Nowhere To Turn a Medical Study on SGBV in eastern Chad (Physicians for Human Rights)
In case you didn’t see this, it is a very important report by Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) a Harvard based group. They released the report in May 2009 on SGBV cases involving Darfuri women in refugee camps in eastern Chad.
The report is entitled Nowhere To Turn: Failure To Protect, Support and Assure Justice for Darfuri Women . 88 Darfuri women refugees spoke to a team of researchers and physicians about the misery, fear and discrimination that has resulted from their experiences of sexual assaults in Darfur and in Chad. Among the 88 women refugees interviewed, 32 reported instances of rape. Of those 32 rape reports, 17 occurred in Darfur and a roughly equal number (15) occurred in Chad. And among the instances of rape reported in Chad, the vast majority occurred when women left the camps to gather firewood. http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/ASHU-7SL4T7?OpenDocument&RSS20=02-P
Bombing of civilians continues in Darfur
Several Sudan army planes were seen leaving El Fasher airport on Saturday. They were headed for North Darfur where around mid day they dropped their bombs killing some 20 civilians and injuring many more.
June 21, 2009
Note left by Rutland resident at 'The Leash'
June 20, 2009
GOODBYE PATRICK
Someone left this card at "The Leash", my brother's sculpture in the center of Rutland, VT
My brother, Patrick Farrow , a sculptor, created 'THE LEASH' for the town square in his beloved Rutland, VT
Residents of Rutland have been leaving flowers and tributes for Patrick on the statue
June 19, 2009
You made your mark on the world, Patrick, and you will be deeply missed
Rutland, Vermont SUSAN BEARD The news of Patrick Farrow's tragic, untimely death came as a stunning shock. While reeling from the blow, and mourning for his family, the larger questions about the meaning of life arose. Walt Whitman, the poet, provided one answer, "... That you are here - that life exists, and identity; That the powerful play goes on, and you will contribute a verse."
Patrick contributed many beautiful "verses." He was a loving husband, father and grandfather; a brilliant sculptor with a unique point of view and whimsical humor; and a man who acted on his concerns about politics, his community, the environment, humanity, and peace.
You made your mark on the world, Patrick, and you will be deeply missed.
Vermont community will miss Patrick Farrow
Patrick Farrow Associated Press
CASTLETON, Vermont. Patrick Farrow a sculptor and local fixture in this college town, killed himself at his art gallery, state police said Wednesday. Farrow, 66, died of a single gunshot wound to the head late Monday night in his studio, a converted church.
Farrow and his wife, Susan, regularly walked along the main thoroughfare in Castleton, Vermont.
Tom Conroy, a communications professor at Castleton State College, which is located just behind the Farrows' home and art gallery, said he took a freshman class to see Farrow's sculptures every October. "It's hard to think of Castleton without them," Conroy said. "They were a part of the town and they were a part of the campus for a lot of us."
Patrick and Mia Farrow are the children of director John Farrow and actress Maureen O'Sullivan.
Farrow a professional sculptor for more than 35 years, and a fellow in the National Sculpture Society, has received numerous national awards; including those of the Allied Artists of America and the National Sculpture Society. The Web site for the Farrow Gallery is http://www.farrowgallery.com/ The gallery was quiet Wednesday.
Community members said they'll miss Farrow.
"He and Susan both are very integral to this community," said Meg Fitch, one of the librarians at the Castleton Free Library, just down the street from the Farrows. "They're just very friendly people, very warm people. I don't even know how to express it. I just felt such grief yesterday when I heard the news." +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Rutland saddened by death of local artist Wednesday June 17, 2009 Nina Keck Rutland, Vt.
People in Rutland were saddened to learn about the death of well known Castleton sculptor Patrick Farrow, who police say took his own life Monday night.
One of Patrick Farrow's best loved sculptures is a fixture in downtown Rutland. It's of a dog tied to a parking meter by an invisible leash. You know there's a leash because the dog is straining with all his might to get away. Today, there was a yellow ribbon around the statue with a note that read simply goodbye Patrick. At the nearby Chaffee art Center, Rutland artist and children's author Mary Crowley says Farrow's death hits hard. "It's an incredible loss, for the family, for the grandchildren, for the art community, for all of us."
Friends describe Farrow as a very complicated, very talented man who loved to talk about politics and current events and felt deeply about his community. Patrick Farrow, who was 66, is survived by his wife of many years Susan, three daughters and five grandchildren. ================================================================
Jun 19, 2009 Rutland, Vermont
YVONNE DALEY
Remembering Patrick Farrow The painting has moved around the building. Sometimes it was in their gallery, sometimes in their dining room. Susan had painted it in their early years together. In it, Patrick is all head, the head huge upon the canvas. The eyes were dangerous, hypnotic, intense. Patrick really looked at you. He could be impish. He loved to tell stories, but he often started them in the middle, leaving you to rush to catch up.
The painting is so true, not only in resemblance, but in capturing the way that everything about Patrick was entirely original. His jaw in the picture already has that clenched shape that came to dominate his face in recent years. He was so handsome. He dreamed up improbable creatures, part animal, part machine, that he brought forth in metal or the most graceful jewelry, like the sterling reader balanced on a swing that I've worn around my neck for a decade.
His sculptures were all about balance, about risk and freedom. They were also about trust. Two fluid trapeze artists dangle from just one of their ankles in "Circus." And they were about uncertainty. In "Earlier that Evening," two humans, their bodies characteristically elongated, freed of gravity, are connected at hand and foot, loosely forming the empty shape of a heart as each steps into the abyss.
Patrick's head needed to be huge. It held that abyss and also an encyclopedia of odd and useless information, historical data, conspiracy theories, odd combinations of current events, motorcycle statistics, the number of civilians killed in the Gaza Strip, not to mention opinions. He could be blunt. He could be mean. But he was immensely generous, both personally and globally. Thank Patrick and Susan for no Vicon. All the while, hours alone, creating something fabulous in the true meaning of the word, the machinery of his head took in the news of the world, dissected his childhood, grappled with demons and left us, confounded, angry, sorrowed, still loving, enough love to fill his huge, beautiful head.
June 18, 2009
This program connects American middle schools, high schools, and universities with students in Darfuri Refugee camps.
This afternoon an 88 year old WWII veteran with a history of anti-semitic behavior walked into the Holocaust Memorial in DC and shot a guard -- the guard died.
June 6, 2009
demonstration of Joy of Darfuri refugees-pics taken on the day of the ICC indictment of Omer al-Bashir.
The first sign reads-”UP UP OKAMBO DOWN DOWN AL BASHIR”
A piece of the body torn out by the roots might be more to the point.
If I could do it, I'd not be writing at all here. It would be photographs; the rest would be fragments of cloth, bits of cotton, lumps of earth, records of speech, pieces of wood and iron, phialsof odors, plates of food and excrement
A piece of the body torn out by the roots might be more to the point.
James Agee
May 30, 2009
This Darfuri child thought the RPG was a toy
Sorry but this is the reality.
It is so much easier to look away.
This is what an explosive device can do to a child's body. This is what remains of a hip and leg. Where are the weapons coming from? China??? Do we have any responsibility to protect innocents? If you conclude that we do, please call 1-800 GENOCIDE- Tell our leaders it is unacceptable that this has been going on for 6 years. Darfur's people need peace, protection and justice.
Bakit is only seven
I always visit this little guy when I am in Goz Beida. "I want my hands" he told me. Bakit is one of the countless innocent victims of the violence that is convulsing Darfur and eastern Chad. Where are these weapons coming from? The unexploded ordnances that tore Bakit's arms off and have just yesterday killed another child and severed the legs of yet another, were strewn about after (Khartoum backed) rebels fought their way through the Goz Beida area on their way to attack Ndjamena, Chad's capital. Are these weapons of Chinese origin? Are they being purchased with Chinese oil revenues?
Even after a year, Bakit's wounds continually become infected
Bakit
Bakit is just seven years old. He lived in a camp for displaced people near Goz Beida. Bakit picked up an unexploded ordnance thinking it was a toy. It blew off his lower arms and it destroyed his eye. Bakit has no parents. He lives with his grandmother. His wounds continue to get infected.
Report from an aid worker near the Darfur border
“This afternoon we had another UXO incident in Goz Beida-- a huge explosive bang. I believe at this stage it was an anti-personnel mine that children had found in the mountains and brought back to play with in town. Unfortunately one child was killed, and another has lost one (or possibly both) legs. They were aged about nine or ten. There is such a huge amount of unexploded ordnance that the humanitarian agency, MAG cannot keep up with the clearing- particularly after all the recent fighting. What I would like to know is who is supplying these weapons to Chad.?”
I too would like to know!
Important ALERT*
My contacts along the Chad Darfur borderland have told me that for the past week, Sudanese bombers had been flying low over the Oure Cassoni refugee camp, terrifying already traumatized refugees. On May 28th the bombings began within view and earshot of the camp. Witnesses report at least seven bombardments since the 28th. People were killed. The point is, Khartoum is now conducting bombing raids on sovereign Chadian territory. The refugees are defenseless and unable to leave the camp which is situated deep in the desert. For obvious security reasons, aid workers have been unable to reach the camp.
Incidentally, the camp is not far from Chadian President idris Deby's home village. The refugees at Oure Cassoni camp are mostly Zaghawa -the same tribe as Deby.
May 29, 2009
The Enough Project Joins Darfur Fast
RELEASE: The Enough Project Joins Darfur Fast WASHINGTON, D.C. – Executives and staff of the Enough Project at the Center for American Progress have joined in the Darfur Fast for Life fasting chain begun by actress/activist Mia Farrow to call attention to the continuing suffering of the people of Sudan. Enough staff and leadership join more than 500 people in 33 countries who have fasted for one day or more, consuming only water or the 1,000 calories-per-day rations that are fed to residents of refugee camps.
