SITTING PRESIDENT OF SUDAN ISSUED A WARRANT FOR ARREST

Court Issues Warrant for Arrest of Sudan President

Source:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/05/world/africa/05court.html?_r=1&hp

By MARLISE SIMONS

Published: March 4, 2009

PARIS — The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant Wednesday for President Omar Hassan al-Bashir of Sudan for war crimes and crimes against humanity, ignoring diplomatic requests to delay the warrant to allow time for more peace negotiations in the conflict-riddled Darfur region of his country.

It is the first time the court, which opened in 2002, has sought the arrest of a sitting head of state, though other international war crimes courts have issued warrants for Slobodan Milosevic of Serbia and Charles Taylor of Liberia while they were sitting presidents.

The registrar for the court, Silvana Arbia, said that Mr. Bashir was accused of being personally responsible for “directing attacks against the civilian population” of Darfur and “murdering, raping, and forcibly displacing millions of civilians.”

The crimes took place, Ms. Arbia said, during a five-year campaign against rebel organizations in Darfur which opposed the government in Khartoum that began in 2003. The campaign, the court said was the result of a plan agreed at the highest level of the government in Khartoum that lasted until July 14, 2008, which is the date of the arrest warrant.

The warrant charges Mr. Bashir with five counts of crimes against humanity — murder, extermination, forcible transfer, torture, and rape, and two counts of war crimes — intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population, and pillaging. The warrant does not accuse Mr. Bashir of genocide, but Ms. Arbia said the court consider that charge if additional information from the prosecutors becomes available.

The arrest warrant is likely to complicate the international debate over how to solve the crisis in Darfur. It came despite concerns voiced by United Nations diplomats, the African Union, the Arab League, and some humanitarian organizations that it could provoke renewed violence in the country and put at risk the peace process in southern Sudan.

The government in Khartoum has vowed to defy the arrest warrant, making it unlikely that Mr. Bashir will be brought to the court any time soon. But analysts said the warrant will weaken Mr. Bashir’s position internationally, making it possible that he could fall from power more rapidly than he would otherwise.

In announcing the indictment, the court’s chief prosecutor, Luis Moreno Ocampo, said more than 30 witnesses will testify that Mr. Bashir controlled a genocidal campaign aimed at wiping out three ethnic African tribes in Darfur, the Western region of the vast nation south of Egypt.

The question now is who will execute the warrant. Sudan is legally obliged to arrest him, but such a move is not expected any time soon. The Hague court has no police force or military of its own, and the 24,000 or so United Nations peacekeepers stationed in Sudan have no mandate to detain war crimes suspects.

If Mr. Bashir travels to any of the 108 nations that are members of the court, he risks arrest, because court members will be obliged to detain him. The 80 or so countries that are not court members, including China, Russia and the United States, have no such obligation. But lawyers say those nations can arrest Mr. Bashir because several treaties state that heads of state enjoy no immunity if they are charged with genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes.

Even if Mr. Bashir remains free, analysts who favored his arrest say the warrant is likely to have a worldwide effect.

“This means he will be a fugitive, a man on a wanted poster held to be most responsible for the atrocities of Darfur,” said Richard Dicker, a director of Human Rights Watch.

Other analysts and activists argued that the warrant could undermine his political position at home. Nick Grono, deputy president of the International Crisis Group, wrote recently that “although Mr. Bashir and his security apparatus are still entrenched in power, the indictment is likely to weaken their hold. It may even cause the army and intelligence agencies, the ultimate wielders of power, to contemplate a future without Bashir.”

Many observers fear, however, that weakening Mr. Bashir could result in more violence in the region, at least in the near term.

“I am sure there will be some crowd movements, there will be some violence here and there,” said Alain Le Roy, the United Nations undersecretary general for peacekeeping operations.

Some figures in the government have threatened bloodshed in response to an indictment. Salah Gosh, the head of Sudanese intelligence, was quoted in Sudanese press reports as calling for the “amputation of the hands and the slitting of the throats of any person who dares badmouth al-Bashir or support the International Criminal Court’s allegations against him.”

Another worry, Mr. Le Roy said, was that any of the groups involved in the conflict, including the governments of Sudan and Chad as well as the rebels, might take advantage of any uproar surrounding the court’s decision to foment violence. And the delays in deploying United Nations peacekeeping troops to Darfur, with only about 64 percent of the force there, will likely worsen because of possible new tension in the region.

Mr. Le Roy also said, however, Sudan had reassured the United Nations officials that the government would respect its commitment to protect United Nations peacekeeping missions and other agencies. There were no immediate plans to scale back patrols or otherwise retreat from the prescribed mission he said.

All credit of this article:

Neil MacFarquhar and Sharon Otterman contributed reporting from New York.

