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UPDATED: Save Darfur at Netroots Nation 2010

Friday, July 23rd, 2010

Update: You can watch today’s panel about the Movement to end Genocide on USTREAM from 4:30 to 5:45 PM (PT).

The Save Darfur Coalition, Enough Project and Genocide Intervention Network are hosting a panel discussion at this year’s Netroots Nation conference in Las Vegas. The session, Zero to Sixty: The Rapid Evolution of the Movement to End Genocide, will take an in-depth look at how a small student-led movement grew into a worldwide coalition of hundreds of organizations and millions of individuals.

The panel discussion will be moderated by GI-Net’s Janessa Goldbeck and feature Martha Bixby (Save Darfur’s Director of Campaigns & Outreach), Laura Heaton (writer and editor at the Enough Project), John Prendergast (co-founder of the Enough Project), and Omer Ismail (founder of the Sudan Democratic Forum and co-founder of the Darfur Peace and Development Organization).

If you’re in Vegas for the conference, please come participate in our session on Friday, July 23rd from 4:30 to 5:45 PM in Miranda Room 1-2. If you can’t make it, please check back next week for all the highlights from our panel and Netroots Nation 2010.

Tags: #nn2010, Activism, Enough Project, GI-Net, Janessa Goldbeck, John Prendergast, Laura Heaton, Martha Bixby, Netroots Nation, Save Darfur
Posted in Activism | No Comments »

International Day in Support of Victims of Torture

Thursday, July 1st, 2010

Please note: This blog entry contains stories of torture and graphic imagery.

June 26th was the International Day of Victims of Torture and to commemorate that day the Save Darfur Coalition has put together a series of true stories of torture from Darfuri victims. This day and blog are both dedicated to those who have experienced torture around the world and particularly the victims of Darfur. Despite the continuation of large scale attack, burning, looting and displacement, Darfuri students have demonstrated their persistence to continue their education with the hope that one day they might be of help to their people whose lives have been filled with suffering. However, the arrests, abductions, torture and killing remain a threat for Darfuri students coming to study in the capital of Khartoum. Below are a few examples of many attempts to silence Darfuri students through torture and violent intimidation.

Mohamed Musa was a 23 year old from the city of Kabkabiya in North Darfur and a student at Khartoum University. He was abducted on February 10, 2010 from the university after his final exam by the SNISS and taken to an unknown location where he was severely beaten. His body was found the following day after an entire day of torture, and was taken to a hospital to analyze and find the cause of his death. The national security personnel refused to analyze the body and tried to force his students (colleagues) to take the body and bury it without making any noise. After the consulting with lawyers from Darfur Bar Association, the students refused to receive the body. As a result, 6 students were arrested. Mohamed Musa’s father and mother both mourned and tried to come to Khartoum even though it was expensive and dangerous due to the security situation. Their friends and family raised money but they were only able to buy one plane ticket. His father went to Khartoum but was detained by SNISS who tried to intimidate him into burying his son’s body without searching for the cause of death. After pressure from demonstrations and appeals from pro bono lawyers from the Darfur Bar Association (who provide legal aid to Darfuri victims), Mohamed Musa’s father was finally released. The medical investigation proved that Mohamed Musa was subjected to severe torture. This case illustrates how he went through physical inhumane torture which led to his death and how his father has endured such unimaginable psychological torture. While the SNISS denied that they killed Mohamed Musa, later on they arrested another student from the Grifna campaign in Khartoum during the April elections and showed him photos of Mohammed Musa’s torture and said the same would happen to him if Grifna didn’t stop. That incident alone is a clear indication that the government of Sudan’s security agents had tortured Mohamed Musa to death.

(more…)

Tags: Darfur, Government of Sudan, Human Rights, Save Darfur, take action
Posted in Activist Stories, Darfuri Stories, Human Rights, Uncategorized | No Comments »

What is Obama doing for Darfur?