“The Darfur Fast for Life is a powerful message that the situation on the ground in Sudan remains simply unacceptable and demands a much stronger response from our political leaders than we have seen to date,” said Enough Project Executive Director John Norris.
Since the Darfur Fast for Life project began on April 27, it has attracted members of Congress including the Congressional Black Caucus and Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL); prominent philanthropists and entrepreneurs including film producer Abigail Disney, Sir Richard Branson of Virgin America, and Pam Omidyar of Humanity United; and nonprofit leaders including Jane Wales of the World Affairs Council and Ruth Messinger of the American Jewish World Service. Individuals from the music world have joined, including singers Peter Gabriel and Jon Foreman and record producer David Hodges, along with a three-time Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer, Josh Davis.
Enough Project Adviser Omer Ismail noted, “The commitment of people from 33 different countries to the fast is remarkable, and demonstrates the tremendous grassroots support for a comprehensive solution not just to Darfur, but Sudan’s multiple conflicts.”
Darfur Fast for Life is asking the Obama administration to ensure the return of 13 humanitarian aid agencies that were expelled from Sudan on March 5, following the International Criminal Court’s issuance of an arrest warrant for President Omar al-Bashir on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The group’s website, www.fastdarfur.org, also directs visitors to an April 30 letter to President Barack Obama from the Enough Project, the Save Darfur Coalition, and the Genocide Intervention Network containing detailed policy and strategic recommendations. The letter, President Obama and Sudan: A Blueprint for Peace, asks for commencement of a formal Darfur peace process; full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the governments of southern Sudan and Khartoum; and negotiations leading to agreements for peace in Chad and eastern Sudan.
Enough’s Co-founder John Prendergast, who was an early participant in the fast in addition to joining this weekend’s fast, noted that “as activists, we must, of course, press our government do everything it can to address these crises of the day. But we must also keep our eyes on the longer-term prize: a peaceful, democratic Sudan. That should be President Obama’s top priority and his administration should work assiduously to achieve that objective.”
Earlier this month, Ms. Farrow met with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), who released a statement saying, “As the administration and our special envoy develop a new policy, we must consider how we can get Khartoum to change its behavior.”
Members of the Congressional Black Caucus appeared with Ms. Farrow in a press conference to announce that they were joining the fast with the “hope that our fasting will compel decision makers to act more decisively to put an end to the suffering of millions of innocent men, women and children in Darfur. We must do all we can until the violence, suffering, and displacement have ended,” said Representative Donald M. Payne (D-NJ), a board member of the caucus, at a Capitol Hill news conference.
The CBC’s chair, Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA), added that while “the president is very focused on addressing the genocide in Darfur, … we want to make sure that Special Representative Gration [has] the type of tools and assistance that is required to address this humanitarian crisis that is of enormous proportions, one which we have not seen in many of our lifetimes."
“Perhaps most importantly,” said Ms. Omidyar in a blog about her fast, “the United States must shed the failed policies of the status quo and begin anew in leading a coordinated and comprehensive international effort to build a roadmap for sustainable peace in Sudan. This process must include Sudan’s key economic and political partners, including China, Russia, and Egypt. The U.N. Security Council, meanwhile, must strengthen the Sudan sanctions committee, focus on better enforcement of the arms embargo, and begin to hold accountable those responsible for violating the sanctions regime. Until the international community shows better coordination on Sudan policy, progress is unlikely to be made.”
Visit the Enough Project’s blog, Enough Said, for updates on this issue.
###
The Center for American Progress is a nonpartisan research and educational institute dedicated to promoting a strong, just and free America that ensures opportunity for all. We believe that Americans are bound together by a common commitment to these values and we aspire to ensure that our national policies reflect these values. Enough is a project of the Center for American Progress to end genocide and crimes against humanity. Founded in 2007, Enough focuses on crises in Sudan, Chad, eastern Congo, northern Uganda, Somalia, and Zimbabwe. Enough’s strategy papers and briefings provide sharp field analysis and targeted policy recommendations based on a “3P” crisis response strategy: promoting durable peace, providing civilian protection, and punishing perpetrators of atrocities. Enough works with concerned citizens, advocates, and policy makers to prevent, mitigate, and resolve these crises.
May 25, 2009
On a personal (proud) note
I am in New Haven. In a few hours my son, Ronan Farrow will be graduating from Yale Law School.
He is going into Government.
Reports from Darfur refugees:
My sources on the ground report that Sudanese Antonov bombers are regularly flying low over Bahai, (in eastern Chad, very near the Darfur border) terrifying the already traumatized refugees in the Oure Cassoni camp.
May 21, 2009
Remarks on Darfur by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid
Remarks on Darfur Thursday, May 21, 2009
I met briefly this week with the actress and activist Mia Farrow, who has dedicated so much time lately – and even put her own health at risk – to raise awareness of the atrocities in Darfur.
Like Ms. Farrow, my good friend Pam Omidyar – the Founder and Chair of the Board of Humanity United – has also fasted for more than a month in solidarity with the Darfurian refugees.
Mia Farrow and Pam Omidyar enjoy liberty and wealth. They do not need to do this. But through their actions, they both so generously speak for those the world ignores.
The terrible situation in Darfur deteriorates with each passing day. But we don’t hear much about it. It has long since faded from the front pages in the face of everything else going on in our economy and the two wars we wage in the Middle East.
We cannot ignore this crisis. The United States has officially and appropriately recognized that what is happening in Darfur is genocide. For the more than 2.4 million people who have been displaced against their will, we cannot look the other way and cannot stand idly by.
Most of the people of Darfur depend on international aid to survive day-to-day. The United Nations has agreed to send 26,000 peacekeepers to Darfur, but they face an uphill fight – they have struggled to get the resources they need to ensure the safety of those who live in Darfur and to end this crisis.
Making matters worse, when the International Criminal Court recently issued a warrant to arrest the President of Sudan – President Bashir – for war crimes and crimes against humanity, he responded by expelling 13 non-governmental organizations that had been distributing food and medicine to the people in Darfur.
Because of its economic investments, China has unique leverage with Sudan. It is important that China uses that influence to help the people of Darfur.
I appreciate the work of Major General Jonathan Scott Gration – the President’s special envoy to Sudan – but we must do more to put Darfur at the forefront of our foreign-policy agenda. And we must be clear about our objectives.
The Sudanese government has repeatedly proven untrustworthy at the negotiating table. As the administration and our special envoy develop a new policy, we must consider how we can get Khartoum to change its behavior.
There have been too many people in too many camps for too many years – and the world has been silent for far too long.
We have no excuse do anything short of all we can do to ensure aid groups are on the ground in Darfur, and that they can do their jobs – to ensure a political process is in place, and that it can work – and to help save the lives of millions.
Part of an email from a Darfuri
“the world continues to neglect the catastrophic human rights violations and humanitarian deterioration in the displaced camps and refugee camps. The Islamic and Arab world is troubled by indictment of AL Basher but never with the sufferings of the Darfurian innocent civilians in their dire conditions where every thing is lacking ... food, drugs and water, with no shelter from rain or the high temperatures of summer and extreme cold of the winter.
May 20, 2009
Lawmakers Urge Further Action on Darfur
Lawmakers, Farrow Urge Further Action by Obama on Darfur <http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-05-19-voa68.cfm>
Voice of America - USA
By Dan Robinson Members of the US Congress are urging President Obama to take further steps to address the situation in Darfur. Lawmakers joined Darfur
May 19, 2009
Certainly I would never have dared to dream the hunger strike would go this far.
Darfuri voices were heard today- in our nations Capitol
Once again,the Congresional Black Caucus led by Congressman Donald Payne STEPPED UP !!! Several members of the CBC spoke, some had even been to Darfur. Some had been arrested last month -protesting outside the Sudanese Embassy.
The sun was shining and the sky was clear blue. The press conference was held on the steps of the Cannon Terrace Hill-on Independence Avenue- with the Capitol buildings behind us. Congressman Payne,who has long participated in non-violent protests, has been honorably arrested three times. He read out the names of those who will fast in solidarity with the people of Darfur and as a symbol of their committment to end the suffering and slaughter of innocents. I had the great privilege of standing with the Caucus, which included John Lewis, my long-time hero !!
Darfuris, Omer Ismael and Mohammed Yahya spoke wonderfully and movingly about Darfuri's need for justice. We did not bring them peace, protection or an end to their misery -but we did support justice through the ICC. Both men said they represent Darfuris in the millions who would rather die than forfeit justice.
That my (very personal) decision to fast has led to such a moment in DC is more meaningful than I can say. I can't quite believe it.
Earlier I met with Senator Harry Reid. He promised to bring up Darfur in the Senate. He wanted to know what could be DONE. The vagueries of "more" and "priority" really don't fly. So I said, ' China' and our need to support the ICC ( this is the time for a change ) He took notes. His chief of staff seemed really on-board!
US Envoy to Sudan, Scott Gration is leaving for Beijing tomorrrow. He should bring the message that China has a constructive role to play- not only in getting the aid agencies back into Darfur with unrestricted access to populations, but in the vigorous pursuit of a legitimate and , comprehensive peace process; also in reconsidering China's arms sales to Khartoum. The US gov holds key cards but China has the full deck.
Darfur remains a stain on Beijing's reputation as a preeminent emerging power. They should use their considerable influence to bring about an end to the anguish that currently defines Darfur-- and by extension, them.
Since my first trip to Darfur in 2004, countless people have told me their stories of terror and pain and loss. They hoped I would return to my country and tell 'the world' what they have endured and what they are facing still. And they always express the hope that if the world only knew what is happening in Darfur, surely someday, someone will care enough to save them.