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For more information:

http://www.enoughproject.org/

ICC DECISION ON OMAR AL-BASHIR IS OUT

PRESS CALL

9:00 A.M. EST March 4, 2009

ICC Decision on Omar al-Bashir of Sudan

Contact:
Eileen White Read, 202.741.6376
eread@enoughproject.org

WASHINGTON, D.C. – At 9:00am EST, Wednesday, March 4, 2009, please join the Enough Project for a global press conference to discuss the International Criminal Court’s decision in the case of Omar al-Bashir, President of Sudan. The ICC prosecutor has applied for an arrest warrant for Mr. Bashir on charges of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. The Court has announced its intention to rule from The Hague, Netherlands, on March 4.

Please email Eileen White Read at eread@enoughproject.org if you plan to attend the call.

WHAT: Press call in the International Criminal Court case against Omar al-Bashir of Sudan

WHEN: Wednesday, March 4th at 9am EST/3pm in The Hague

WHERE: By telephone, 888-674-0222 from the U.S.; 201-604-0498 outside the U.S.

ID: Enough Project

WHO:
John Prendergast, co-founder of the Enough Project, an Africa policy expert, activist, and author who has participated in numerous peace processes in Africa, including his service at the National Security Council and the Department of State

John Norris, Executive Director of the Enough Project, a former official of the U.S. State Department, international policy and humanitarian organizations, and the United Nations, and the author of two books

David M. Crane, Professor at Syracuse University College of Law, former founding Chief Prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, an international war crimes tribunal that indicted the former president of Liberia, Charles Taylor

The following information is from:
http://www.enoughproject.org/

ICC Issues Arrest Warrant for Sudan’s President al-Bashir

Source: http://www.enoughproject.org/blogs/icc-issues-arrest-warrant-sudan%E2%80%99s-president-al-bashir

Posted by Eileen White Read on Mar 04, 2009

The International Criminal Court in The Hague has issued an arrest warrant for President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan, a 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 warrant specifically did not include the charges of genocide requested by the Chief Prosecutor last July.

The Court noted: "He is suspected of being criminally responsible as an indirect [co]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."

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,” said John Prendergast, co-founder of the Enough Project. “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.”

John Norris, The Enough Project’s Executive Director, added, “This message should be heard loudly and clearly around the globe: If you kill, maim, and rape your own citizens, there will be a cost for your actions. I hope other tyrants and warlords around the globe are taking note. Slobodan Milosevic, Charles Taylor, and now, President Bashir were only willing to learn the hard way. There are now millions of activists around the United States that expect the Obama Administration to make both peace and justice a priority in 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 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.

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Stay Tuned

Source: http://www.enoughproject.org/blogs/stay-tuned

Posted by Maggie Fick on Mar 04, 2009

The newswires are buzzing, rumors are flying, and capitals will soon be rushing out statements on the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant issuance this morning. Humanitarian organizations in Darfur and embassies in Khartoum have been bracing for the ICC’s decision for some time now. The sky is not going to fall today in Sudan, but as Enough’s John Prendergast and Omer Ismail note in a recent opinion-editorial, the sands will be shifting in Sudan as the international community adapts to the reality of having an indicted war criminal as president.

Here at the Enough Project (and right here on our blog), we will keep you informed and offer analysis of the latest developments, with an emphasis on what precisely the U.S. government should do to lead international efforts to end the crisis in Darfur and promote a peaceful future in Sudan. We hope you’ll stay tuned with us.

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WATCH the new Enough Slideshow: Building a Permanent Deterrent to Impunity: A Brief History of International Justice

INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT

READ our ("our" means http://www.enoughproject.org/) special page highlighting the recent developments at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

ON THE EVE OF PRINCIPLES OF JUSTICE BEING USED - WHICH WAY WILL WE TIP THE SCALES?

Justice and peace in Sudan

Source: www3.signonsandiego.com

By John Prendergast and Omer Ismail

2:00 a.m. March 3, 2009

For the first time in a quarter-century, Sudan has a chance for peace throughout the entire country. On the face of it, this assertion seems counterintuitive – even preposterous. Darfur is burning, and the historic 2005 agreement that brought peace between northern and southern Sudan is at risk of collapse. Sudan scholars throughout the world busy their days penning academic dirges, and diplomats despair. We've seen that many of California's anti-genocide activists are losing hope as well.

We beg to differ. The expected International Criminal Court arrest warrant tomorrow for President Omer al-Bashir and shifting international sands provide an unprecedented opening, making Sudan's prospects for peace riper than they have been in memory.

According to the arm-chair academics and Chicken Littles, the move by the ICC – its first charges against a sitting president in that institution's young history – will make peace impossible. Beyond the basic ridiculousness of the argument that we should not act against war criminals for fear of upsetting them, this line of reasoning is painfully detached from the reality on the ground.

During our eight trips to Darfur since the genocide began in 2003, we have found that displaced and war-affected Darfuris don't see a tension between justice and peace, and rightly note that one will be very hard without the other. The refugees and displaced put the problem in the clearest of terms: How can you have peace when the president of Sudan has tried to exterminate us, stealing our land, killing our men and raping our women? How can you have peace without justice?

The new Obama administration has sobered the Bashir regime, but made it no less dangerous. The leaders in Sudan's capital now understand that their abuses will not simply be swept under the rug if they offer token counterterrorism cooperation.