Tuesday, June 15th, 2010

A few days ago, New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof wrote a blog post discussing his perspective of the United States’ handling of the Darfur crisis. Since 2004, Mr. Kristof’s articles have concentrated on Darfur, a region he has visited ten times. The recent lack of attention focused on solutions in Darfur is becoming more troubling. In May, the United Nations reported that there were approximately 600 deaths in Darfur. In his blog, Kristof analyzes the Obama administration’s handling of the combined challenges of Darfur and South Sudan and encourages a more comprehensive approach, arguing that the problems of one cannot be resolved without addressing the issues of the other.

In his blog, he states that the United States, Britain, and other countries are shaping their actions around avoiding war in South Sudan, which could slide back into conflict if the referendum on secession, scheduled for January 2011, goes awry. As the previous civil war between the north and the south lasted two decades and led to some 2 million deaths, preventing renewed violence is certainly crucial. However, while it is necessary to focus attention on the referendum to ensure violence between the north and south does not break out, Darfur cannot be put aside. Kristof specifically illustrates this challenge, explaining that “the problem is that Darfur and southern Sudan are related problems, and ignoring Darfur doesn’t diminish the risks in southern Sudan. On the contrary, it increases them.”

Kristof characterizes the Obama administration’s handling of the situation as appeasing the Sudanese government, which he argues is not the same as constructively engaging it. He concludes with the analysis that this strategy will not help and, on the contrary, could be profoundly dangerous for Sudan.

The Save Darfur Coalition invites you to read his full blog piece.

Tags: Act Now for Darfur, Barack Obama, Darfur, Nicholas Kristof, Obama Administration, Save Darfur, South Sudan, take action, Washington DC, White House
Posted in Activism, Obama Administration | No Comments »

The Referendum can’t solve the Crisis in Darfur

Thursday, June 10th, 2010

“41 killed in Darfur fighting”, “Deadly fighting erupts in Sudan’s Darfur: rebels”, “Sudan army, Rebel groups clash in Western Darfur”. As such headlines evidence, violence and chaos remain hallmarks of the climate in Darfur with the January 2011 referendum on Southern succession practically on Sudan’s doorstep.

The joint UN-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur recently reported that “the security situation in Darfur is tense following reports of fighting between Sudanese armed forces and the Justice and Equality Movement”. Clashes in Darfur have cost almost 600 lives in May 2010, 440 of which were lost in fighting last month between Darfur rebels and government forces, 126 in tribal violence, and 31 in other violence, including murder. This increase in violence comes after the collapse of peace talks between the Government of Sudan and the Justice and Equality Movement. In the past several days, violence between Arab tribes in Darfur has killed 41 people. The spokesperson for the joint UN-African Union peacekeeping mission in Darfur stated that in the last couple of months there have been lower numbers of fatalities in Darfur, but in May, there have been an increasing number of clashes. Despite the surge in violent deaths in Darfur, the international community and Sudanese government is planting much of its focus in the upcoming referendum and the rebellions in South Sudan.

The increasing number of clashes is partially due to lack of progress in peace talks between the JEM and the government of Sudan. President Omar Hassan al-Bashir announced on Saturday that the current round of Darfur peace talks would be the final negotiations with any armed group. He claims after this round there will be no legitimacy through guns, only through the ballot box. Amongst others, rebel divisions and fighting have been two of the biggest obstacles to peace talks which started in 2003 and have continued in Chad, Nigeria, Libya and currently in Doha. Since April, Bashir’s security forces have cracked down on what little political freedom opened up during the electoral process, arresting opposition leaders, and cracking down on press and civil society liberties.

While the upcoming southern referendum and the rebellions in South Sudan are understandable distractions for the international community, Darfur continues to face a humanitarian crisis. Darfur’s humanitarian operation is the largest in the world with more than 4 million people requiring aid and costing nearly $1 billion a year, but the fighting and kidnapping of humanitarian workers and UNAMID personnel has forced some agencies to scale down operations and withdraw from certain regions. While it is important for the United States and international community to prepare for the upcoming referendum, this must not overshadow addressing the humanitarian crisis and violence that continue in Darfur.

