DARFUR, SUDAN - IN DESPERATE TIMES - WILL WE DESERT AGAIN?

WE DESERTED RWANDANS IN 1994

AND SINCE 2003 THE DARFURI PEOPLE HAVE TO FEEL ABANDONED

WHEN IT IS ALL OVER SOME DAY - WE WILL SAY "NEVER AGAIN"

AGAIN

Text of email March 13, Friday, 2009 from Sudanese living in U.S.A.:

1 Water situation in the Kass internally displace persons (IDP) camp (West Darfur) is critical. Armed men in uniform in vehicles (probably government affiliated) came and took all diesel fuel that runs the engines for the water pumps.

2 More evidences emerge pointing towards involvement of pro-government militia (the Janjaweed) in the kidnapping of the Doctors-Without-Borders individuals. The government of Sudan (GoS) is negotiating with the kidnappers who demanded the equivalent of 3/4 million dollars in ransom money to release the hostages.

3 Hamidiyah IDP camp refugees were able to capture a militia individual who entered the camp, he was handed over to the UNAM http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unamid/ unit. The capture individual confessed that he is originally from the country of Niger and was recruited among others by Musa Hilal.

4 The Security agents of GoS seized the buildings of the expelled non-governmental organizations (NGOs). They took the keys and are conducting interrogations of the owners. Some Darfuris in Diaspora got news from relatives that some of the questions asked by the security interrogators regarded detailed information about the Darfuris in Diaspora (especially those who live in U.S.A., UK, France, Netherlands, Germany, Scandinavian countries).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The following text is from a non-profit organization Stop Genocide Now that goes to the Darfuri refugee camps and sends us daily videos from there.


i-ACT Interactive-ACTivism connects the surviving victims of this genocide with those who want to help, creating an interconnected community. i-ACT uses the power of the internet to put a face to the mind numbing numbers of dead, dying, and displaced. i-ACT visitors to our website see the human face of this ongoing crisis through daily field reports; get visuals of conditions in the refugee camps; make comments, ask questions, and post suggestions on our website’s interactive blog feature.

i-ACT Returning to Darfur Refugee Camps

Posted by Katie-Jay on March 10th, 2009

March 23rd through April 1, 2009

For 10 consecutive days, i-ACT will connect you with the faces and lives of Darfur refugees who escaped, for now, genocide in their homeland.

Watch videos and view photos from Darfur refugee camps; read journal entries and add your comments; take action daily that will change the way the world responds to genocide. We cannot expect our leaders to STAND UP if we are sitting down.

The violence and insecurity in and around Darfur has escalated since the ICC announced an arrest warrant for Sudan’s President al-Bashir. Thirteen international and three Sudanese aid groups providing life saving services have been expelled from Darfur, leaving 4.7 million without help. Peacekeepers were ambushed and injured yesterday in the region. The Government of Sudan is seizing food, vehicles, files (names and locations) and more from aid organizations. Many believer that Darfuris will begin to cross the border with Chad, seeking help.

i-ACT will take you to the people to hear what they say about Justice and peace. For you to see and understand the situation on the ground. Each day there will be a daily action item and, of course, we will be doing the i-ACTivist Challenge once again! The swiftness of our actions needs to match the urgency on the ground."

... Link to Stop Genocide Now site to yours - ADD this button

For 10 consecutive days, i-ACT (interactive-activism) connects you with the faces and lives of Darfur refugees who escaped, for now, genocide in their homeland. Watch videos from the field team; read journal entries and add your comments; take action daily that will change the way the world responds to genocide. The violence and insecurity in and around Darfur has escalated since the ICC announced an arrest warrant for Sudan’s President al-Bashir. Thirteen aid groups providing life saving services have been expelled from Darfur, leaving 4.7 million without help.

...consider donating towards new technology to make this i-ACT happen. Stop Genocide Nowhates asking for money, but once again they are heading to the region on a tight budget. They have used the same digital cameras since their first i-ACT trip in 2005, and their video cameras from 2008 are at their end. Every bit would help them. Thank you.

And the following is an email received today from another person, who will go to the Darfur refugee camps from Stop Genocide Now:

Dear friends and family:

It was in December of 2004, when I first sent out one of these e-mails talking about Darfur. It went out to my family and a couple of friends, a total of recipients that stayed in the single digits. Pretty much all it said was, "Have you heard about what is happening in a place called Darfur!?"

Most recently, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Sudan President al Bashir. As expected, his response was to unleash once again an intense hell for innocent civilians in a place that has been hellish for over six years. The people of Darfur still speak of Justice.

The statistics are, horrific. More than one million are in imminent danger, with very limited supplies. Millions more are next in line to face starvation, lack of water and medical services. Diarrhea and meningitis threaten to become major killers in this nightmare that is picking up speed.

These numbers, which are probably conservative, again made me feel small and made me feel guilty. As a part of a historical movement to stop genocide, I feel that we have failed to act to avert the disaster we saw coming from miles away. The movement continued with business as usual and was not willing to demonstrate the outrage required to push our leaders towards action.

I am right now sitting next to a tent outside of the Federal building in Los Angeles. It is 2:08am. We are staying here and more will come tomorrow and throughout the weekend and in to this coming week. It has to be the start of a new level of activism for us in LA but also for others across the country. We must stand for justice in Darfur, and we must stand for protection of innocent civilians. As we heard over and over again at the camps on our last visit, peace and justice must come together; they are both part of the same.

In a little more than a week, we'll also be sitting next to tents, but in a refugee camp close to the Chad/Darfur border. You'll get to hear from the people of Darfur yourselves. Don't wait to act, though. Come out and join us. Let's get together and be loud in our outrage!

This e-mail now goes out to more than single digit recipients, but we are still a small community. Let's be as loud as if we were millions, so that millions can stay alive.

I am now asking you to make a commitment to do something for Darfur.

Go to their website and see what they are doing that your journalists and media are failing at doing: http://www.stopgenocidenow.org/actions

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What You Can Do to Help

CALL 1-800-GENOCIDE
(1-800-436-6243)

TO SPEAK TO YOUR CONGRESSPERSON

The Government of Sudan has expelled 13 humanitarian aid organizations from Darfur, North and East Sudan. Millions of lives are at immediate risk; these organizations represent approximately 60% of the aid operational capacity.

Tell your Representative in the House to sign on to Representative Capuano's letter to the Arab League, African Union and China (Sudan's allies) asking them to persuade Sudan to allow these NGOs to return.. And, ask your Congressperson to call any contacts in these countries, making the same appeal.

It's Easy and Free:
Please call 1-800-436-6243 between 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. EDT TODAY or MONDAY. After the message heard about Secretary of State Clinton, select Option #1 and key in your zip code. You will be connected to your Representative's office.

Thank you, and PLEASE ask others to help.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Call your Senators and Representative

Find your elected politicians contact information at this link:

www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Write President Obama

http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

You can also call or write to the President:

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Comments to President Obama:

202 - 456-1111

or

1-800-GENOCIDE

The White House comment line is available

9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. weekdays

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To call the USA Secretary of State

202-647-6575

The USA State Department public comment line

works 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.

Genocide Ends

When Enough of Us

Stand Up Against It

JOIN US
1-800-GENOCIDE
www.savedarfur.org
www.genocideintervention.net
www.standnow.org