Bashir's troubles are mounting. His staunchest supporters are backing away, slowly. China is deeply concerned that its oil investments will be put at risk by Bashir's continued warmongering. Arab states have similar concerns about their huge investments in Sudan's oil-fueled economic boom. Egypt in particular sees Bashir as a liability. His regime supported the assassination attempt against President Hosni Mubarak in 1995, backed Saddam Hussein in the two Gulf wars, and now is fully behind Hamas in Gaza.

Tensions are boiling within Bashir's government in response to these challenges, and particularly the ICC. Some key regime insiders want to find an exit strategy for Bashir, whether that involves a comfortable retirement, standing him down in advance of upcoming elections, or removal. This group would then shift toward a greater accommodation with the international community, opening the door for better peace prospects. Others, however, are much more hard-line, wanting to impose martial law, withdraw from the north-south peace deal, and push U.N. peacekeeping forces out of Darfur and the south.

It is not an exaggeration to say that millions of Sudanese lives may depend on which group emerges victorious. 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.

Even more important will be Obama's ability to lay out a clear diplomatic strategy for achieving peace in Sudan, and sell that road map to other influential international actors. Remember the mantra of Darfur's displaced: no peace without justice. The administration ideally should pursue a two-track approach that seeks intensified peace efforts for Darfur and the south on the one hand, and the sidelining of the indicted war criminal Bashir on the other. On the peace track, the United States should be out front publicly, working closely with U.N., Arab League and African Union diplomats to establish a more credible and accelerated negotiations process. But on the latter track dealing with accountability for Bashir's crimes, President Obama's quiet diplomacy with China and key Arab states will be instrumental.

If Bashir and his cronies publicly laugh at this arrest warrant, it will be nervous laughter at best. The list of war criminals such as Charles Taylor, Slobodan Milosevic, Radovan Karadzic, Théoneste Bagosora and others who have been held to account for their atrocities is growing pleasingly longer by the day.

Prendergast is cofounder of Enough, the project to end genocide and crimes against humanity at the Center for American Progress. He also was a visiting professor at the University of San Diego. Ismail, an adviser to Enough, founded the Darfur Peace and Development organization.

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Tutu Fights for Justice

Posted by Rebecca Brocato on Mar 3, 2009

Source: www.enoughproject.org

On the eve of the increasingly probable issuance of an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, two opinion pieces discussing the issue appear in the New York Times. South African clergyman and Nobel Peace Prize winner Desmond Tutu has an incredible opinion piece in support of ICC action that rebuts arguments, such as the one put forth in an editorial by Franklin Graham, that “The removal of Mr. Bashir will make it harder to negotiate an end to the crisis in Sudan.”

Graham, the president of the evangelical relief organization Samaritan’s Purse, seems to insinuate that because Bashir addressed a handful of peripheral concerns voiced by influential Americans, he is a rational actor, and that he is a necessary component of any lasting peace despite the atrocities he has perpetrated. In combating that point of view, Tutu writes,

“There can be no real peace and security until justice is enjoyed by the inhabitants of the land. There is no peace precisely because there had been no justice. As painful and inconvenient as justice may be, we have seen that the alternative – allowing accountability to fall by the wayside – is worse.”

Enough has been a vociferous advocate of Tutu’s position that the peace vs. justice debate constitutes a false choice, and that justice is a necessary component of any peace effort in Sudan.

Tutu is one of the best known and regarded human rights activists in the world. His experience with truth and reconciliation as well as his gravitas makes his calls for justice in Sudan all the more powerful.

John Norris contributed to this post.

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The International Criminal Court will announce this Wednesday, March 4th at 8:00am EST (2:00 PM in The Hague) whether it will issue an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

Take Action! - Call the White House tomorrow morning

Call the White House today at 202-456-1111 and ask President Obama to condemn the violence in Darfur and warn the Sudanese government not to escalate its criminal campaign. Tell President Obama we must bring an end to the genocide under his watch and that you expect his administration to support the ICC's quest for justice for the Darfuri people.

Visit www.savedarfur.org/justice for a sample script and other action items.

WAITING FOR THIS MOMENT - LIVE FROM THE HAGUE

March 4, 2009 - WILL THIS BE A DAY OF COURAGE AND PRINCIPLES?

UNITED NATIONS WEBCAST

International Criminal Court
Select language English or French

News and Highlights

March 03, 2009

Updated information on the press conference of March 4, 2009 on the decision of Pre-Trial Chamber I concerning President Al Bashir of Sudan

After the press conference, which will be hosted by the Registrar of the Court, Ms Silvana Arbia, and the ICC Spokesperson, Ms Laurence Blairon, the Prosecutor, Mr. Luis Moreno-Ocampo, will also make a short statement in English and take some questions.

Pre-trial Chamber I's decision concerning President al-Bashir of Sudan to be announced during

The following text came today in an email from Save Darfur:

The International Criminal Court will announce this Wednesday, March 4th at 8:00am EST (2:00 PM in The Hague) whether it will issue an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir.