Over and over again I have promised them I would do my utmost to tell 'the world' what is happening in Darfur. And I have tried. Every day I try- but their suffering continues. Rations of hope are now more meager in Darfur than rations of food.
But today, on the steps of one of our nation's greatest buildings, in the company of some of our most powerful and respected leaders, Darfuri voices were heard.
I am at the airport heading home. I will sleep soundly tonight. Tomorrow we must try harder.
"A stain on our souls"
2007, then-candidate Barack Obama said: "When you see a genocide, whether it's in Rwanda or Bosnia or in Darfur, that's a stain on all of us," he said. "That's a stain on our souls."
And one from him as a junior Senator at the big DC rally in 2006:
"Today we know what is right, and today we know what is wrong. The slaughter of innocents is wrong. Two million people driven from their homes is wrong. Women gang raped while gathering firewood is wrong. And silence, acquiescence and paralysis in the face of genocide is wrong."
May 15, 2009
Congressional Black Caucus stands in unity for Darfur
Congressman Donald Payne will hold a press conference on Tuesday to announce that members of the Congressional Black Caucus have decided to fast, one after the other- in solidarity with Darfur’s people.
May 14, 2009
Statement of Congressman Donald Payne
On Monday, I joined the Darfur Fast for Life because I wanted to stand in solidarity with the people of Darfur and to express my outrage at the ongoing crisis in the Sudan. In addition to my personal fasting, I am launching a Darfur Fast for Life Campaign on Capitol Hill to urge my colleagues to join me in voicing opposition to the mass atrocities al-Bashir and his regime have orchestrated against the Darfuri people. It is my hope that our fasting will compel decision makers to act more decisively to put an end to the suffering of millions of innocent men, women and children in Darfur. We must do all we can until the violence, suffering, and displacement have ended.
May 13, 2009
Sudanese government attacks on Darfur's populations continue
An 11 year old girl gave me this drawing. She told me her mother had been cooking breakfast when she was shot by Janjaweed. She drew herself fleeing for her life.
May 10, 2009
child of hope
Even if she is the last child left in Darfur-she is worthy of our best efforts.
We have to keep trying for them-
Contact President Obama. He can do more-
Congressman Donald M. Payne steps up!
I have just learned that one of our most distinguished congresspersons ever has offered to take over for Richard Branson. Congressman Payne will begin his 3 day fast on Monday.
He is:
Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, and he
has long been involved with Sudan..
Congressman Payne's biography, from his Congress webpage: http://www.house.gov/payne/biography.shtml
“I’m honoured to be taking over the fast for the next three days from Mia Farrow in her courageous stance to support the people of Darfur. Over a year and a half ago, I travelled to Darfur and was horrified by the stories that people of all ages shared with us. Young children had watched their entire family get killed and then had to survive on their own in unimaginable conditions. I was humbled and inspired by the courage of the Darfuri people and the commitment of the aid organisations that were working on the frontlines. Now, with 13 aid organisations expelled from the country, over 1m people are at grave risk. We cannot stand and watch as 1m people suffer. We all need to stand up and demand that international aid is restored and that the people of Darfur are protected and given the chance to live in peace.”
Day 12
I have been instructed by my doctor to stop my fast immediately due to health concerns—including possible seizures. I am fortunate. The women, children, and men I am fasting for do not have that option.
When beginning this fast twelve days ago, I said that when I could go no longer, I hoped another would take my place, and another, and another, until the expelled humanitarian agencies are readmitted and finally there there is finally justice and peace for the people of Darfur. Richard Branson has stepped forward and so I have ended this fast.
202-456-1414
People have been saying they cannot get through to the White House because the line is always busy. Try 202-456-1414. Our message is we are waiting for the President to make good on his campaign promises to help end the suffering in Darfur. With the expelled aid agencies having reducing aid capacity by 50%, we hope he will act urgently.
Day 12
Feeling awful. Blood sugar under 40. Muscles hurt. I won't be able to continue much longer
Day 10 I did the Larry King show last night with the wonderful Mohammed Yahya. He conveyed the realities on the ground-far more powerfully than I could. He had just spoken to his mother in Darfur. She told him that the Government of Sudan continues to bomb villages- and the bombings are followed by janjaweed attacks. The expulsion of the aid agencies is unspeakably horrible but even if they were readmitted (which they wont be) -a return to the status quo is unacceptable. Shame on Egypt, Libya, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Qatar for receiving Omar Al-Bashir, a genocidal thug wanted by the ICC for the murder rapes, pillaging and forced displacement of millions of his own people. Shame on the world for permitting this to unfold before our eyes.
Strangely I am feeling fine. I realize we don’t need to eat every day. And we certainly don’t need 3 meals a day. I feel so well that I’m bored. I cant really go out. I was told not to do the stairs (but I do anyway)
Day 10
Lots of people have been telling me they can reach the White House because the line is always busy. (202 456 1111).
So please
Email President Barack Obama <http://www.emailthepresident.com/>
The photo below is of a refugee camp for Darfuris. When their villages were attacked, many perished, many were raped and mutilated. Two and a half million fled into camps such as this where they are barely surviving. The camps have been attacked by the Sudanese army and by their proxy murderers, the Janjaweed. These traumatized, vulnerable and courageous survivors have been sustained by humanitarian aid workers. When 16 aid agencies were expelled by the genocidal Sudanese president (who is wanted by the ICC), the capacity to provide essentials was halved, leaving more than a million people without food, water and medical assistance. Disease has always stalked the camps but now the situation could not be more desperate .
Look carefully at this photo and ask yourself how long you could live in such a place. They have been there for 5 years. They are there now, waiting for help.
Day 9
Please, please contact the White House. Leave word that it is not acceptable for you to watch a million or more Darfuris die of starvation, thirst and disease. This the time to stand up, not stand by. President Obama and all world leaders should be working urgently to get the 16 humanitarian agencies readmitted or replaced by equally capable ones. They must be given unrestricted access. They should be doing everything possible to bring about circumstances under which 2.7 million people can safely return home and being to rebuild their villages and their lives. Www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/ Comment line 202-456-1111
And never think your voice won't count. The government considers that every single call represents 10,000 people (voters). The late Sen. Paul Simon said, of the Rwandan genocide-if just 100 people from each district had called or written, our government would have taken action to prevent the slaughter in Rwanda.
Day 8: Video Blog
May 3, 2009
Oxfam
Kalma Camp population 90,000
Not a tree or a blade of grass. It has been attacked by the Sudanese Army at least once . There is an outbreak of meningitis at Kalma. And no doctors to help 90,000 people.
What will happen to this child when there is no water?
Refugee child getting water for her family
Oxfam installs and maintains water-point-
Water point in a refugee camp. Although Oxfam/Great Britain, which had been doing a lot of the work has been expelled, Oxfam/USA is still in Darfur. If you are able to offer any support they are at http://www.oxfamamerica.org/
Day 7
In this photo we can see a doctor from MSF (Doctors Without Borders) treating severely malnourished children. MSF is gone from Darfur now. So are the 15 other key humanitarian agencies expelled by Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir. The lifeline to some more than a million people has been severed. Astoundingly, the world has scarcely reacted. A doctor will be coming to visit me tomorrow-thanks to my concerned friends. But no doctor will be there for at least a million people in Darfur. There will be an end to this for me- but not for them. Some people are interested in what it feels like to be without food for 7 days. At this point I don't think about food. I am weaker and I am mostly in bed. I am clear minded. I sleep less. I have increasingly less tolerance for TV although last night I watched Schindler's List all the way through and I couldn't stop crying. I am more emotional. I listen to music- mostly Bach and Mahler-the slow movements only. I read when I am able to. After rereading Siddhartha I am now halfway through Autobiography of a Yogi. Next will be Care of the Soul by Thomas Moore. Alongside my bed is a large window through which I can see the sky, a lake, trees, birds, and at dusk the deer. I am at peace and busy with my thoughts
May 2, 2009
Messages from Mohammed Yahya a respected and beloved Darfuri leader living in DC.
"We exist until we stop this ongoing genocide, and bring all the killers to justice, then Peace, Freedom, Democracy and dignity will overcome."
Mohammed Yahya has committed to fast " in solidarity with Darfuri refugees who are suffering now due to shortage of food, medicine, shelter, water and security because Al-bashir has expelled over 16 aid organizations from Darfur."
Dear Mia Farrow,
I just wanted to thank you so much for your noble initiative on behalf of people of Darfur.
your fast and hunger strike were inspired all of us. Therefore, I have decided to share with you these great moments and fast with you to support Darfur.
God bless you.
Mohammed
Day 6 I find I am needing less sleep. Hunger and headaches have gone. I feel clear-minded and somewhat emotional. Also spiritual. Except for the visits with my family, there is nothing but my thoughts. I do have a TV in my room and sometimes I watch it but more and more I feel inclined to read, meditate and pray.
Day 5 of my fast: video blog
May 1, 2009
My Children, day 5
I awakened from a light sleep feeling somewhat faint but I drank water and am better now.
People have asked how my children feel about my fasting for such a long time. Initially they were worried and opposed to it but I have been successful in assuring them I will end the fast if anything goes wrong. They phone me every day and they support me. One of my sons, Fletcher lives next door with his little daughter and wife Gillian who is one of my closest friends. They are here for me.
My 17-year-old son Isaiah is at a nearby boarding school. This is part of an email from his teacher and advisor. " A couple of days ago, Isaiah announced (in a very mature and professional manner) that he was going to join you for one day on a hunger strike to bring attention to Darfur. As promised, he went for 24 hours without eating, and he did it very stoically. " I texted him to say how proud I am, and he texted back something so wonderful;"I am even more proud of you. You inspire me and I did it for the people of Darfur."
I am a very proud and fortunate mother.
