History is repeating itself in South Kordofan, Sudan. And the same man that destroyed the lives of a generation of Darfuris is getting away with murder again.
Sudan’s president Omar al-Bashir is slaughtering people in South Kordofan and doing everything he can to keep the outside world from finding out. So far, his strategy is working. Why? Because the U.S. government and the United Nations are quite literally choosing to ignore his brutal attacks.
A report released yesterday by our friends at Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International related this disturbing news: “The relentless bombing campaign is killing and maiming civilian men, women, and children, displacing tens of thousands, putting them in desperate need of aid.”
These are the stories and the images that Omar al-Bashir is trying to hide from the world. Watch the video and then be sure to share it with your friends and family.
The U.S. government is doing nothing to stop Bashir’s attacks on the people of South Kordofan. The United Nations suppressed its own reports of ethnic targeting. And the media – just like with Darfur – is silent.
We can’t allow the world to ignore the horrors in South Kordofan. Watch the video now – then share it with everyone you know. We can’t let history repeat itself and wait until the government, the media, or the international community decide it’s time to intervene. By that time thousands more will be dead or displaced.
Thank you for watching and sharing the video – be sure to check back soon to learn more about what you can do to help the people suffering in South Kordofan.
Save Darfur Coalition President Tom Andrews and Senior Policy Analyst Dan Sullivan just completed a two week trip to Kenya, Rwanda and South Sudan. Here is a quick video they put together as they prepared to leave the new Republic of South Sudan:
Tom and Dan are hosting a live webcast on Thursday, July 14th, to talk about what they saw on their journey. The event begins at 3:30 p.m. Eastern (12:30 p.m. Pacific) and will address genocide prevention, the ongoing violence in the Nuba Mountians, South Sudan’s independence and much more. If you have a question you can submit it in advance, and be sure to join us for the live event on Thursday.
Who: Save Darfur Coalition President Tom Andrews and Senior Policy Analyst Dan Sullivan What: Live Webcast When: Thursday, July 14th at 3:30 p.m. Eastern (12:30 p.m. Pacific) Where:http://blogfordarfur.org
Save Darfur Coalition President Tom Andrews and Senior Policy Analyst Dan Sullivan were in Juba last night for the birth of the world’s newest nation: the Republic of South Sudan. They cut a short video to try and give you a feel of what the celebration was like in the new nation’s capital. Take a look:
Save Darfur Coalition President Tom Andrews and Senior Policy Analyst Dan Sullivan are on a two week trip to Kenya, Rwanda and South Sudan. They just departed Kigali, Rwanda for Juba, South Sudan this afternoon but before they left they sent a quick video update from their trip. Take a look:
On July 9th at noon (eastern) Tom and Dan will host a live Twitter Q&A event from Juba to discuss the South’s independence celebration and the future of both Sudans. If you’d like to ask a question you can submit one in advance or use the hashtag #inSudan to join the discussion.
The United Nations Security Council met yesterday and had a long discussion about the situation in Sudan. The recent violence in Abyei was the top item addressed during the session. Take a look:
For the dead and the living, we must bear witness. For not only are we responsible for the memories of the dead, we are also responsible for what we are doing with those memories.
- Elie Wiesel, Holocaust Survivor
Bloggers across the nation are uniting to spread the word about genocide prevention. While we often hear about horrific crises in Darfur, Bosnia and Rwanda, rarely do we hear about the important work that can keep these atrocities from happening in the first place.
Please help us prevent genocide by writing your own blog with the resources below. Through our blogs, we hope to educate communities on upcoming genocide prevention efforts in Congress. Despite its commitment to end atrocities, the U.S. government often fails to protect civilians during crises such as those in Rwanda and Darfur. These missed opportunities to save lives demonstrate that the United States does not have the right tools, structures and resources to effectively prevent atrocities.
To address this shortfall, Congress will consider legislation to improve early warning systems, reinforce cooperation between government agencies, and authorize flexible funding that enables a timely civilian response. In order for their efforts to succeed, however, we need your help to ensure that your Senators and Representatives turn this important bill into law.
You can use our short video and the talking points and petition link below to explain genocide prevention. The links and organizations in the ‘Survivor Stories’ section will help you find survivor testimonials that demonstrate why this legislation is so important. Or use your own creativity, insight, and passion to promote the fight against genocide. Whichever you choose, please share your work with us!
Ask Your Readers to Take Action:
Encourage your readers to sign the petition at the link below. The petition calls on the U.S. Congress to support efforts toward a genocide prevention bill.
Use Talking Points to Explain Genocide Prevention:
Years of underinvestment in civilian tools like diplomacy, development, and international cooperation have crippled the U.S.’ ability to help prevent atrocities across the world.
In December 2010, the Senate passed a resolution (S. Con. Res. 71) calling for specific steps to improve US capacities to prevent genocide and atrocities.
The Obama administration has stated US commitment to prevention of genocide and mass atrocities in the National Security Strategy, Quadrennial Defense Review, and Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review. Yet, the practical policy steps needed to transform these words into action and ensure sustainable policy change are not yet being taken.
Leadership and pressure from Congress is needed now to ensure that the policy gaps and capacities in the US government are filled and maintained beyond any one administration.
The 112th Congress should prioritize genocide prevention by introducing bipartisan legislation that would strengthen US civilian capacities to detect potential atrocities, rebuild the diplomatic corps, improve the methods of delivering development assistance, use security assistance to protect civilians, and improve international cooperation.