Take Action! - Call the White House tomorrow morning

Call the White House today at 202-456-1111 and ask President Obama to condemn the violence in Darfur and warn the Sudanese government not to escalate its criminal campaign. Tell President Obama we must bring an end to the genocide under his watch and that you expect his administration to support the ICC's quest for justice for the Darfuri people.

Visit www.savedarfur.org/justice for a sample script and other action items.

Rallies organized by the Darfuri community - Washington, DC and New York

We encourage you to attend upcoming rallies organized by Darfuri and Sudanese diaspora communities in New York and Washington, DC.

• Wednesday March 4th 1:00 PM: Darfuri community leaders in New York will rally in response to the ICC's decision on the Bashir arrest warrant. Join them at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza outside the United Nations (East 47th Street @ 1st & 2nd Ave).
• Thursday March 5th 1:00 PM: Join Sudanese and Darfuri diaspora leaders as they rally in front of the Sudanese Embassy in Washington, DC (2210 Massachusetts Ave).

Press conferences - live from The Hague and the United Nations on March 4th

The Pre-Trial Chamber I's decision concerning President Al Bashir of Sudan will be announced during a press conference at the Court this Wednesday, 4 March 2009. The press conference, broadcast live on the Court's website at www.icc-cpi.int, is expected to start at 8 AM Eastern.

In New York, the Coalition for the ICC will be organizing a briefing with journalists at 10:00 a.m. in response to the Chamber's decision at the United Nations Secretariat. We invite you to watch the CICC's briefing live (or access the archived video) at www.un.org/webcast.

Webcast - hear from Save Darfur and Enough

Tune in for a webcast on the implications of the ICC decision by the Save Darfur Coalition and the Enough Project. The webcast is scheduled for the afternoon of March 9, 2009 and will feature a discussion of what the ICC's decision on the Bashir warrant means. More details coming soon via e-mail, and posted at www.savedarfur.org/justice.

We look forward to working with you to ensure peace and justice during this important moment for Sudan.

WHO HAS THE RIGHT TO CRY INJUSTICE?

IN THE EYES OF MANY THE USA HAS LOST ANY CREDIBILITY

I read it. I hear it. I understand it to a point. ...that I have no right to speak up against the genocide or what is happening in Sudan because of the things that my government has done that is wrong. Or criminal.

But in the end, I don't buy it. I know the USA has done criminal things under the Bush administration, specifically and most recently. And I firmly believe that justice should be sought in those cases.

But being silent in the case of genocide of the Darfuri people, just because I am a citizen of the United States of America, isn't something I am willing to be.

I received a message the other day from someone who has not been to my blog, but left a message at MyBlogLog page. He told me to let Sudan solve its own problems about Darfur. The Darfur crisis alone is entering its seventh year. That is not taking into account what happened previously in southern Sudan. The holocaust lasted 12 years. How long should we wait? Five more years?

Email text received February 28, 2009
from a Sudanese living in the United States presently

The Arabic London-based newspaper (Alsharq Alawsat) published today (2/28/09) a warning from Janjaweed leader Musa Hilal that he will confront decisively any one (including organizations), whether domestic or international in Darfur, who supports or has anything to do with the ICC (International Criminal Court) decision issuing the warrant of arrest against Al-Bashir.

Musa Hilal said he has mobilized more than 30 thousand of well-armed Mugahideen ready to deal with any development resulting from the ICC warrant of arrest. He said: " We will not hesitate on immediate response to any betrayal or any move to support the ICC ."

Mohamed Suleiman

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Video Link
Defectors from the Sudanese regime explain their role in the Sudanese Government's planning and execution of mass atrocities in Darfur, implicating members of the regime at the highest level.
Uploaded by AegisTrust

Uncertainty as Sudan awaits President's arrest

Source: www.latimes.com

Many hope that the International Criminal Court's genocide case against President Omar Hassan Ahmed Bashir will lead to reform. But an arrest warrant, expected Wednesday, could also ignite more violen

By Edmund Sanders
March 1, 2009

Reporting from Khartoum, Sudan -- The billboard in downtown Khartoum delivers a not-so-subtle message to passing cars: "A real Sudanese never stands against a president during his time of need," reads the text, under a picture of a smiling President Omar Hassan Ahmed Bashir.

As if anyone in the Sudanese capital needed any reminders, an arrest warrant on genocide charges is expected to be issued against Bashir on Wednesday by the International Criminal Court, in a case that threatens to send the country down a path of uncertainty and instability.

Many hope that the war-crimes case stemming from Bashir's handling of the Darfur conflict in western Sudan will prod the hard-nosed regime into making reforms and ending the six-year war.

But officials and analysts, both inside and outside the country, worry that the case could instead push the ruling party into a more antagonistic, isolationist stance, or even ignite another civil war.

"This is a whole new reality," said Fouad Hikmat, the Horn of Africa director at the International Crisis Group. "It's anybody's guess what happens now."

The arrest warrant is only the latest dark cloud emerging in what some see as a perfect storm brewing against Sudan's Islamist-led ruling party, which seized power in a 1989 coup.