April 30, 2009
death of a child
Day 4 is ending. Some people are interested in how I am doing, but we need to be thinking of Darfur’s people. If my hunger brings focus to where it belongs, if more people know what is happening in Darfur and will raise their voices , then what I am going through now is well worth it.
In the camps Darfuris are already experiencing food shortages; grain is stockpiled at Port Sudan but with 50% of humanitarian aid severed, the remaining aid workers are not able to deliver it to all the camps. The port is very far from Darfur. In the camps the water pumps require maintenance but with Oxfam expelled that isn't happening. Sanitation is a growing problem. Disease is stalking more than a million people.
I have received wonderful, amazing support from my family, friends, colleagues and from strangers. I am more grateful. Than I can say. And no support has been more meaningful than that of the Darfuri community here in the US.
Thank you everyone who has taken the time to come to this site.
April 29, 2009
http://fastdarfur.org/
This site was set up by fellow advocates. Its a place you can visit if you want to connect with other like minded people.
Day 3: Hunger Strike
What I am going through now is nothing compared what the people of Darfur are facing. As things were, before the humanitarian expulsions, the rations for refugee were barely the minimum caloric requirement to sustain life-1000 calories per day. But soon more than one million people will not receive even that meager ration. The situation is urgent and dire. So, when I feel hunger pangs and my head aches, I think of them.
Here's a site, which, along with the 1-800-GENOCIDE number, allows you to easily find and contact your elected officials. Use it to tell the President, your Senator, and your Congressperson to find a way to get the humanitarian agencies back into Darfur or otherwise fill the gap, to vigorously pursue a process that will bring peace to Darfur and to fully fund the World Food Programme.
So many people have been asking how I am. Thank you for that. I am fine. Sometimes its hard, but I am determined and I think it has been worth it. Day one was crammed with radio and TV interviews. Good Morning America's Chris Cuomo began the segment with "Darfur is back in the news--" And at the end he read out the staggering realities. This is what I hoped for, to bring focus to Darfur. Larry King's satellite dish rolled down my dirt driveway at 8:30pm. It looked like something out of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". By then I was a little loopy. I went on the air at 9:50. I was tired and I hadn't eaten for 29 hours. I felt the enormity of the responsibility that came with the extraordinary opportunity to reach many millions of people around the world. I wanted to do my best for the Darfuris. I tried to say what they would want me to say -or what they would tell you if only they had the chance. So it was scary that my mind was muddled and swimming so. I hope to God it was OK.
Before I began this fast David Blaine (magician and endurance artist) called me. So kind of him. He told me a little about how to prepare and what to expect. He said after 6 days I wont feel hunger. He told me to drink 4 liters of water. Do you know how much water that is!
April 28, 2009
Hungry child
This is day two of my hunger strike. I said I would try to blog each day but honestly it seems more appropriate to keep the focus where it belongs-with Darfur’s courageous people
Orphans
I met these little girls at Zamzam camp. Their parents had been killed when their village was attacked. The big sister had become the parent. “No one will hurt my baby,” she told me. But the baby had not uttered a single sound since the day they saw their parents killed.
a way to connect
A group of dedicated advocates and colleagues have set up a site to give people a way to connect with each other and get involved. http://fastdarfur.org
On Day 100 of Obama's administration
Please contact President Obama at 1-800-GENOCIDE (1-800-436-62433). He and his administration must do more for Darfur's people.
Tell President Obama and your elected officials to:
Make a concerted effort to get the needed amount of aid back into Darfur for the displaced civilians.
Complete the Sudan policy review in order to move forward with a comprehensive and coherent policy on Darfur.
Ensure that Special Envoy Gration has the support he needs from the State Department.
Bolster UNAMID in all ways possible.
Bring other key players in the international community into the foreground, especially Europe (including Russia), in order to further discussions about a no-fly zone, increased sanctions, and enforcing the arms embargo.
He did not have a choice. We do.
Hunger strike. Day one
Today is the first day of my hunger strike. I have never undertaken anything remotely like this and so I have little sense of what to expect and although I have set a goal of three weeks, I really don't know how long I will be able to continue. I will be drinking lots of water.
Despite the fact that for six years the world has taken no effective action to protect Darfur's people it seemed that the expulsion of the aid agencies, the severance of the lifeline to more than 4 million people would surely trigger a response. But while the US Envoy Scott Gration said, "We need to come up with creative ways immediately, and when I say immediately I mean in the next weeks, to be able to compensate (for the expelled aid agencies)", the weeks are passing and word from the camps is that people are already suffering; the water pumps at well sites are breaking down because there is no one to repair them, latrines are overflowing, food stockpiles are dwindling and there is no medical assistance. How can this be??!!
Hussein Abu Sharati, spokesman for a network of refugee-camps leaders sent a letter to President Obama. "Mr. President," Abu Sharati wrote, "We need quick and immediate intervention to save us from the imminent death:... (the expulsion of humanitarian organizations ) is the regime's final goal and the deadly blow to accelerate our death by slow motion through starvation and diseases."
Non-action is an act of acquiescence.
April 21, 2009
what does acute malnutrition look like
These children were being treated by MSF (Doctors Without Borders.) That agency is among the 16 that were expelled from Darfur by the Sudanese regime.
April 18, 2009
I AM PREPARING FOR A HUNGER STRIKE On April 27th I will begin a fast of water only in solidarity with the people of Darfur and as a personal expression of outrage at a world that is somehow able to stand by and watch innocent men, women and children needlessly die of starvation, thirst and disease.
The Darfur crisis deepened on March 4th when the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Sudanese president President Omer al-Bashir for his essential role in the murder, rape, torture and displacement of millions. Al Bashir retaliated immediately by expelling thirteen key international aid agencies from Sudan, including Save the Children, Doctors Without Borders, CARE, Oxfam and the International Rescue Committee (IRC) along with three highly respected Sudanese agencies.
Sudanese U.N. Ambassador Abdalhaleem claimed his government would have no problem filling in any gaps created by the expulsions. But U.N. humanitarian affairs chief John Holmes spoke honestly about the desperate realities: "We do not, as the U.N. system, the NGOs do not, and the Sudanese government does not have the capacity to replace all the activities that have been going on. This is a decision which is likely to have a major impact on millions of people in Darfur who are in need on a daily basis, of life-saving humanitarian assistance." According to the UN, as of this May more than a million people will be without food aid, medical assistance, and drinkable water.
The United Nations humanitarian agencies issued their joint plea; "The suspended NGOs account for more than half of the capacity for the aid operation in Darfur. If the life-saving assistance these agencies were providing is not restored shortly, it will have immediate, lasting and profound impacts on the well being of millions of Sudanese citizens. These organizations provide a lifeline to 4.7 million people." I undertake this fast in the heartfelt hope that world leaders who know what is just and right will call upon the Government of Sudan to urgently readmit all of the expelled agencies or otherwise insure that the gap is filled, giving aid workers unimpeded access to the populations before they begin to die in numbers that could dwarf the Rwandan genocide. I also call upon President Obama and other leaders with influence to help build a credible peace process that can end the suffering in Darfur. I hope human rights advocates and citizens of conscience around the world will join me in some form of fasting, even if for one day. And when I can no longer continue, I pray another will take my place, and another-- until finally there is justice and peace for Darfur's people.
Mia Farrow
April 13, 2009
Worth reading
Obama Can Make a Difference in Darfur <http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123958504474112427.html> Wall Street Journal - USA The stories are beginning to trickle in from displaced-persons camps in Darfur: increasing hunger, epidemics and the the quietest killer -- a shortage of water in the Sahara.
The crisis is not a new one. The refrain regarding international crises is often, "If only the world knew, we would have done something." The people of Darfur know that we know. What they are waiting to find out is if we care enough to act. When the dust clears and the bodies are buried, burned or left to rot in forsaken camps, the world will mourn for what it did not do. What Darfur needs is not a future apology, but steps today that offer hope.
April 6, 2009
Ronan's Op-Ed in Today's WSJ
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL - COMMENTARY
Beware of the U.N. Human Rights Council Obama should be careful about lending legitimacy to bad actors.
By RONAN FARROW April 6, 2009
Last week the Obama administration announced its intention to seek membership in a body America has for years shunned: the United Nations Human Rights Council. It is perhaps the starkest illustration yet of what officials have billed as a "new era of engagement," and was breathlessly hailed as a toppling of Bush-era isolationist tactics.
But the Human Rights Council is far from the symbol of positive engagement proponents of the decision would like it to be. Joining plunges the U.S. headlong into one of the most notorious quagmires in international politics. American officials will have to walk a razor's edge between instigating reform and legitimizing the Council's colorful, often sinister, history.
The Council's most recent session saw the body voting to end its mandate to investigate the Democratic Republic of the Congo, even as that nation lurches into ethnic bloodshed. A Pakistani resolution against "defamation of religions" passed with ease despite being universally decried by human rights groups as a thinly veiled effort to curtail freedom of expression and suppress minority sects.
The news was unsurprising for anyone familiar with the Council. The body has declined to issue a single condemnation of Sudan for its ethnic cleansing in Darfur. As fresh violence convulsed Darfur last year, the Council responded by dismissing the team of experts tasked with monitoring the region, then disregarding reports from a fact-finding mission that implicated the Sudanese government in torture, rape and mass murder.
According to Human Rights Watch, at least 26 other countries -- including China, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Zimbabwe -- have been ignored by the Council. It has instead diverted an implausible portion of its resources to the constant, fevered condemnation of Israel: 26 of its 32 condemnations have been against that country. During its most recent session, the Council issued no fewer than five resolutions condemning Israel -- more than all its resolutions concerning other countries combined.