Tags: Act Now for Darfur, Darfur, Human Rights, Humanitarian Aid, Peace, Save Darfur, UNAMID
Posted in Darfuri Stories, Events, Humanitarian Aid, Peace Process | No Comments »

Pat Farrell – May’s Darfur Hero has a generous heart

Sunday, May 16th, 2010

The Darfur Heroes program is a way for the Save Darfur Coalition to honor individuals and groups who have done inspiring and important work in an effort to end the violence in Sudan. This May, Save Darfur Coalition is proud to honor Pat Farrell. Pat has been a longtime activist in the Sudan movement and a generous donor every month since 2006. Her contributions have helped support advocacy programs to raise media outreach and pressure policymakers. Find below her own words about her passion for the people of Sudan.

I became interested in the situation in Darfur several years ago. I am a nurse, and was working at a school where Mia Farrow’s son was a student. I had the opportunity to meet Mia a few times and become aware of her outstanding devotion to the women and children who suffer such horrible atrocities. I called Mia, and after a brief conversation I knew that I could no longer just stand by, but had to become active in the Save Darfur Coalition’s advocacy work.

I have tried as much as possible to raise awareness of this cause among family and friends. I contribute a small amount every month and have attended rallies to bring more attention to the situation in Darfur. My dream of joining a medical team and traveling to the refugee camps to help even more people would be hard to achieve. Nevertheless, my intention is to continue my devotion to the women and children of Darfur no matter what it takes. I am an adoptive parent and have had the opportunity to see up close and personal the tremendous need world-wide to help children. After my experience I am left to ask you – how can we not?

Tags: Activism, Darfur, Darfur Hero, Mia Farrow, Pat Farrell, Peace, Save Darfur
Posted in Activist Stories, Humanitarian Aid, Uncategorized, United Nations, Violence Against Women | No Comments »

New Yorkers Call on International Community to Support Sudanese People during Elections

Monday, April 26th, 2010

Continuing its rich history as a gathering place for human rights’ activism, Union Square became a hub for calling attention to the poor state of political expression and fundamental freedoms in Sudan. On 10 April 2010, the eve of Sudan’s elections, New Yorkers gathered in Union Square Park to express concern about the elections and demand that the international community take seriously its role as guarantor of the elections. Elections can be an opportunity to develop democracy, but could also become a flash point for violence and human rights violations.

On a beautiful spring day, hundreds of people passing through Union Square stopped at rally headquarters under the statue of George Washington, signing postcards to President Obama and making phone calls to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton through the Genocide Intervention hotline, calling on both to lead the international community in denouncing flaws in the elections and in ensuring that the election does not legitimize President Omar al-Bashir.

Individuals who made a call on the GI-Net hotline received a cookie from UBUNTU: Students for a World Without Genocide. A 6′-long letter also was addressed to Hillary Clinton, and signed by bystanders. Volunteers distributed fliers containing actions that anyone can take for Sudan and Darfur: they spoke with onlookers, explaining how international support for free and fair elections is critical to reducing conflict throughout Sudan and to encouraging an environment of civil and political freedoms imperative to a legitimate 2011 referendum on the future of South Sudan.

(more…)

Tags: Activism, Darfur, Darfur People's Association of New York, DarfurMetro, Elections, Events, Gary Fritz, Genocide Intervention, International Refugee Rights Initiative, Jebel Mar, New York, New York City Coalition for Darfur, Omar al-Bashir, President Obama, Save Darfur, Students for a World Without Genocide, sudan3655, Sudanese elections
Posted in Activist Stories, ICC / Justice, Obama Administration, Omar al-Bashir, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Sudan church leader says elections too flawed to be free and fair

Wednesday, April 14th, 2010

A new article from Frederick Nzwili at the Ecumenical News International (ENI) on the Sudan Council of Churches:

Nairobi, 14 April (ENI)–The general secretary of the Sudan Council of Churches – an Orthodox, Protestant and Roman Catholic grouping – has said that current national elections in Africa’s biggest country do not qualify as free and fair.