National elections this year will test the party's popular support and could unravel a fragile power-sharing agreement it forged with southern rebels. A new U.S. president has filled his administration with advisors who advocate a get-tough stance toward Sudan. Falling oil prices are bringing the country's once-thriving economy to its knees.

"This is going to be a decisive year for Sudan -- one that could determine whether the country will survive or not," said Hayder Ibrahim, founder of the Center for Sudanese Studies, an independent think tank in Khartoum.

The ICC case arose from the government's counter-insurgency campaign in Darfur. Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo has accused Bashir of supervising a genocidal plot to wipe out certain tribes in the region. Private militias allegedly funded by the government killed 35,000 people and led to the deaths of at least 100,000 others from hunger and disease, according to the ICC case.

Government officials deny that genocide has taken place and accuse Western nations, chiefly the U.S., of using the ICC to topple an oil-rich Islamic republic with a history of opposing Washington policy in Africa and the Middle East.

"The ICC is targeting Sudan because Sudan is a very rich country," Sudanese presidential advisor Ali Tamim Fartak said.

How the government responds to the arrest warrant in the coming months, and how the world reacts, will be instrumental in determining Sudan's future, experts say.

So far, the official government response has ranged from dismissing the case as inconsequential to warning it will increase violence in Darfur and spur attacks against Westerners in Khartoum. Last month, Sudan's intelligence chief, Salah Abdallah Gosh, said the case might trigger a rise in Islamic extremism.

Diplomats and U.N. officials in Sudan say the government's next move is unclear, but leaders appear to be leaving all options open, from a peace deal to war.

On the one hand, Bashir, who last fall convened the first-ever national convention to address the Darfur conflict, has opened peace talks with the leading rebel group and has sent diplomatic signals to the U.S. about democratic and humanitarian reforms.

"The time of the rifle is over," Bashir recently told an audience of opposition leaders.

At the same time, according to a Western diplomat in Sudan, the government has been arming militias throughout the southern and western regions -- the same strategy widely suspected to have been used in Darfur -- just in case rebels or political rivals move against it.

Harassment against opposition leaders, journalists, human rights activists and aid workers has increased substantially over the last six months. One man was convicted in January of treason for allegedly providing information to the ICC. Prominent Islamist Hassan Turabi was jailed after calling on Bashir to turn himself over to the ICC.

But some anti-government activists expressed mixed feelings about the ICC case, which is viewed by many Sudanese as a challenge to the country's sovereignty.

"I dream about getting rid of the government, but it should come through internal movement, not from the ICC," human rights activist Azhari Alhaj said. "Having the ICC come in at this sensitive time could have a negative impact, because we are going to be seen as working for the ICC. We are the ones who are going to suffer, and no one in the international community is going to protect us."

In its lobbying campaign against the ICC, the government has been trying to inflame nationalist sentiments, portraying the case as a "re-colonization" of Sudan and Africa by foreign powers.

But U.S. officials say that beneath the veneer of national unity and public support for Bashir, Sudan's ruling party is already debating whether its president has become a liability. There are rumors that some of Bashir's political backers are angling to replace him.

John Prendergast, an anti-genocide activist and Obama administration advisor, said the ruling party had a history of doing what needed to be done to survive.

"They are going to have a serious debate about whether the interests of the ruling party are best served by having [an accused] war criminal as president," Prendergast said, predicting Bashir would be nudged aside and offered asylum outside the country.

If Sudan were to replace Bashir or agree to reforms, U.S. officials are prepared to allow the ICC case to be deferred by the U.N. Security Council.

"They are going to use the arrest warrant like a loaded gun, but not fire it," said one U.S. government official who was not authorized to speak publicly. "It's a way to say, 'Here is your last chance.' "

Others warn such a strategy is fraught with risk. Former U.S. envoy to Sudan Andrew Natsios questioned whether Sudan's ruling clique would respond to outside pressure.

"We are assuming that they will become more rational," he said. "But they become more inflexible, more confrontational and more brutal the more they are cornered."

Natsios warned that the ICC arrest warrant might trigger the collapse of the regime or a return to war, particularly if it distracts from implementation of the 2005 peace treaty that ended the civil war with southern rebels.

"We could end up with another Rwanda or Somalia or Democratic Republic of Congo in which hundreds of thousands of people could be killed," he said. "We could end up with something much worse."

Special correspondent Alsanosi Ahmed contributed to this report.

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Genocide Ends

When Enough of Us

Stand Up Against It

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

www.miafarrow.org


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 available 9 AM - 5 PM EST weekdays

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

Call your Senators and Representative Today!

Find your elected politicians contact information at this link:

www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected

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

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.

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

Sample of what to say:

* I'm calling to ask President Obama, Secretary of State Clinton and Ambassador Rice to protect innocent civilians in Darfur in the wake of Bashir's arrest warrant. Please issue immediate warnings to Bashir and the government of Sudan specifying consequences of attacks on civilians. Please also prepare an emergency response plan to address further violence and appoint a full-time senior level envoy. Lastly, please stand firm in support of the ICC indictment and veto any delay in the prosecution of Bashir.