Twenty-five years after Senate ratification of the Genocide Convention, its time for Congress to take the lead again in making the promise of “Never again” can a reality.
I just got back from a trip to Sudan and this is what I saw:
In South Sudan preparations are well underway to celebrate independence on July 9th. The people I spoke with in Juba and other southern towns expressed great hope for their new country but were also worried about recent violence on the border with the North and militias in the South.
I had the opportunity to see the danger first hand when I traveled to the town of Malakal just a few days after a militia attack that resulted in 30 deaths, several burnt buildings, and the displacement of over 100 orphans caught in the fighting. The devastation was a stark reminder of the ongoing militia tensions in the South and the troubling indications that those tensions are being stoked by the North.
Nowhere are North-South tensions as great as in the border region of Abyei. As I wrote in January, if the split of the South is a peaceful divorce, Abyei is the child over which custody remains undetermined. Nor are border tensions limited to Abyei. Right next door in South Kordofan, delayed elections are scheduled for May 2nd with huge implications for security in the border regions and throughout the North. If there is going to be a peaceful transition to independence, free and fair elections must be held and the status of Abyei must be resolved before July 9th.
It is important to remember that after July 9th Darfur will still be part of the North and, unfortunately, the violence and instability I saw in Malakal is not unique to the North-South border. While the international community focused its attention on the South, the situation in Darfur deteriorated. The Sudanese Air Force continues to bomb Darfuri villages and the government has repeatedly obstructed the delivery of critical food aid to refugees displaced by the violence.
I spoke with an aid worker who witnessed state security forces rounding up a group of Sudanese employees for one of the key aid groups in Darfur. Two of the Sudanese workers were held for months.
The government of Sudan has a history of abusing the Darfuris and other marginalized groups but even residents of the Sudanese capital are not free from the threat of violence by Omar al-Bashir and his thugs.
I spoke with Sudanese who listed the names of numerous activists who have been arrested, tortured and raped by security forces in Khartoum. State run media has ignored recent protests and the government has censored or intimidated the few independent media outlets remaining in the country.
As I left Sudan I felt encouraged by the spirit of the people I met on my trip but mindful of the immense challenges facing all Sudanese. Obviously, there is a long way to go to reach a comprehensive peace in Sudan but I left the country with two distinct impressions for the way forward:
Do not rush to reward Khartoum – The United States has offered the government of Sudan normalized relations for recognizing the results of the January referendum. The realization of Southern independence should be appropriately celebrated, but with key issues of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), like Abyei, unresolved and continued attacks on civilians in Darfur, the United States must not to rush to reward Khartoum with further incentives like lifting of sanctions and debt relief.
South Sudan must not repeat the sins of the North - The new Republic of South Sudan will be led by the SPLM, a party that has received significant support from the United States in its struggles with the North and which will rely heavily on international assistance. The good will that has been built up between the SPLM and international partners, including the United States, should be put to good use to remind the SPLM that it is not in their interest to repeat the sins of the northern regime from which they struggled so hard to escape.
Activists in the United States must keep these issues in mind as we continue to work for a comprehensive peace in all Sudan. As we continue to press the Obama Administration not to rush to reward Khartoum we will need your energy, passion and activism. Watch for actions you can take in the coming weeks to help promote peace in all Sudan.
A destroyed village in Darfur on December 24, 2010 / Photo: AAAS
On December 24th my colleague Martha blogged about a UNAMID report of mass displacements in Darfur:
It is now believed that there are over 18,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in and around the Khor Abeche area, including 5,000 and 3,000 reportedly displaced in Negaha and Shaeria respectively.
Today, the very reputable American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has released satellite images of Negaha on December 24th. This is not a reused shot from 2003, 2004 or 2005. This is less than two months ago. Their conclusion:
The Negeha analysis conducted by AAAS involved a review of satellite imagery from December 2005, January 2010, and December 2010. The analysis revealed charred earth and hollowed structures affecting 554 structures in total, largely corroborating reports of an attack on the area in December 2010.
Less than a month later the White House video team was in Darfur with General Gration. The narrator references “fighting” but doesn’t tell the viewer of the tens of thousands who had been displaced just in the weeks before. See for yourself:
After the huge efforts to help secure a peaceful, credible and on-time referendum for southern Sudan, it appears the Obama Administration is looking for quick fixes for Darfur. But quick fixes sweep the fundamental problems under the rug. Quick fixes will only lead to more scenes like the ones you are seeing now.
Stayed tuned for more information and opportunities to take action to help bring peace to Darfur and all Sudan.
As part of the White House’s post-SOTU outreach President Obama and several top administration officials are taking questions from the public this week. The President is going to personally sit down for an interview on YouTube at 2:30pm EST today.
Darfur activist AJ Fay submitted an excellent video question for the President and 1,372 people gave it a thumbs-up. That made it one of the top foreign policy questions and one of the most popular video questions overall.
Take a look at AJ’s question:
This demonstrates the strength of our movement and should remind policymakers that there is a constituency of activist committed to seeing an end to the violence in Darfur.
You can learn more about AJ and the Idaho Darfur Coalition by visiting their website and don’t forget to check out YouTube at 2:30pm EST to see if the President takes our question.
Yesterday, Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Johnnie Carson and Ambassador Princeton Lyman spoke to reporters in a briefing on the Southern Sudan Referendum. Take a look:
