Posts Tagged Save Darfur

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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

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Bashir’s Curious Peace

Friday, March 5th, 2010
Jebel Marra by Matt Powell

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 28th 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 2-17th 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 13th 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 13th and 14th 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 24-25th 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.

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Sudan Trip Debrief Webcast

Thursday, March 4th, 2010

In this special webcast, Save Darfur Coalition President Jerry Fowler and Senior Director of Campaign Advocacy Mark Lotwis discuss what they saw on their recent trip to Sudan and give their thoughts on the challenges facing the country as it prepares for the first multi-party elections in more than two decades.

The webcast was recorded at 2:00 PM on Thrusday, March 4th:

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Posted in Elections, IDP Camps, Peace Process | 1 Comment »

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Bashir’s at My Hotel, and I am Getting Out of Here

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010
Bashir

President al-Bashir at a rally in 2009/Photo: Reuters

My colleagues Jerry Fowler and Mark Lotwis left Sudan last Friday heading back to Washington.  In order to set up a few more meetings in the South, I stayed on in Juba. Little did we know, President Omar al-Bashir and his entourage of advisors and security agents would be coming to town—and staying in the same modest hotel as the Save Darfur delegation, in the very wing where Jerry had been sleeping.

Over the weekend, I had heard that Bashir would be traveling to Juba and a few other towns in the South to campaign.  In my mind, I imagined a quick dash by motorcade from the airport to a rally in Juba and then a few darts by plane to some other choice locations in the Greater Equatoria states.

So I was quite surprised when early Monday afternoon, I was confronted by a newly erected roadblock in front of my hotel.  Initially, the mix of police and security officials told me that I could not pass. When I explained that I was staying at the hotel beyond their checkpoint, they quickly scanned my backpack and then gave me strict instructions on how to walk to the next crowd of security personnel suddenly stationed in front of hotel gate.  After another round of negotiations that involved coaxing hotel staff out to verify my claims, I was finally permitted to enter the foyer—where I was promptly urged by a security guard to take my room key and, like a misbehaving child, go straight to my room.

About an hour later, I returned to reception to ask about the “protocol” and restrictions in place due to the arrival of the special guest from Khartoum.  The staff assured me that the security had overreacted in the first few hours and gave me a stamped pass that would allow me to go and come as I please. Thus far, I have not faced any further issues – other than that inescapable locked-down feeling of any setting where men with guns sit and stand around every entrance and exit, looking all-too-bored for any by-stander’s comfort.

Ironically enough, I did not have to leave the hotel to watch Bashir’s political rally. My window afforded a partial view of the stadium.  I could not make out the words of his speech, but at times I could hear the crowd break out with a chant of “Salaam, Oyay” (Peace, Yes!).

Maggie Fick of the ENOUGH Project was inside the stadium and reported on the climate.

Papers the next day quoted Bashir as making an economic case for unity. He argued that Sudan’s economy could expand by a higher percent if all efforts are exerted to end political tensions:

“that have encouraged nothing than regional wars and displacement of inhabitants…To experience real growth and success in the war against poverty, we must get our act together on two fronts…[O]ur politics must promote political stability and public confidence in the future of our country.”

Bashir, dressed down in a short sleeve shirt, treated the crowd to some interesting campaign rhetoric, such as “We will cut off every hand attempting to disrupt peace.” He also promised to celebrate with the people of the South after the referendum, whether they chose unity or secession.

(more…)

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Gunships Can’t Save Darfur Alone

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

UNAMID Mi-35P

Newly deployed M-35P in Nyala. Photo: UNAMID/Albert Gonzalez Farran

It’s been a painfully long time coming, but last week, five Mil Mi-35P gunships settled in to their new home in Nyala, South Darfur. The Ethiopian helicopters – whitewashed for peacekeeping service – will in theory greatly enhance UNAMID’s aerial capacity. They represent a key force multiplier, essential in developing the mission’s rapid reaction capability, including emergency response and tactical intervention.

But after celebrating their long overdue arrival, the first thing on Force Commander Nyamvumba’s agenda was to ask for more. He has made it very clear that this is only one step in a series of many that UN and AU member states must take to provide his peacekeepers with the very best odds possible as they confront endless challenges in Darfur, an advantage they have not thus far enjoyed.

This means giving them the mobility and muscle needed to successfully confront hostile operating conditions, the adversities of which have been compounded by continued obstruction by both the government and rebel groups, as well as by violent attacks directly targeting the mission and its assets.

Amid reports of civilian deaths and mass displacement, recent events illustrate the complex reality of a place far from peace. The use of indiscriminate aerial bombardment by the Sudan Armed Forces against rebel positions in Jebel Moun and Jebel Mara has a disproportionately devastating effect on local populations. Rebel movements have likewise hurt Darfuri civilians by restricting both UNAMID investigations and humanitarian access. In at least one battle – which resulted in more than a dozen deaths, 31,000 displaced civilians, and serious human rights abuses, including sexual violence – highly placed military sources told me that “helicopters and aerial reconnaissance units would have helped…prevent the incident.”

In fact, over the last three months, fatal incidents have repeatedly highlighted the essential role of helicopters in life-saving medical evacuation, rapid investigations and assessment following clashes, tactical intervention and quick reaction capacity, aerial reconnaissance and monitoring, as well as troop and equipment deployment. The Mi-35P is only capable of fulfilling a small number of these tasks.