The recent addition of "Universal Periodic Reviews" -- compelling the Council to examine all U.N. states, not just a narrow selection of their choosing -- sparked hopes for improvement. But periodic reviews of China, Cuba and other systematic rights abusers have been farcical displays of politicized whitewashing. The Council, even U.N. Secretary-General Ban-ki Moon conceded, "has clearly not justified all the hopes that so many of us placed on it."
The Bush administration took a hard line on the Council, subjecting it to withering invectives. It even withheld America's share of the body's budget last year. That served to reinforce perceptions of American isolationism and left the Council's few reform-minded members, such as Canada, stranded.
The Obama administration's shift is a welcome step; the U.S. is overdue to apply its diplomatic weight to improve the behavior of Council members. But the merits of formal membership are less obvious. America's bid to join may represent too hasty an embrace of a body that still needs fundamental restructuring, not incremental improvements.
The U.S. is already able to flex its diplomatic muscle both behind the scenes and via a right for nonmembers to testify before the Council at will. Formally wielding a vote is unlikely to increase American influence. Because the Council is structured according to geographic bloc, America's seat will simply supplant another member of the "Western Europe and Other States" group, which already votes along almost uniformly progressive lines.
America's decision has, however, born new hope. One delegate described the atmosphere at the Council's Geneva headquarters as "electric", with young American diplomats long exiled to "lolling over coffee outside the assembly hall" now springing to action.
Officials will have to leverage that atmosphere to call for serious reform. Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., should urge that the review of Council policies by the General Assembly -- currently slated for April 2011 -- be undertaken as soon as possible. She should work to ensure that the Universal Periodic Review system, still in its infancy, be strengthened and made less politically manipulable. She should fight for expanded scrutiny of countries beyond Israel, and for specific condemnations of regimes responsible for mass atrocities, starting with Sudan.
How diligently the Obama administration pursues these goals will determine whether America will act as a catalyst for change -- or lend its imprimatur to the world's most discredited international body as it spirals destructively out of control.
Mr. Farrow, currently writing a book on America's use of proxy armies, has worked on human rights issues at the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the U.N. He is a student at Yale Law School. Clic
April 5, 2009
remaining aid workers at risk in Darfur
Two humanitarians, a Canadian and a French national working with Aide Medicale Internationale were abducted in south Darfur on Saturday. Gunmen are demanding a ransom for their release.
April 3, 2009
Darfur IDPs leader appeals to Obama
April 3, 2009 — A prominent leader of Darfur refugees has called on the US President to intervene in Darfur for the unconditional return of the international non-governmental aid groups expelled from the region.
Sixteen aid groups were forced out of Northern Sudan after the ICC arrest warrant against President Omer Al-Bashir. A government scheme to “Sudanize” the effort by sending in national aid groups and its own affiliates has been rejected by IDPs, who are refusing the government aid. The UN has also said that the government’s proposal is inadequate compared to the humanitarian arrangement before the ICC decision on March 4.
Hussein Abu Sharati, who heads a network of camp leaders claiming to represent all the refugees and diplaced Darfuri including those in eastern Chad, wrote a direct appeal to President Barack Obama. In addition to the aid issue, he called for disarming Janjaweed militias and removing occupying settlers from the lands of displaced people.
As to the stalled peace process between the rebel groups, civil society and the government, Sharati declared that the camp residents will not participate in the Arab League-backed Qatari mediation initiative, because “these countries don’t even recognize our humanity.”
The full text of the letter is below.
Darfur IDPs and Refugees Open Letter to President Obama and his Administration.
Mr. President; Obama from inside our concentrated camps in Darfur and the neighboring countries, with our different social fabric and tribes highly appreciate the due concerns of the American administrations on our crisis since it came to being. Without the American humanitarian assistance to us we would have suffered a lot. From here; we convey our warm greetings to you and your new administration and also for great American nation who put their trust on you and elected you to become their President in times where the world is filled with complicated crises. In fact we are once again very grateful for putting our cause in the top agenda of your government foreign policy; however; still a lot is needed to be done quick and now.
Mr. President, the genocidal government of Sudan burned, completely destroyed our livelihood, killed in hundreds of thousand, raped woman and children in systematically and occupied our land by the Janjaweed militias and the new settlerss. However; without International community respond that is embodied in United Nations and its NGOs and the humanity loving countries; all people of Darfur would have been eliminated on the surface of the earth long ago.
Mr. President; the Khartoum genocidal regime continues to defy the international community on Darfur so as to complete its crimes on people of Darfur whom they believe must be eliminated from the earth. Thus, the genocide master mind President Bashir on his statements continues on his adamant attitudes rejecting the settlement of the crisis. The latest is the current expulsion of the live-giving organizations of the IDPs which is the regime’s final goal and the deadly blow to accelerate our death by slow motion through starvation, malnutrition and diseases.
Mr. President we the IDPs and the refugees, constitute strong and un-deniable materials evidences against the perpetrator. Therefore; Al Bashir and his regime are doing everything in their capability to totally depopulate the traumatized citizens across entire Darfur. After the arrest warrant against Bashir was issued and supported by all peace loving nations, the Arab and Islamic nations instead work to save Bashir from ICC. These countries are those who supported Al-Bashir directly or indirectly to commit these heinous crimes against us.
Mr. President Obama, we are in very desperate and miserable conditions so we demand from you the following 1. We need quick and immediate multi-lateral or uni-lateral intervention to save us from the imminent death. 2. Unconditional return of the international NGOs expelled by the regime. 3. Verified disarmament of the Janjaweed militias to ensure the free flow of humanitarian assistances for us. 4. Remove the new settlers from our occupied lands. On the issues of political settlement for the conflict Mr. President we would like to inform you that we could not be able to sit on any negotiations table with regime that continues our killing and doesn’t respect the agreements either. Furthermore we will not engage ourselves with Qatari initiative because Qatar is one of the countries that support the perpetrator instead of standing on the side of the victims. In addition to that these countries don’t even recognize our humanity. Hence; they are not neutral to take the position of mediators.
Lastly Mr. President we are against any body or entity who trade with our names therefore we want to make crystal clear to you and your administration that; the only legitimate representative for us the IDPs and refugees in camps; is the Founder and Chairperson of Sudan Liberation Movement/ Army Mr. Abdel Wahid Mohamed Ahmed El nur the defender of our rights. Therefore; we recommend that anything concerning us must be through him.
Thanks Mr. President Obama.
Hussein Abu Sharati the Spokesman of the IDPs and Refugees in Darfur and Chad
.
April 1, 2009
One million people at risk in Darfur, UN says
More than one million people in Darfur are at risk of losing food, water and shelter in coming months, following the expulsion of international aid groups by Sudan's government, the United Nations' chief humanitarian coordinator said Tuesday.
Cell Phones, Conflict Minerals, and the Worst Sexual Violence in the World
excerpts from a piece by John Prendergast. (Read the full strategy paper . www.enoughproject.org
Democratic Republic of the Congo is the scene of the deadliest conflict globally since World War II. There are few other conflicts in the world where the link between our consumer appetites and mass human suffering is so direct. Most electronic companies and consumers genuinely do not appreciate the complex chain of events that ties widespread sexual violence in Congo with the minerals that power our cell phones, laptops, mp3 players, video games, and digital cameras.
The general use of violence against communities includes forced labor, torture, recruitment of child soldiers, extortion, and killings by armed groups to oppress and control civilians. In particular, sexual violence has become a tool of war and control for the armed groups in Congo on an immense scale. The Congo war has the highest rate of violence against women and girls in the world, and reports indicate that hundreds of thousands have been raped, making it the most dangerous place in the world to be a woman or girl.
Sexual violence in Congo is often fueled by militias and armies warring over “conflict minerals,” the ores that produce tin, tungsten, and tantalum—the “3 Ts”—as well as gold. Armed groups from Congo, Rwanda, and Uganda finance themselves through the illicit conflict mineral trade and fight over control of mines and taxation points inside Congo.-
Consumers in the United States, Europe, and Asia are the ultimate end-users of these conflict minerals The principal conflict minerals are: Tin (produced from cassiterite)— • used inside your cell phone and all electronic products as a solder on circuit boards. The biggest use of tin worldwide is in electronic products. Congolese armed groups earn approximately $85 million per year from trade in tin.
Tantalum (produced from “coltan”)— • used to store electricity in capacitors in iPods, digital cam- eras, and cell phones. Sixty-five to 80 percent of the world’s tantalum is used in electronic prod- ucts. Congolese armed groups earn an estimated $8 million per year from trading in tantalum. Tungsten (produced from wolframite)— • used to make your cell phone or Blackberry vibrate. Tungsten is a growing source of income for armed groups in Congo, with armed groups cur- rently earning approximately $2 million annually. Gold— used in jewelry and as a component in electronics. Extremely valuable and easy to smuggle, Congolese armed groups are earning between $44 million to $88 million per year from gold. atrocities and reap large profits with impunity.
Because we are all unconsciously part of the problem in Congo, all of us can consciously become part of the solution. Collectively, American consumers have enormous leverage over the compa- nies from which we purchase our electronics. We can marshal that power to press them to play a positive role to protect and empower Congo’s women.
March 27, 2009
UN Security Council unanimously appeals to Sudan to re-admit expelled aid groups
Omar al-Bashir accused of "exterminating" refugees by expelling international aid agencies.
The chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court has accused Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir of "exterminating" refugees by expelling international aid agencies.
Luis Moreno-Ocampo said that by blocking aid the president was attacking the civilians in the giant camps that dot Darfur. He called for President Bashir to be arrested as soon as he leaves Sudan. The president is due to attend this month's Arab League summit in Qatar. Speaking to the BBC's Network Africa, Mr Moreno-Ocampo said that by expelling the international aid agencies the president was "confirming that he is exterminating his people".