The Rev. Ramadan Chan Liol, said, however, that the elections should continue since they are a key step in the implementation of the country’s Comprehensive Peace Agreement. The 2005 accord was signed in Nairobi between the government of Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army, ending 21 years of civil war, fought mainly in the south.

The poll, which started on 11 April, has been labelled as the first multi-party elections in Sudan since 1986. In the Islamic-majority north, however, only small opposition parties are running against President Omar al-Bashir and his party.

“The view of the Church is that the whole exercise is one that cannot be described as free and fair,” Chan, a Baptist, told Ecumenical News International in a telephone interview from Khartoum on 14 April.
“There are too many challenges. Peoples’ names are missing from the registers. They are scattered in different rolls in different towns.”

He spoke as the elections entered their fourth day. The polling began facing complaints of delays, confusion over names and symbols, as well as the withdrawal of some candidates. Voting ends on 15 April after a two-day extension by the National Election Commission.

Churches had mobilised people to vote in the presidential, legislative and local elections, according to Chan, but some voters said they were frustrated by boycotts and withdrawals. (more…)

Tags: Ecumenical News International, Elections, Faith, Omar al-Bashir, Save Darfur, Sudan, Sudan Council of Churches
Posted in Elections, Faith | No Comments »

Sudan Democracy First Group Calls On Election Observers To Pull Out Of Sudan

Wednesday, April 7th, 2010

The Sudan Democracy First Group released a second statement yesterday, calling on international election observers to leave the country. In the release, SDFG argues that “the threats and harassment suffered by international observer missions have undermined their ability to honestly report on the continued violations,” and that their continued presence in Sudan only lends “the appearance of legitimacy to what has been proven to be a deeply flawed elections process.”

SDFG’s full release:

Observer Missions Must stop Lending their Credibility to Sudan Elections

April 6, 2010, (Khartoum/Juba)

International elections observer missions should immediately pull out of Sudan. These groups appear to no longer be able to fulfill their mandate and serve only to legitimize a deeply-flawed elections process.

International observer missions have so far been subject to severe government intimidation. The Sudanese government harshly criticized the Carter Center after publication of its report on March 17th which detailed significant violations in the elections process throughout all stages including fraud and repression of speech and other freedoms. The report also described the uneven playing field for political parties and unequal access to media suggesting technical advises to enable National Election Commission (NEC) to handle the electoral process. Since then the Sudanese government has on multiple occasions threatened all international observer groups more broadly. On March 22^nd President Omar al Bashir publicly threatened to cut off the noses and fingers of internationals who “intervene in internal affairs” and endorsed any delay of elections. He repeated this threat on April 5 in Jazeera State. Threats to international actors who intervene to oppose any postponement of the poll—such as for example, the United States Special Envoy— are conspicuously absent.

Rather than publicly disclose the extent of the program of harassment and intimidation which has accompanied these public threats of violence by the President and his aides, international observer missions have been cowed into silence or inside doors in bilateral discussion with the same NCP. They have not spoken out about the harassment and intimidation they are suffering—including the arrest and interrogation of their local staff and unlawful search of private homes—, expelling out one of their international staff and other obstacles to their operations such as denial of visas and bureaucratic obstacles to deployment. Some reports even suggest that the Humanitarian Aid Commission (HAC), which spearheaded the expulsion of humanitarian organizations last year is ready to step in this campaign of harassment against both national and international NGOs involved in elections observation activities.