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IF NOT,

THEN,

YOUR SILENCE

CONTRIBUTES

TO

ANOTHER

GENOCIDE.

www.savedarfur.org

www.aegistrust.org

PRESIDENT OBAMA'S WORDS "WE CAN'T SAY 'NEVER AGAIN' AND THEN ALLOW IT TO HAPPEN AGAIN...WHEN YOU SEE A GENOCIDE....THAT'S A STAIN ON ALL OF US..."

People without a country to protect them...
Darfuri people trying to take refuge

Graphic, disturbing pictures
of the attack on the Kalma Camp

I took time out of my citizen activism regarding preventing and stopping genocide, specifically of Darfuri families. During my time-out, I worked as a volunteer with the Presidential candidate's campaign at the time, Barack Obama. Now, I am asking President Obama - along with everyone else who cares about inhumane behavior toward humans - to take the critically important step to select a high official for the Sudanese people of Darfur. Immediately.

A Video with Barack Obama speaking on Darfur - while on the Presidential campaign trail

A Previous post of mine on Darfur

"The United States has a moral obligation anytime you see humanitarian catastrophes...

...And when you see a genocide whether it's in Rwanda, or Bosnia or in Darfur - that's a stain on all of us, that's a stain on our souls...

I think the level of commitment and the way that I've spoken out on this issue indicates not only knowledge but also passion in bringing an end to this crisis.

It's very encouraging to see activism based not on self interest but on a moral imperative. And it's especially heartening to see the young people engaged in expressing their idealism through this movement.

We can't say 'never again' and then allow it to happen again. And as President of the United States, I don't intend to abandon people or turn a blind eye to slaughter."

Barack Obama

Pictures of Darfur from David Johnson at Silent Images

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Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

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Link to MSNBC February 24, 2009 - George Clooney and Nicholas Kristof speak regarding Darfur
Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times is a two Pulitzer Prize winner

Wolf: High Caliber Special Envoy Should Be Appointed to Sudan

Tuesday February 24, 2009

February 24, 2009
Contact: Dan Scandling
(202) 225-5136

WOLF: HIGH CALIBER SPECIAL ENVOY SHOULD BE APPOINTED TO SUDAN
Recommends Former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist for Job

Washington, D.C. -- Rep. Frank Wolf (R-VA) today called on President Obama to appoint a "high caliber" envoy to Sudan to help bring peace and stability to the war-torn nation.

In a letter to the president, Wolf specifically recommended former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist for the job, noting that he has a passion for the people and future of Sudan.

"Even when he served in the Senate, Dr. Bill Frist continued his surgical practice, travelling to Africa yearly on medical missions, including to Sudan," Wolf wrote. "He boldly emerged as a leader in declaring what was happening in Sudan to be genocide, and co-authoring the bipartisan Sudan Peace Act."

Wolf, who is the co-chairman of the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission and one of the leading advocates in Congress for human rights around the globe, has been to Sudan five times. He and Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) in 2004 were the first members of Congress to travel to Darfur and have been openly critical of the government of Sudan for its involvement in the ongoing genocide.

"I’ve witnessed the nightmare with my own eyes," Wolf wrote to Obama. "Every day that passes, more men are killed, more women are raped, and more children die of malnutrition. This is simply unacceptable. The time to act is now."

Below is the complete text of Wolf’s letter to the president.

The Honorable Barack H. Obama
The President
The White House
Washington DC 20500

Dear Mr. President:

I commend you for your recent special envoy appointments of both Senator George Mitchell and Ambassador Richard Holbrooke. These distinguished diplomats are well-suited to focus their full attention on foreign policy priorities. I have long favored the envoy approach as an effective way to tackle seemingly intractable challenges.

There is perhaps no more daunting challenge than the quest for peace and stability in Sudan-a nation which has long been ravaged by war, genocide and bloodshed.

The Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which in 2005 brought about the end to a brutal 20-year war between the genocidal government in Khartoum and the South, was a monumental achievement and was in many respects the result of tireless diplomacy by former Senator John Danforth-then U.S. special envoy to Sudan. We can learn from this successful model.

I have written Secretary of State Clinton urging the appointment of a high-caliber special envoy to Sudan. Today I echo that call to you, with the specific request that the appointment be made in a high-profile event, which makes it clear to the world that the envoy has your ear and speaks with your authority. I ask that you appoint former Senate Majority leader Bill Frist as this special envoy.

Even when he served in the Senate, Dr. Bill Frist continued his surgical practice, travelling to Africa yearly on medical missions, including to Sudan. He boldly emerged as a leader in declaring what was happening in Sudan to be genocide, and co-authoring the bipartisan Sudan Peace Act. Senator Frist is truly passionate about the people and future of Sudan and in the tradition of former Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell he is respected across the aisle.
His efforts would undoubtedly be buoyed by the counsel of Theodore (Ted) Dagne, Roger Winter and John Prendergast - all capable, committed individuals whose expertise and extensive time spent in the region would make them invaluable advisers to any special envoy.