Mr Moreno-Ocampo said that he would work for the arrest of President Bashir as soon as he leaves Sudan. Judges at the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest on war crimes charges earlier this month. Mr Moreno-Ocampo said that entering international airspace would be enough, since UN Security Council resolution 1583 urges all UN members to co-operate with the court.
Qatar, which invited President Bashir to the Arab League summit, has not signed the statute that brought the ICC into being. Some Sudanese leaders, concerned about the president's safety, have urged him not to visit the annual Arab summit, due to start on 29 March. Earlier this week the Sudanese former president Siwar Al-Dahab urged President Bashir to exercise "patience and wisdom" and not risk travelling to Qatar "for his safety and the safety of Sudanese people".
The United Nations and the Sudanese authorities concluded a joint assessment mission to Darfur to investigate how best to deal with the camps after President Bashir's expulsion of the 13 international aid agencies.
With his crackpot denial that HIV causes AIDS, his appointment of a health minister who recommended beets and garlic as treatment for South Africa's more than 5 million HIV infected citizens, his corrupt government, his incomprehensible support of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and his refusal to use South Africa's leverage to halt the horrors in Zimbabwe, former South African President Thabo Mbeki's legacy is a disgraceful one.
In Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Mbeki now heads an African Union panel set up in January 2009. It is composed of current and former African officials and it is tasked with helping to bring peace to war ravaged Darfur. It is also charged with investigating the atrocities committed in Darfur and advising the African Union on how to deal with the perpetrators. They will issue a report of their findings in July. Today Mbeki announced that the panel will not consider any of the evidence compiled by the International Criminal Court.
On March 4 the ICC announced an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omer Al-Bashir for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, rape, torture and the forced displacement of millions in the Darfur region of Sudan.
Three international humanitarians working with Doctor Without Borders were taken from their compound in Serif Umra—about 150 miles west of El Fasher. An Italian doctor, a Canadian nurse and a French coordinator were able to make one phone call telling colleagues of their abduction. Nothing has been heard from them since. The abductions took place a week after the expulsion of 13 aid organizations including the French and Dutch branches of MSF (Doctors without Borders) but the expulsion did not apply to the Belgian, Swiss and Spanish branches. The three were working with the Belgian unit.
The situation in Darfur is dire. The expulsion has left more than a million displaced people without clean water, food, supplies of any kind or medical assistance. As this kidnapping underlines, the remaining aid workers are not safe.
Darfur_through the eyes of an aid worker, now expelled
Joint Statement on the Humanitarian Situation in Darfur
07 Mar 2009 Source: UNHCR Reuters and AlertNet are not responsible for the content of this article or for any external internet sites. The views expressed are the author's alone. Statement on the Humanitarian Situation in Darfur 6 March 2009
The Government of Sudan's order suspending 16 non-governmental organisations(NGOs) will have devastating implications for the citizens of Darfur. Aid operations in North Sudan, the largest humanitarian emergency in the world costing over $2 billion annually, will be irrevocably damaged.
The UN Agencies operating in Sudan [UNICEF, UNHCR, UNJLC, WFP, WHO] and OCHA, are deeply concerned by this situation. The suspended NGOs account for more than half of the capacity for the aid operation in Darfur. If the life-saving assistance these agencies were providing is not restored shortly, it will have immediate, lasting and profound impacts on the well-being of millions of Sudanese citizens. It is not possible, in any reasonable time frame, to replace the capacity and expertise these agencies have provided over an extended period of time.
The decision to expel these sixteen organizations, our main implementing partners, effectively removes some 6,500 staff, or 40% of the humanitarian workforce, from being able to carry out critical humanitarian activities in Darfur. These organizations provide a lifeline to 4.7 million people in Darfur alone, and millions more in other areas of Northern Sudan. While some 85 international NGOs operate in Darfur, without these organisations much of the aid operation literally comes to a halt.
We are also alarmed that the Government has confiscated assets from these organizations, which are critical to the humanitarian operation, including computers, vehicles, and communications equipment.
While the UN agencies reaffirm their commitment to do everything possible to cover the most pressing and critical gaps caused by this suspension during the coming days, neither this commitment nor remaining capacity on the ground is sufficient to meet the humanitarian needs in the long run. As such, we appeal to the Government of Sudan to urgently reconsider this decision and to restore our ability to assist their most vulnerable citizens.
This statement has been endorsed by the following UN Agencies:
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) United Nations Joint Logistics Centre (UNJLC) World Food Programme (WFP) World Health Organization (WHO) and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
March 6, 2009
Watch John Prendergast- yesterdays CNN interview on the ICC indictment
Today, the Government of Sudan ordered the closure of our humanitarian aid programs in Darfur as well as North and East Sudan. This decision puts at risk the lives of 1.75 million men, women and children who depend on the IRC's lifesaving programs.
Other aid organizations received similar orders to suspend their services.
Help us call on the international community to urge the Government of Sudan to reconsider this deplorable decision and ensure the delivery of lifesaving aid to vulnerable men, women and children in Sudan. Please make your voice heard now. <http://ga3.org/ct/o1XI1OS1qEQo/>
March 4, 2009
Khartoum Expelling Humanitarians from Darfur
The Government of Sudan has ordered the expulsion of six to ten humanitarian groups from Darfur, including Oxfam, Solidarities, MSF Holland, CARE, MSF France, ACF and Mercy Corps. Armed soldiers are going door to door seizing assets. Some are suggesting that Kalma camp will be stripped bare...90,000 people.
attack-helicopter-bombs-pregnant-woman
Omer Al-Bashir is accused of crimes against humanity; murder, extermination, forcible transfer, torture and rape 2 counts of war crimes: intentional directing attacks against civilians and pillaging. The ICC reserves the right to accuse Al-Bashir of genocide when the full evidence is presented to the Court
Excerpt from the Convention on the Prevention and of Genocide "Article II: In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:
(a) Killing members of the group;
(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
Refugee children artists of these drawings
Childs drawing of mother-shot-while-cooking-breakfast
Omer al-Bashir is accused of crimes against humanity; murder, extermination, forcible transfer, torture and rape war crimes: intentional directing attacks against civilians and pillaging. ---
JANJAWEED-
Excerpt from the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide(For full text click here) "Article II: In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:
(a) Killing members of the group;
(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
Darfuri refugee child-drawing
Excerpt from the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide "Article II: In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:
(a) Killing members of the group;
(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
refugee child-drawing
Excerpt from the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide "Article II: In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:
(a) Killing members of the group;
(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
Darfuri refugee childs-drawing
Excerpt from the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide(For full text click here) "Article II: In the present Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:
(a) Killing members of the group;
(b) Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;
(c) Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;
(d) Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;
(e) Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.
Are all states including those who did not sign onto the ICC Rome Statute obligated to arrest and surrender Al-Bashir?
Although any state (party to the Rome Statute or not) can arrest him and all states will be requested to if he is on their territory (see Art 89 RS), non state parties are not obligated to, except in the case of Sudan, which the United Nations Security Council ordered to fully cooperate with the Court and thus under Ch VII they are legally obligated to (note the rest of this para in 1593 urges cooperation of non state parties but does not require it).
Article 89 Surrender of persons to the Court 1. The Court may transmit a request for the arrest and surrender of a person, together with the material supporting the request outlined in article 91, to any State on the territory of which that person may be found and shall request the cooperation of that State in the arrest and surrender of such a person. States Parties shall, in accordance with the provisions of this Part and the procedure under their national law, comply with requests for arrest and surrender.
UNSC Res 1593: Decides that the Government of Sudan and all other parties to the conflict in Darfur shall cooperate fully with and provide any necessary assistance to the Court and the Prosecutor pursuant to this resolution and, while recognizing that States not party to the Rome Statute have no obligation under the Statute, urges all States and concerned regional and other international organizations to cooperate fully.
Statement by Nobel Women Peace Laureates
In the context of continued violence, hunger and repression in the Darfur region of Sudan, we six women Nobel Peace Laureates are encouraged by recent progress in the work of the International Criminal Court in Sudan.
We remain deeply concerned by ongoing attacks against humanitarian aid workers in government-controlled towns, continued use of rape as a tactic of war, and obstructions to international efforts to resolve the conflict. The situation in Darfur is still desperate, after almost six years of armed conflict.
We are convinced that justice will be a pillar of peace in the Sudan, as it will be globally. The creation of the International Criminal Court is a critical and significant development in international law that took more than five decades to establish. With its global reach, it has the potential to prevent, or drastically reduce, the deaths and devastation caused by violent conflict and abuses of power.
The people of Darfur deserve—and have clearly vocalized a desire for—justice and accountability. We urge the friends of Sudan in the international community to let the Court do its work. Betty William, Mairead Corrigan Maguire, Rigoberta Menchu Tum, Jody Williams, Shirin Ebadi, Wangari Maathai
What now?
The call for the arrest of Omar Al-Bashir of Sudan is an historic action that marks the first time the tribunal has acted against a sitting head of state. The charges stem from a July 2008 request by ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo and include crimes against humanity and war crimes.
The Court noted: "He is suspected of being criminally responsible as an indirect perpetrator for intentionally directing attacks against an important part of the civilian population of Darfur, Sudan, murdering, exterminating, raping, torturing, and forcibly transferring large numbers of civilians and pillaging their property."
In announcing the arrest warrant, an ICC spokesman noted that the fact that Mr. Bashir is a sitting president "does not exclude his criminal responsibility nor does it grant him immunity against prosecution before the International Criminal Court."
John Prendergast founder of the Enough Project issued the following statement in response:
"The International Criminal Court arrest warrant for President Omer al-Bashir provides an unprecedented opening, making Sudan's prospects for peace riper than they have been in memory, How the Obama administration handles this immediate foreign policy challenge will have a major impact on the outcome. It is crucial for the new president's team to clarify to Arab states, China and others that the U.S. policy objective is a just and durable peace for Sudan."