(more…)

Tags: Carter Center, CPA, Election Observers, Human Rights, International Crisis Group, Save Darfur, Sudan, Sudan Democracy First Group, Sudanese elections
Posted in Elections | 1 Comment »

The Pittsburgh Darfur Emergency Coalition Diaspora Summit

Friday, March 26th, 2010

I recently had the opportunity to attend “The Way Forward in Darfur and South Sudan,” a Sudanese Diaspora Summit in Pittsburgh. The Summit was made possible by the Pittsburgh Darfur Emergency Coalition , Global Solutions the planning committee and hosted by Carnegie Mellon University. I attended as a representative of Save Darfur Coalition along with my colleague Niemat Ahmadi who is a Darfur-Sudanese liaison officer. My purpose was to seek out the united voices of the Diaspora and listen to both their proactive and reactive recommendations on the continuing atrocities in Sudan.

On Friday, March 19, signs with the names of destroyed villages in Darfur and South Sudan were displayed and filmed on the Carnegie Mellon University campus. Councilman Bill Peduto, State Representative Dan Frankel, Matt Smith, and many others spoke of the significance of the signs, but also called on activists to pressure their representatives and help empower them in bringing sustainable peace to all of Sudan.

Saturday, March 20 started with an early discussion by Diaspora voices on lasting peace and stability in Sudan – the challenges and the way forward. The panelists included: Head of the Government of Southern Sudan Mission to the United States Ezekiel Gatkuoth, Issac Leju-Loding, Dr. Adam Yahya, and Niemat Ahmadi. The conflict in Darfur was discussed from two different perspectives; one of an ongoing genocide in Darfur, enacted by the Arab-dominated central government in Khartoum and Arab Militia, and the other of the Khartoum government’s brutal campaign, which tried to crush armed insurgents responding to marginalization, and discrimination.

The summit had many other discussions ranging from challenges on the road to peace and stability in South Sudan and Darfur. Topics that came up included establishing stability between Chad and Sudan, as well as developing a peaceful understanding or relationship between the marginalized people, Darfur and South Sudan. An afternoon session discussed the Diaspora community as a voice for the voiceless and an advocate for reconstruction and reinvestment in Sudan. Discussions of a shared vision for the future included the upcoming April elections, post 2011, secession, an independent South Sudan, Gender-Based Violence, and capacity building.

The Main presentation of the Diaspora Summit kicked off at 8pm with activists, students from Carnegie Mellon University and neighboring colleges, the Diaspora community and a few religious leaders. Jerry Fowler; former president of Save Darfur Coalition, spoke on the prospects for peace, findings from his recent trip to Sudan, and what the activist community must do to continually engage the US, the UN, and the world on bringing sustainable peace to all of Sudan. The Head of the Government of Southern Sudan Mission to the United States, Hon. Ezekiel Gatkuoth, spoke of the inability of the elections to be free and fair and the unwavering South Sudanese support for an independent South Sudan. He mentioned that many doubt whether or not South Sudan can act as an independent nation, but cited that the United States once faced similar doubts. Nevertheless Americans determined that they had had enough and that they wanted freedom. General Scott Gration spoke of what the Obama administration is accomplishing in Sudan and asked for the support of the Diaspora community. He noted to the dismay of many that the United States had no leverage in Sudan and that things such as peace talks in Doha were a result of rebel and civil society leaders agreeing that there has to be a better life for their kids’ generation. Nevertheless, he urged the Diaspora to reach out to him with their recommendations on how to move forward in Darfur and South Sudan.

The next morning, Sunday, March 21, Gen. Scott Gration had breakfast with the Diaspora community and answered more questions, promising to take what he heard at the summit to the Obama administration and to his meetings in Sudan. As this blog post can’t do enough to fully explain the lessons learned or the many panel discussions that took place, I encourage you to join a local advocacy group and get involved.