I have traveled to Sudan five times since 1989 and led the first congressional delegation to Darfur with Senator Sam Brownback. I've witnessed the nightmare with my own eyes. Every day that passes, more men are killed, more women are raped, and more children die of malnutrition. This is simply unacceptable. The time to act is now.

Best wishes.

Source: wolf.house.gov

Click here for the letter to President Barack Obama with Rep. Wolf's letterhead

Press Releases of U.S. Representative Wolf

- High Caliber Envoy Should Be Appointed Sudan (2/24/09)

- Statement at Press Conference on Human Rights (2/24/09)

- Dismayed By New Administrations Actions on Human Rights (2/24/09)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This afternoon the following email was received from a Sudanese citizen, who is living in the USA currently. Many of his family members were murdered by the Sudanese-government-supported genocide activity.

Dear ALL,

Cell phones and satelite phones (Soraya) are vital tools in Darfur.
The Government of Sudan has cut off services to cell phones in Darfur (in IDP
camps in particular) to have news black-out, especially with the approaching
March 4th (ICC announcement date).
Why this is extremely crucial issue?:

1- Atrocities that happen in the camps and outside are reported by the civilians
via their cell phones to the Darfuris in Diaspora, to news agencies, to Darfur
radios (Europe and U.S.A.), to UNAMID.
2- Areal bombing raids are reported to the above mentioned entities, in
addition, the natives alert other villagers in other locations downstream of the
raid so that people can take cover or flea to hiding places ( life saving tool).
3- Via cell phones and the rapid reporting there was change of behavior noticed
of UNAMID ( becoming more engaged to save lives), Government of Sudan (hard to
deny attack news), Janjaweed (became more selective in targeting villages i.e.
select remote villages where possibility of civilians having cell phones is
little).

More violence is expected with ICC decision. It would be a disaster if this
phone service black-out continues. Many lives might be lost unnecessarily.

Land phones also are mostly cut off these days in Darfur by the GoS.

Mohamed Suleiman - End of email text

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

Genocide Ends

When Enough of Us

Stand Up Against It

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

www.miafarrow.org


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 available 9 AM - 5 PM EST weekdays

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

Call your Senators and Representative Today!

Find your elected politicians contact information at this link:

www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected

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

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.

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

Sample of what to say:

* I'm calling to ask President Obama, Secretary of State Clinton and Ambassador Rice to protect innocent civilians in Darfur in the wake of Bashir's arrest warrant. Please issue immediate warnings to Bashir and the government of Sudan specifying consequences of attacks on civilians. Please also prepare an emergency response plan to address further violence and appoint a full-time senior level envoy. Lastly, please stand firm in support of the ICC indictment and veto any delay in the prosecution of Bashir.

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

IF NOT,

THEN,

YOUR SILENCE

CONTRIBUTES

TO

ANOTHER

GENOCIDE.

www.savedarfur.org

www.aegistrust.org

KHARTOUM'S EXECUTIONERS HAVE BROKEN SILENCE TO REVEAL HOW DARFUR'S ATROCITIES HAVE BEEN PLANNED, FINANCED AND CARRIED OUT - and who is responsible

Darfur destroyed: Sudan’s perpetrators break silence

11 Feb 09 – Film: Ahead of the ICC arrest warrant for Omar al Bashir, Khartoum’s men speak out...

Shortly the International Criminal Court will decide whether to issue an arrest warrant for General Omar al-Bashir, President of Sudan, on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Darfur. Today, in a 20-minute film released on the brink of that decision, Khartoum’s executioners have broken silence to reveal how Darfur’s atrocities were planned, financed and carried out – and who was responsible.

The film – ‘Darfur Destroyed’ – is available to view in English, French, German and Arabic.
........................................

Darfur Destroyed: Sudan's perpetrators break silence from Aegis Trust on Vimeo.
........................................

Since 2003, at least 300,000 civilians have died in Darfur and millions have been displaced from their homes, many of them at the hands of militia nicknamed the ‘Janjaweed’ (‘devils on horseback’). Time after time, survivors stated – and international observers confirmed – that as they murdered, raped, looted and burned village after village, the Janjaweed was backed by the Sudanese army and air force. Yet the Sudanese Government has consistently denied responsibility for atrocities in Darfur and to this day, says it has nothing to do with the Janjaweed.

However, the defectors in this film – some of them speaking publicly for the first time – tell a very different story.

Created by the Aegis Trust with the support of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (Egypt), Human Rights First (USA), the Save Darfur Coalition (USA), the Society for Threatened Peoples (Germany), and the Sudan Organisation Against Torture (Sudan and the UK), the film features interviews conducted by researchers including Phil Cox (Native Voice Films) and Frank Dutton, former deputy head of investigations at the ICTY.

Between them, a senior Army finance officer, a Janjaweed commander, a regular soldier and a Janjaweed fighter explain why and how the Sudanese Government created and launched the Janjaweed militia; how it disguised the militia, once atrocities in Darfur came to world attention; how it armed and paid the Janjaweed; how the Janjaweed worked with Sudan’s regular army and air force, and how rape has been used as a weapon against the civilian population.