The issuance of an arrest warrant for Sudan's sitting head of state for crimes against humanity offers the Obama administration a chance to catalyze multilateral efforts to bring about a solution to Sudan's decades-long cycle of warfare. One of the crucial missing ingredients to conflict resolution efforts has been some form of accountability for the horrific crimes against humanity that have been perpetrated by the warring parties in Sudan, primarily the Khartoum regime.
President Obama should now take a number of key steps, including:
*Working with the U.N. Security Council to support targeted sanctions against those most responsible for violence in Sudan and imposing a comprehensive arms embargo against the Government of Sudan;
*Making UNAMID( the UN/AU peacekeeping mission in Darfur) effective with a robust force on the ground in Darfur with a competent lead nation and a clear command-and-control structure;
*Working closely with interested parties with leverage in Sudan and the region, especially China, the United Kingdom, France, and key African countries, to coordinate efforts on peace efforts, the protection of civilians, and accountability;
*Countering continued violations by Sudan on the UN ban on offensive military flights in Darfur; and
*Appointing a senior Special Envoy to not only address the situation in Darfur, but Sudan's multiple conflicts and their regional dimensions.
Justice for Darfur
The request to surrender and arrest Al-Bashir. All countries are obligated to arrest Al Bashir even if they have not signed the Rome Statute.
ICC issues arrest warrant for Sudanese President
Omar Al-Bashir is accused of
5 counts of crimes against humanity: murder, extermination, forcible transfer, torture and rape
2 counts of war crimes: intentional directing attacks against civilians and pillaging.
Not included in the warrant is the crime of genocide-if aDditional info is gathered by the prosection the crime of genocide may be included.
On March 4th the International Criminal Court will announce its findings in their case against Sudanese President Omer Al-Bashir. It is probable that the Court will issue an arrest warrant charging Al-Bashir with war crimes, crimes against humanity and possibly even genocide. ICC Chief Prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo conducted his investigation under challenging circumstances; he was not permitted to enter Darfur, the region where the crimes took place. Instead he gathered his evidence from many of the 250,000 refugees who fled into Chad after the attacks began in 2003.
I have just returned from a four week journey along the Chad/Darfur border. On both sides of the border, civilians, refugees, aid workers, peacekeepers and military are prepared for a variety of retaliation scenarios from Al-Bashir, a man with much blood on his hands, who will have little to lose. Reliable information from Khartoum reports Government military have been instructed to target families of supporters of the ICC. The Director of National Intelligence, Salah Gosh, announced the fate of anyone supporting an ICC indictment, "We will cut off his hand and his head and carve up his joints. This is an issue of no compromise" and "those who misbehave can only blame themselves!"
It is crucial and indeed past time that the Obama administration appoint a top level envoy to be prepared to focus on the consequences of this week's ICC announcement. Washington must make it clear to Khartoum that it will not tolerate violence against humanitarians, international peacekeepers or Darfuri civilians in the aftermath of the decision.
UNAMID chief, Sudan official discuss military build-up on Chad border Monday 2 March 2009.
March 1, 2009 (KHARTOUM) — The Joint Special Representative of the African-Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), Rodolphe Adada, met today in Khartoum with Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Mutrif Siddiq, to discuss "rising tensions on the Chadian-Sudanese border."
Sudan-backed rebels and militias have launched attacks on Chad in each of the last three dry seasons, including assaults on the Chadian capital in 2006 and 2008. Currently up to 5,000 rebels are gathering on the Sudan side of the border, an Irish commandant with the Chad-based EUFOR peacekeeping mission disclosed last week. The Irish officer expected the invasion could follow the International Criminal Court announcement this week of an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omer Al-Bashir. Meanwhile, the commander of a Chad-based Darfur rebel group, Khalil Ibrahim, said in an interview from outside N’Djamena, the Chadian capital that his JEM forces would aim to topple Al-Bashir in the wake of the ICC indictment, though a spokesperson downplayed the statement.
Given this context, Siddiq and Adada discussed the current situation in West Darfur, particularly the rising tensions on the Chadian-Sudanese border. "Dr. Siddiq promised to address these issues and to try and find adequate solutions in consultation with UNAMID. He also reiterated the commitment of the Government of Sudan (GoS) to ensure the safety and security of UNAMID personnel and facilities," They also discussed the flight of thousands of civilians from fighting in South Darfur last month. These displaced people have been arriving to the Zam Zam camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) near El Fasher, in North Darfur. Arms flows through El Geneina are a major supply source for Chadian rebels, according to a report released last November by a UN panel of arms control experts. Sudan has sent up to three daily flights of arms and other equipment to El Geneina, the experts claimed, saying that the town was a liaison point for leaders of the Chadian armed groups and the Sudanese intelligence service (NISS). The report stated, "ground troops receive their allotted military supplies directly from NISS storehouses along with training in and around El Geneina."
Today, Jean Ping the chairman of the African Union Commission said concerned by the tension in the border between the two countries. He said he "continues to follow the evolution of the situation in Chad and on the border between that country and Sudan."
February 23, 2009
ICC decision- now we know when its coming
ICC Chamber just announced Bashir decision is coming out on March 4
February 22, 2009
Congo
What you should know about Congo The conflict in eastern Congo, the deadliest in the world since World War II, is being fueled by a multi-million dollar trade in minerals that go into our electronic products from cell phones to digital cameras.
•Tin – used inside your cell phone and all electronic products as a solder on circuit boards. 53% of tin worldwide is used as a solder, the vast majority of which goes into electronics. Armed groups earn approximately $85 million per year from trading in tin. •Tantalum (often called “coltan”)– used to store electricity in capacitors in iPods, digital cameras, and cell phones. 65-80% of the world’s tantalum is used in electronic products. Armed groups earn an estimated $8 million per year from trading in tantalum. •Tungsten – used to make your cell phone or Blackberry vibrate. Tungsten is a growing source of income for armed groups in Congo, with armed groups currently earning approximately $2 million annually. FACTS ABOUT CONGO 400,000 Congolese have fled their homes due to violence in 2008. 500,000 Number of Congolese that die each year as a consequence of war. 1,100 Number of rape cases reported every month. 46 The average life expectancy for a woman living in the DR of the Congo. 22 Number of armed groups involved in the 2008 ceasefire agreement. 1 Number of times women are mentioned in the ceasefire agreement. 0 Number of times sexual violence and rape is mentioned in the ceasefire agreement. $144 million Yearly profits by armed groups from trade in Congo minerals.
Suad and Halima-Darfuri heroes
Goz Beida Almost 2 years ago, two young sisters, Suad and Halima were in the fields near the refugee camp gathering firewood when the Janjaweed attacked attacked the two. Halima was just 9 at the time. In order to spare her little sister, Suad ordered her to run while she led the attackers in the opposite direction. Suad was gang raped. Nicholas Kristof and I separately found Suad two years ago in a refugee camp in Goz Beida. She was still suffering from injuries to her body and trauma. But Halima was safe. For the time being.
Nick found Suad again on his recent trip to the Darfur/Chad borderland. But Halima was not there. Now eleven years old, Halima had left the relative safety of the camp to try to find their parents, back in Darfur. Suad does not know what became of her or even whether she is still alive. To see the video included on Nicks site click below.
Nick writes; "My Sunday column is about one of my Darfuri heroes, Suad Ahmed, and her extraordinary (and possibly dead) sister, Halima. I admire them so much because for year after year in covering Darfur, I've met with presidents and prime ministers and foreign ministers and ambassadors, and mostly I've heard excuses. And then you find real moral leadership coming from two unknown sisters in a refugee camp.
The story also moves me because I have an 11-year-old daughter, the same age as Halima when she struck out alone across the desert to try to rescue her parents. And the thought of such a little girl undertaking such a dangerous mission sends chills down my spine. You can also see a video that Shayla Harris, the Times videographer with me, took of Suad here.
I truly believe that with the ICC arrest warrant of President Bashir coming down soon, we have a chance to end the slaughter in Darfur. But that will take real resolve - rather than just excuses- from officials and world leaders, and I hope that the example of Suad and Halima can build a little spine in those world leaders who will have to respond to the arrest warrant.'
February 20, 2009
The Darfur Archives
“In the old days, when the moon was full, you would tie your camel under a thick tree. Lions cannot see very well and they will not find the camel in the shadow.” Elderlyartistof the Berti tribe I was told that grandmothers gathered children at dusk and told them stories. There were two kinds: about animals-especially lions and elephants, and monsters . An off topic moment; Now that it has been made public by others, I can say that I met George Clooney In Chad. What a lovely guy! We sat, with Nick Kristof and Ann Curry under the African sky. I was at the end of my four week journey and they had just arrived, planning to be there for the week.
Masalit girl
February 20, 2009
Suleiman Jamous
It was a treat for me to see Suleiman Jamous, the respected humanitarian coordinator for the rebel group SLA/Unity. When he was unjustly detained by Sudanese authorities for 14 months, humanitarian access in Darfur was hampered and thousands of lives were imperiled. It was for that reason that I offered to exchange my freedom for his. Eventually he was released.
I left Chad less than 24 hrs ago. I'm not home yet.
The past four weeks have been intense, extraordinarily productive, magical and unforgettable. Things came to me as if by magic. People are crazy about this project and went out of their way to offer help and support. I have about 45 hrs of unedited tape- a trove of traditional treasures from 7 different Darfur tribes.
I also began photographing and collecting artifacts. A secure place to store them ( along with my camera equipment) was offered to us in NdJamena. The refugees were eager to offer many items including farm tools, containers of all kinds, spears, an old cotton ''machine", drums, camel and donkey saddles and more. Now that they can have a temporary home, I will be able to collect more and (somehow) bring them to NdJamena.
Already I am missing Chad and the remarkable people I spend time with there. What a privilege it has been!