Click here for pictures

Click here for more pictures

Click here for Scott Gration’s blog on the summit

Tags: Darfur, Elections, Jerry Fowler, Peace, Pittsburgh Darfur Emergency Coalition, Save Darfur, South Sudan
Posted in Activism, Activist Stories, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Bashir’s Curious Peace

Friday, March 5th, 2010

Darfur's tumultous Jebel Marra region/ Photo: Matt Powell Humanitarian Photography

At a speech last week in the North Darfur capital of El Fashir President Omar al-Bashir confidently announced that “the crisis in Darfur is finished; the war in Darfur is over. Darfur is now at peace”. Bashir echoed a similarly misguided claim made last August by the outgoing head of UNAMID, shortly before a series of renewed clashes and violent attacks against his own troops.

Bashir appears to have a skewed definition of peace, as certain areas of Darfur have since January been consistently beset by fighting, which seems to be escalating.

Despite progress toward a ceasefire between the Government of Sudan (GoS) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), the areas around Jebel Moun and Jebel Marra remain highly volatile.

This past week, the increasingly violent clashes between SLM-AW and Sudan Armed Forces in Deribat have caused mass displacement and an estimated 140-400 civilian casualties. There has been no international assistance available to the victims in the Jebel Marra region after Médecins du Monde was forced out last week.

The SLM-AW leader Abdel Wahid al-Nur called the Doha framework “ceremonial,” adding that his movement wants “a genuine peace realizing the demands of Darfur people who are suffering in camps since seven years after losing their relatives and homes”. However, al-Nur has refused to be a part of any peace negotiations and the SLM-AW has in some recent cases exacerbated the security and humanitarian situation in parts of Darfur by restricting peacekeeping and aid access.

JEM condemned the escalating hostilities in a statement on February 28^th denouncing:

“the exploitation by Khartoum regime of a ceasefire outlined in the Framework Agreement signed with the Movement on February 23, 2010 to launch a sweeping attack on the positions of resistance in the Jebel Marra and to bomb peaceful villages and kill unarmed civilians.”

The Department of State and UNAMID both issued statements on Tuesday urging the SLA/AW and the Government of Sudan to refrain from further aggression. UNAMID also announced that it will be taking further measures to verify the reports of violence in the region, but an investigative patrol heading to Deribat over the weekend was ambushed. The peacekeeping personnel were held over night and major assets seized by the attackers. It remains to be seen whether the newly arrived tactical helicopters will enhance the mission’s ability to address the insecurity in the mountainous region.

Recent background

Renewed fighting between SLM-AW and SAF troops flared up last July after their forces clashed in Nertiti and re-emerged from September 2-17^th primarily in Korma where 18 civilians were killed and over 31,000 were displaced. For the remainder of the year the situation in Jebel Marra relatively stabilized with conflict on a smaller scale, until January 13^th when the SLM-AW attacked Gulu the capital of Jebel Marra in response to earlier bombings on rebel positions. Intense clashes have continued throughout January and February, and on February 13^th and 14^th government troops attempted to re-take Aradyeb Al-Asharah. The SLM-AW was able to maintain control but SAF forces made a second offense attempt on the town on February 24-25^th which according to rebel commander Nourredine Janga, “40 people were killed and 28 young girls and 8 women were raped”. Since January fighting has occurred elsewhere in Jebel Marra region including Kadmir, Lidy, Fugly, Dogo and Kotor.

Increasing amounts of civilians have been displaced due to intense fighting this past week with additional 40,000 civilians displaced from Deribat without any support from international aid organizations who have also fled the region. Another 5,400 civilians from Jebel Marra have been displaced to Nierteti and UNAMID estimated that 1,500 civilians have been displaced to Thur.

Shannon Orcutt is a policy intern at the Save Darfur Coalition.

Tags: Darfur, Elections, Government of Sudan, Human Rights, Humanitarian Aid, Omar al-Bashir, Peace, Peace Process, Save Darfur, Sudan
Posted in Humanitarian Aid, Omar al-Bashir, Peace Process | No Comments »

#DarfurDailyNews Official: South Sudan lawmakers may vote to secede http://goo.gl/fb/04npL

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