The witnesses implicate Sudanese Government figures at the highest level – including Ahmed Harun (Minister for Humanitarian Affairs), Ali Osman Mohammed Taha (Second Vice President), and even Omar al-Bashir himself.

Moataz El Fegiery, Executive Director of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS) states: “If you don’t believe the victims, or if you mistrust the UN, then you should at least listen to the voices of the perpetrators. In their own words, they describe the Sudanese Government’s role in killing its own people.”

Dr James Smith, Chief Executive of the Aegis Trust, states: “As one-time servants of the Bashir regime, the defectors in this film provide powerful evidence of the responsibility of the Sudanese Government for mass atrocities in Darfur. As they themselves have said: those responsible should be brought to account and answer at the ICC – even if they include the President himself.”

Nicolas Burniat, Pennoyer Fellow at Human Rights First noted: “For too long, the international community has allowed the government in Sudan to get away with murder in Darfur. To this very day, many countries continue to sell weapons to Khartoum, allowing the Sudanese army to keep sending fresh arms to Darfur, as shown in Aegis Trust’s film. Whether or not the ICC issues an arrest warrant against Bashir, these countries must decide between pushing Sudan to face its responsibility to cooperate with the Court or continuing to support a suspected war criminal”.

The defectors in their own words
• Popular Defence Force / Janjaweed commander: “The Sudanese Government, all time he said, no genocide there, no rape there. I am from the PDF – Janjaweed – I want to tell the World the truth.”
• Sudanese army paymaster: “As a human being, I’m not able to feel good about this. I am paying them and they’re going to kill other people.”
• Popular Defence Force / Janjaweed commander: “The President of Sudan, Omar al Bashir, sent four billion Sudanese pounds for the Popular Defence Force in Nyala to be distributed as an incentive.”
• Popular Defence Force / Janjaweed commander: “When you destroy the wells, or when you cut the trees, or when you burn the village, this means you expel the civilians from the village. This is an instruction from…It is came from Khartoum.”
• Janjaweed fighter: “Rape can happen. Rape can happen…. What would happen is, they took the girls and the women away, just out of sight, and they started to rape them.”
• Sudanese soldier: “They shout ‘Kill the slaves’ and ‘Fuck the slaves’. They take girls and rape them. They rape and torture them. They want the children to be different in colour, to be like them.”
For media enquiries about this film, email david.brown@aegistrust.org. Copies of the film and raw footage are available at broadcast quality on request.

The above text and a full transcript of the film Darfur Destroyed can be found at www.aegistrust.org

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

Genocide Ends

When Enough of Us

Stand Up Against It

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

www.miafarrow.org


Write President Obama
www.whitehouse.gov

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 available 9 AM - 5 PM EST weekdays

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

Call your Senators and Representative Today!

Find your elected politicians contact information at this link:

www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected

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

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.

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

Sample of what to say:

* I'm calling to ask President Obama, Secretary of State Clinton and Ambassador Rice to protect innocent civilians in Darfur in the wake of Bashir's arrest warrant. Please issue immediate warnings to Bashir and the government of Sudan specifying consequences of attacks on civilians. Please also prepare an emergency response plan to address further violence and appoint a full-time senior level envoy. Lastly, please stand firm in support of the ICC indictment and veto any delay in the prosecution of Bashir.

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

IF NOT,

THEN,

YOUR SILENCE

CONTRIBUTES

TO

ANOTHER

GENOCIDE.

www.savedarfur.org

www.aegistrust.org

DEFECTORS FROM SUDANESE REGIME EXPLAIN THEIR ROLE IN GOVERNMENT'S CRIMES

..................................................

..................................................
Video - Janjaweed defectors speak out
Uploaded by AegisTrust on February 18, 2009

Text provided with the video:
Defectors from the Sudanese regime explain their role in the Sudanese Government's planning and execution of mass atrocities in Darfur, implicating members of the regime at the highest level, including Omar Bashir, Ali Osman Mohammed Taha and Ahmed Harun.

www.aegistrust.org

International Criminal Court - ICC just announced Bashir decision is coming out on March 4, 2009 Source

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

Genocide Ends

When Enough of Us

Stand Up Against It

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

www.miafarrow.org


Write President Obama
www.whitehouse.gov

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 available 9 AM - 5 PM EST weekdays

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

Call your Senators and Representative Today!

Find your elected politicians contact information at this link:

www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected

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

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.

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

Sample of what to say:

* I'm calling to ask President Obama, Secretary of State Clinton and Ambassador Rice to protect innocent civilians in Darfur in the wake of Bashir's arrest warrant. Please issue immediate warnings to Bashir and the government of Sudan specifying consequences of attacks on civilians. Please also prepare an emergency response plan to address further violence and appoint a full-time senior level envoy. Lastly, please stand firm in support of the ICC indictment and veto any delay in the prosecution of Bashir.

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

IF NOT,

THEN,

YOUR SILENCE

CONTRIBUTES

TO

ANOTHER

GENOCIDE.

www.savedarfur.org