I am filled with gratitude to the Darfuri refugees who, with full hearts, laughter and tears, brought forth their most treasured memories, childhood stories, songs and celebrations.
I am grateful to the aid workers-you are without question the finest people I have ever met or ever will meet. You embraced this project with untempered enthusiasm and provided essential support. You are far from your families and life in Chad is challenging, but I never heard anyone complain. Ettie, my friend for life, you are awesome. Laurette, Maurzio, Cornelia -omg- thank you for your inspiration, your committment to improving peoples lives, your kindness and generosity. Irina, Serge-dear friend and all at UNHCR we could not have done this project without you! Thank you Annette. Thank you UNHCR in Koukou- you made me feel at home at your compound where I could, most days, get on line, Lanik thank you! and Benedetta grazi for your good heart (and for letting my laundry get washed with yours), Hias, you were our home, office and more! Thank you Gaele for your friendship and EVERYTHING. Thank you everyone at Intersos -for letting me use your shower, do my emailing and for walking to the hill with me that beautiful evening. Nellie and Duccio thank you! David- you already know how grateful I am. Joan and Pam, so much gratitude.
This poem, by an anonymous Somali refugee, was just send to me. But it should really be for all of you. I shudder to think what this world would be without you.
"Tribute to a Humanitarian"
If you see a world torn by famine and war and feel in some way responsible, you know the meaning of love.
If you see people with little or no hope and believe their survival is somehow linked to your own, you know the meaning of brotherhood.
If you feel those of us who have been blessed with abundance should share with those less fortunate, you know the meaning of charity.
If you can travel to the end of the world to bring hope to those who would otherwise never know it, you know the meaning of courage.
And if you can see a smile in the faces of those who should have no reason to smile, you know that there is still time."
February 14, 2009
Traditional instrument
Necklaces made of lemons
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February 13, 2009
Fur men demonstrate traditional circumcision ceremony
Children watch traditional celebrations
Tradition dance of the Fur tribe
It was beautiful. At least 4 thousand of Fur people gathered to show us all the things that were important to them. AMAZING things.
When I first arrived, the leaders of the tribes told me they didn’t want to dance and sing and tell old stories- because ’we are suffering” . Yes-they are in mourning. They have lost many, many loved ones. They have witnessed terrible things. They have lost their homes and villages and everything they had. They have been stuck in this camp for nearly 6 years—and the camp has been attacked. I know this. But the people here know me. I have visited this camp many times—they know I care, they know that I have been fighting for them—for their protection, for justice. For their safe return home. They know I come here in solidarity, and in respect. So, as we talked, and I said if we do not preserve the old traditions, the songs and stories and the ways of their grandparents, they will be lost forever. Omer Al-Bashir and co will have destroyed everything. But we cannot allow this. Let us do this together, for their children, and their children’s children. For the children of Darfur who do not know their homeland and their heritage. We will operate the camera, but this is for them. The museum will be theirs. Whatever they feel is important, they can bring it to us and we will preserve it.
And they came-tribe by tribe they came. Each day they arrived at the place we selected at the edge of the camp. They came in the thousands. Every day day they brought forth their treasures. Time and time again we were thanked for “reminding us to remember”. The little children were wide eyed. People laughed and wept. Honestly I have never known anything like it. The trust. And I will not let them down. Ever.
Fur people demonstrate traditional dances
FW: Women wear hijabs too
back of the same man
I totally get the hijabs. I have a cluster on my back pack, two around my neck and at home they are hanging on my bed posts. They are beautiful. Powerful. Gotta love them. Note the goat skin tied to his back— it’s for carrying water
Palm is the symbol of the Fur tribe
Fur man
Fur Warriors
People were ecstatic when new of the ICC’indictment’ filtered through the camp.
I hear
The ICC indictment will come down on Feb 17th. (My guess is that the NYT had a reliable source and they jumped the gun.)
Disappointing is hardly the word
Yesterday I reached Goz Amir as news of the long awaited ICC 'indictment' spread through the camp. You could hear singing and the sound of drums. To say the refugees were happy is an understatement. They laughed, they cheered, they wept, they danced and sang. Huge gatherings celebrated throughout the camp. I wanted to spend the night in the camp and party through the night, and the Oumda Af-Fatih said I could stay at his home. I asked but security regulations do not permit that.
I was still elated when I returned to Koukou and got on line. I saw the ICC statement, denying they had reached a decision.
I'm glad I wasn't in the camp.
February 12, 2009
ICC contradicts earlier press reports
No decision concerning possible arrest warrant against President Al Bashir of Sudan
Following press articles published today, the International Criminal Court (ICC) wishes to inform the media that no arrest warrant has been issued by the ICC against President Omar Al Bashir of Sudan. No decision has yet been taken by the judges of Pre-Trial Chamber I concerning the Prosecutor's application of 14 July 2008 for the issuance of such a warrant.
I'm leaving now for Goz Amir refugee camp
The ICC indictment of Sudanese President Omer Al-Bashir has been in the front of their minds since Moreno-Ocampo first submitted his request to the ICC. It is the main topic—what they have been waiting, hoping, praying for. Can you imagine the rejoicing today!!! I cannot WAIT to get there. Leaving now!
BIG NEWS- ICC issues arrest warrant for Sudanese Pres Omer Al-Bashir !!
Children here have no toys, but they play with bottles, stones and sometimes they get lucky and find a sardine can (undoubtedly found in the garbage of an aid worker)
February 11, 2009
The market-Koukou
Masalit woman
camels
Today I had lunch with the Zaghawa Oumdam with other Zaghawa leaders at one of their homes in the camp. They had killed a lamb for the occasion. The mans home is lovely, his children were playing in a garden, there are trees and plants. He picked a mango and gave it to me when we left. In the middle of lunch an armed man in uniform entered. The mans wife carried his weapon to one of the toukous-huts, but he kept the cartridge.
They told us the history of the Zaghawa people. We also learned that the true name for the Zaghawa people is’Beri.’ “In North Darfur the Beri-or Zaghawa depended on camels, sheep and cows. North Darfur is desert, water is ‘valuable and difficult to find,” Mastura Ahmed told me today. “When we went to the wells, we would stay there for 2 or 3 days. The wells are very very deep. And its is difficult to get the water out. While the animals are watering there is no food, just milk (from the camels) making flour is impossible because it requires stones to grind with. We ate the seeds of the grass-people would hit the grass with sticks to gather the seeds. Then , when we are finished, we bring water back in ‘jirabs’-goat skins.
Muhamid Sharif Rafadine Ahmed From Tine “In North Darfur there are more than 200 sub-tribes of Zaghawa. 120 in Kornoy alone. Zaghawa are the original camel breeders-not the Arabs. A female camel should have 8 breasts but this is very rare, so we think the Arabs stole our camels breasts.
When a camel sees a Zaghawa they are thinking, “He is here!”.
The camel is the ship of the desert. They can go long periods without drinking water. People can kill a camel and drink water from his belly. Zaghawa can kill a camel for his guests to eat, or for a bridegroom, or for a poor man. When you give a camel to a person, this is generous.’
Yet another person told me the camel carries his power in his hump. Also-if you eat camel meat it will cure you of any illness. Unlike goat which will make you sick. ===================================================================== *My connections in Abece have just told me that things are hotting up--in the last 2 hours, as many as 20 helicopters have landed at the Abece airport.
February 10, 2009
Beautiful Masalit woman
We went in search of the Oumda Zaghawa and this Masilit woman received us graciously. I think we were at his home. You have seen how most of the refugees look and live. They have nothing and many of the children are in rags. Yet this woman was wearing pure white cloth and her ear rings were real gold and her skin is flawless.. She brought us to another place where she supposed the Oumda might be (he was not) where with full confidence she ordered the men about. Interesting.
Masalit dance
Wadi Beda-the singer who can make people leap-or weep.
Airbourne Masalit dancers
The jumping is incredible. I may have posted too many pictures but people just enter the circle and leap into the air . Ive never seen anything like it. I LOVE it!!!
Airborne dancers
A rebel moon over Koukou
FW: Female circumcision
It is not legal here so no one admits to doing it. Other say it is performed on 100% of girls between 7-14.
The women I spoke with demonstrated how it is/was done, using a doll, the old tools-a knife, herbs a stone and some water. They sang songs, lyrics to one went, ”The blade is very painful. Don’t make noise.”
FW: Masalit woman-dancing
Elderly Masalit warriors
The Darfur Archive
People in the camp say the Arab tribes from Niger and Mali as well as Chad have been invited into Darfur so that Khartoum can beef up their numbers & win the North-South vote -
The market---
Meat hanging.
February 9, 2009
Darfur Archives-Feb 9th
I’m about to leave for the camp. Today will be a Masalit day. I cant wait to see what they have prepared. Yesterday, being Sunday we stayed in Koukou. I did emails, read a book, went to the market where I sat under a tree and drank tea (they use LOTS of sugar here) and then I just wandered around. There were many camels and hundreds of donkeys. Goats were being sold and slaughtered. Yet another place was cooking hunks of meat for people to buy. The place was buzzing. You can buy vegetables and all sorts of things in tiny quantities-compared to the US. I also saw trucks full of Chadian Army troops. I hear there are 7 right now in Koukou. I also hear they are recruiting in the IDP camps, Habile, 1,2,3 and 4- in an effort to build up their ranks for the anticipated Chadian rebel attack on the capital, NdJamena. The rebels are now on the other side of the border, not far from here. They would pass through here, hopefully not stopping for long. We shall see.
PHOTO USAGE:
All people are welcome to use any of my photographs from this site. I hope you will take them to your temples, churches and mosques; take them into your schools and your communities. Show them to your families and your friends. Use them to help people understand what is happening to the people of Darfur and eastern Chad.