The Mi-35Ps – with their powerful 30-mm twin-barrel automatic cannons – bring exciting new strength to an operation consistently criticized for being weak and ineffective, but they are in reality only a few items on a long list of aircraft that UNAMID desperately needs to implement its protection mandate. The gunships, while important, have limited impact on the mission’s ability to negotiate Darfur’s harsh terrain, rampant banditry, and prohibitive lack of infrastructure necessary for the efficient movement of troops and equipment to the region’s hotspots. For that, UNAMID requires many more utility and transport helicopters.

(more…)

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Posted in African Union, Peacekeeping, United Nations | 1 Comment »

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Rebel Contraindication

Wednesday, February 24th, 2010
UNAMID/UN Photo

Former UNAMID Force Commander Meets SLA Field Commander (UN Photo/Stuart Price)

Without excuses and without exception, when humanitarian and human rights are threatened, there must be independent monitoring; when violated, there must be an investigation. This applies as much to oppressive government forces as it does to their challengers. When clashes threaten the lives and livelihoods of civilians, the rebel cause is weakened. SLA-AW, take note.

Obstructionism – sometimes enforced by hostile threats – against Darfur’s embattled peacekeeping mission (UNAMID) has become a serious problem. Despite recent advances toward full deployment, other factors have severely limited its troops from implementing their mandate to effectively protect civilians. Perhaps most troubling of these is the extent to which all key belligerent parties continue to restrict UNAMID’s monitoring patrols and access to the sites of ongoing or recently concluded clashes, most of which have resulted in the limitation of humanitarian assistance and direct abuses against local populations—including human rights violations, civilian deaths, and mass displacement.

Though this is far from an emerging problem in Darfur, it requires renewed attention and must be addressed with the rigorous application of impartial standards to all groups involved, while acknowledging responsibility is not shared equally. The reality – which varies over time depending on military and political strategy –  is some are worse offenders than others. In December, we highlighted the role of the Government of Sudan (GoS) in impeding the work of UNAMID and the UN Panel of Experts. Today, we single out the SLA-AW for obstructionist actions that have complemented, rather than counteracted, GoS destabilizing activities and have further eroded civilian security while promoting impunity in Darfur.

(more…)

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Posted in African Union, Chad, Humanitarian Aid, Peacekeeping, United Nations | No Comments »

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The Untreatable Wounds

Friday, November 13th, 2009

In recent years Americans have heard a great deal about the “invisible wounds” some people carry with them after a traumatic experience. Whether it’s a story about a returning veteran of the wars in Iraq or Afghanistan, or that of a Katrina survivor, public awareness of invisible wounds has increased considerably over the past few years.

As someone who has dealt with the invisible wounds of war, both personally and with comrades, I cannot even begin to imagine the difficulties faced by untreated victims of the genocide in Darfur and Sudan.

In today’s Washington Post, Michael Gerson pens an article that tells some of these very troubling tales:

On May 15, a woman near the Al Hamadiya camp in Zalingei was collecting firewood. Three armed men in khaki uniforms raped her, stabbed her in the leg, inflicted genital injuries and left her bleeding. She spent 45 days in the hospital. In 2003, the same woman was raped and shot while fleeing her village.

Her story is in a recent, exhaustive, chilling report on Sudan written by a panel of experts at the United Nations. A U.N. official told me, “We have not talked to a single woman [in Darfur] who has not stated that sexual violence is their first concern.” The panel documented sexual assaults against pregnant women and 12-year-old girls. Prosecutions are nonexistent. Local officials are indifferent.

The crisis in Darfur is anything but over. If anything, aid from the world is needed now more than ever.

We must not allow war criminal Omar al-Bashir and his deadly regime to outlast our resolve. We must not allow our care to fade; our spirit to be broken; or our commitment to be anything but stalwart. We must, in chorus-as fellow humans, demand from our leaders a new day in Sudan.

We have to demand that our leaders deal with the invisible wounds.

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Posted in IDP Camps, Violence Against Women | No Comments »

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Activist Stories: Raising Awareness Through Music

Thursday, November 12th, 2009

Below is an email from Christian Anderson, a great guy and committed activist, who recently put on a concert to raise awareness and funds for the Save Darfur Coalition. I worked closely with Christian to help him spread the word, find other activists in the area, and provided him ideas and merchandise. I hope you’ll take time to read this post from Christian, not only to read an account of a great event, but hopefully to also give you ideas for an event in your area.

Greetings to all fighting the good fight for Darfur! I am writing to you from Los Angeles, CA where our adjunct activist group, The Rise Up Coalition, recently produced the official Save Darfur Concert at the Knitting Factory-Hollywood on Sept 15, 2009. (www.savedarfurconcertla.com) The concert was a mad dash since we did not get confirmation of the venue until 5 weeks before date and for the bands, 3 weeks before the date. I tested the sanity of our PR team with this timetable, but we gave it our best shot and got the word out.

(more…)

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Voices for Darfur: 5 Years of Advocacy

Monday, November 9th, 2009

At this weekend’s conference – Pledge2Protect – the Save Darfur Coalition began our plenary on Sudan with this video, showcasing the movement’s advocacy over the past 5 years.

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Activist Call – Today @ 1pm

Tuesday, October 20th, 2009

The Save Darfur Coalition, Enough Project and Genocide Intervention Network are hosting an activist conference call today from 1:00 to 2:00 PM (EDT) to discuss the Administration’s Sudan Policy Review. We hope that you will join us on the call and please feel free to invite your networks.

What: Sudan Policy Review Activist Call
Who: Jerry Fowler (Save Darfur Coalition), John Norris (Enough Project), Sam Bell (Genocide Intervention Network)
When: TUESDAY (today), October 20, 2009 at 1:00 pm EDT
Call-In #: 877.254.9825
Access Code: None; tell the operator you would like to be connected to the Sudan Policy Activist Call

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