into its state laws which legalize the flogging of women in public because of their choices such as of wearing pants.  On March 8th Sudanese women in Khartoum went out to denounce these state laws, leading a peaceful protest against women’s oppression and demanding legal reforms. Sadly over 40 women have been beaten, arrested, and forcefully kept for further interrogation.

As one of the first-hand witnesses to the horror against women in Darfur and Sudan at large, I am determined to continue to speak for them to remind the world of the forgotten plights of my fellow people in Darfur. We must remind those leaders who have not kept their promises and call upon women leaders, particularly in the United States such as Secretary of the State Hillary Rodham Clinton and the US ambassador for global women’s issues, who have shown commitment to women issues that Darfuri women need your voices and demand your commitment to lead and rally the support for ending the tragic conditions that have surrounded their make shift camps for 8 years in Darfur. As women leaders, with competence and capability it’s imperative that you become the voice for those who are left voiceless in Darfur, and you should not allow the indicted genocidal criminal Al-Basher to rule over their destiny.

I urge the attention of women leaders worldwide, those who have devoted themselves to fight for women’s rights, to tell the world that Darfuri women need protection, security and safety. I call upon those who have committed to fight impunity that achieving justice and accountability for the crimes committed against the Darfuri women is morally imperative.

Finally, I can’t let this moment goes without recognizing the remarkable role played by Netherlands based Radio Dabanaga,  which lunched special radio program devoted to give Darfuri women a voice. It does not only give them the hope that they can now make their voices heard, but it will bring their plight to the attention of the world community. If a little radio can give a woman a voice, then why not the United Nations with its huge operation, or why does the United States not take such practical steps that can substantially benefit women? It’s evident that if we can’t do everything we can still do something that can tangibly improve the life of women in some areas that they need the most.

On Sunday, February 20^th, I joined a dedicated group of American activists from diverse faiths, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, that united to protest in front of the Sudanese embassy in Washington D.C.   We were there to call for an end to the systematic violence against civilians in Darfur. For each month in the past four years, the Darfur Interfaith Network (D.I.N.) has come to stand with the victims of genocide in Darfur and support the right of self-determination for the people of South Sudan.  On the Sunday that I attended, the group celebrated the peaceful completion of the South Sudan Referendum and called on the United States government and international community to turn their attention to the escalation of violence in Darfur.

Laura Katz Cutler, the founder of D.I.N. said, “We have been doing this for four years, and will never, ever stop until the genocide victims in Darfur are freed and they can live in peace and with dignity. We are committed to stand here every third Sunday of the month to tell our government that the war in Darfur is not over and it is too early to normalize relations with Khartoum or lift sanctions or remove their name from the state sponsors of the terrorism list, while the genocide is ongoing in Darfur.”

I shared with the activists the heartbreaking news about the current situation in Darfur, including the continued attacks against civilians, which killed over 2,300 Darfuris and displaced over 300,000 more, and the increased cases of sexual violence that are being reported nearly every day. December’s indiscriminate bombings in Jebel Marra, Thabit, Shangle Tobai, and many more areas in North and South Darfur displaced over 40,000 people and left thousands without critical aid. Unfortunately, the UNAMID troops that are there to protect civilians are hogtied by the Sudanese government’s obstructionism and the unwillingness of the international community to hold Khartoum accountable.  I told the group “Sadly, despite the devastation and the tragic situation for our people in Darfur, the Obama administration announced its plan to normalize relations with the al-Bashir regime and to take Sudan’s name off the list of the state sponsors of terrorism.”

Jimmy Mula, the President of Voices for Sudan and originally from South Sudan, said “We are grateful that the referendum went peacefully, however our task has not yet been completed as long as Darfur is still burning and the indicted president is still dictating over the Sudanese people affairs. The time has not yet come for America to normalize relations; we must write to the Obama Administration to tell him that we are against the normalization with Bashir and that his policy toward normalization should be revisited.” Mohamed Yahya, a Darfuri American and the Executive Director of Damanga Coalition for Freedom and Democracy, stated, “It’s very unfortunate that this great country is planning to reward the regime that killed millions of people, in both the civil war in South Sudan and the current genocide in Darfur.  It’s known to the world that he has been indicted for genocide, and shame on us, the American people, if we can’t tell our government not to do so”.

Miss Katz Cutler said, ”From what we have seen in the recent developments in the Middle East and North Africa, it’s proven that only the will of people can remain the power that can bring the change. Therefore there is no reason for us not to continue support the will of the people of Darfur to live in peace.”

At the end of the vigil, we gathered and prayed together and reiterated our commitment to continue to do whatever it takes to stand with the victims of the Darfur genocide. I left with much hope and energy.

I am convinced that the promise of “Never Again” can only become reality if ordinary citizens work for it. Groups like the Darfur Interfaith Vigil are not hesitant to tell their government and the world that they demand that President al-Bashir be held accountable for the crimes against humanity and genocide.

I believe that those of us who are lucky to have escaped the ongoing genocide in Darfur are obliged to be the voice for our people who have been oppressed and silenced. We must stand firm, build strong alliances with all people of conscience to fight against genocide and mass atrocities everywhere, and continue to defend the rights of all the oppressed and their equal access to justice and human rights.

Niemat Ahmadi, Diaspora Outreach and Advocacy Coordinator, Genocide Intervention Network/Save Darfur Coalition

About http://www.hope4darfurmarch.org/darfur-interfaith-network

Among 60,000 Sudanese refugees and expatriates living in the United States, there are 8 designated polling places to cast votes. In Omaha, refugees are braving snow and cold to cast their votes–some have come from as far away as Fargo, North Dakota to vote.

The news has been less positive in the border region of Abyei, however. A referendum planned to run in parallel to the South Sudanese referendum has been delayed and tensions between rival Misseriya and Dinka tribes have exploded into violence that have claimed between 23 and 33 lives in the past three days. UN Peacekeepers are being sent to the region to investigate the incidents of violence.