PRESIDENT OBAMA: “Silence, acquiescence, paralysis in the face of genocide is wrong.”

PRESIDENT OBAMA said: “Silence, acquiescence, paralysis in the face of genocide is wrong.”

Send your letter to President Obama.

Here is my letter that I sent ~

Dear President Obama:

I have been involved as a volunteer activist regarding Sudan since 2003. I heard you speak at the 2006 Rally for Darfur on the mall in Washington, D.C. What you said then, made me believe you cared. I believe you meant what you said then and also when you visited a Darfur refugee camp prior to becoming President. However, your appointed Special Envoys to Sudan have not only be ineffective, but detrimental to the human rights violations by the Sudanese government. How can you do this? It does not line up with what you said prior to becoming President in 2008. Or to the letter you sent to me and other activists the first year of your Presidency.

The people of Darfur have been experiencing genocide for almost ten years and continue to suffer. Sudan President Omar al-Bashir has been allowed to use the "lessons learned" from Darfur in the Nuba Mountains/South Kordofan and Blue Nile regions, where innocent civilians are now also experiencing what many call genocide. Clearly, current U.S. policy and international engagement is not working.

At the 2006 D.C. Rally for Darfur, you said: “Silence, acquiescence, paralysis in the face of genocide is wrong.” As a Senator and a first-time candidate for President, you promised to act.

You also said: "Our action and leadership will show who we are as a nation and as a people."

And yet, your administration has not taken action, shown humanity leadership regarding Sudan or made it a priority as you said you would in the text of your letter response to me in your first year as President.

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

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

"If we don’t fight hard enough for the things we stand for, at some point we have to recognize that we don’t really stand for them.” Paul Wellstone, 1944-2002

You have the opportunity as President to make a marked difference in the lives of the Sudanese people trying to stay alive in caves, tents, after rape, after witnessing their family members being slaughtered, under the fire of Sudanese government bombings, during years of on-going blocking of food and health assistance and scorched earth manifestations of genocide by the Sudanese government. The Sudanese government that your administration has given the go-ahead to keep on committing the atrocious crimes of genocide has increasingly become emboldened because they KNOW that the USA and other potential coalition countries have done nothing, will do nothing to stop their genocides in various regions of their country. All on your watch.

When you are no longer President, I will not believe you when you say that you regret you did not effectively do enough to stop this from going further in Sudan. That is what Bill Clinton did about Rwanda. This is your Rwanda.

Sincerely,

Sandra Hammel

The following text is from ~

Hidden Hunger - Living in Caves in Nuba Mountains of Sudan

Read the full article ~Nuba Reports

Frequent bombing by the Sudan government continues to threaten civilians' safety. More than 100 bombs fell in South Kordofan in October, according to Nuba Reports journalists. Attacks on the ground are also a concern for citizens as the SAF burns villages as part of the violent campaign against areas under Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) control.

For many, the journey to Yida refugee camp in South Sudan is a daunting choice. With over 65,000 people inhabiting a camp intended for 15,000, living conditions are poor, food stocks are low and the long walk there is dangerous.

Life in the mountains is not a solution for displaced people, however. Cave life is unsustainable, especially without land to harvest or hope for food aid. Violence surrounds the mountains but their home villages are destroyed or in too dangerous a region to which to return.

Marriam Teia told Nuba Reports that not only does she have no way to get to Yida, but it is a place she's never been before--far from her home in Tess, a village recently burned by the SAF. "I don't know where to put my heart," she said. "I'm in the middle. I want to go home."

Read the full article ~Nuba Reports

Send your letter to President Obama.

DARFUR The Abandoned Genocide ~ 2003 - 2011

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

...............................................................
Click here to see in bigger screen size

This is a submission to the "Compassion Film Festival" in Newport, Rhode Island, screenings at the 494 seat Jane Pickens Theatre, April 8, 2011.

The Jane Pickens Theatre
49 Touro Street
Newport, RI 02840
(401) 846-5252
Bus: Touro Near Side Clark

The Festival rules limited the video submissions to 5 minutes. Prizes will be awarded for the top 3 juried places and also an Audience Choice award chosen directly by the audience.

Unfortunately the lips and audio became out of snyc due to compression of uploading here at Vimeo. Fortunately, the DVD of this video is in sync.

I always put credits at the end and couldn't because of the limit I had to get my message across.

Here are more complete credits:

❧ Special thanks to ❧
Eric Reeves for Open Letter excerpts
Mohamed Suleiman for Darfuri sayings
Photos ~
Mia Farrow
Gabriel Stauring
Sandra Hammel
♫ Music ♫
Bridge Over Troubled Water
Performed by Eva Cassidy
Available at itunes
Krista Powell
Presented by Sandra Hammel

Genocide flourishes when there is no accountability.
It has been flourishing in Darfur since February 2003.

One voice won’t stop a genocide,
but that is no excuse to be silent.

Please, use your voice to call upon our leaders
to do what is right about something
that is very wrong.

Contact President Obama, Vice-President Joe Biden or First Lady Michelle Obama

www.whitehouse.gov/contact

1-800-GENOCIDE for President Obama,
U.S. Senators and Representatives

Updated Darfur news ~ Radio Dabanga

Eric Reeves's Website on Sudan ~ sudanreeves

Mia Farrow photos of Darfur Refugee Camps

Terry Nickelson ~ OUR HUMANITY IN THE BALANCE
Our Humanity in the Balance

Where there is a will there is always a way,
where there is no will there is never a way.

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

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

Click here to see in bigger screen

Contact me if you would like a DVD of the above video.

...............................................................
...............................................................
Was Scott Gration Good for the Darfur Peace Process?

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

...............................................................
See more videos of Darfuri refugee camp Goz Amer taken March 23 - 31 +, 2011
stopgenocidenow

Learn more about the sister schools program for Darfur refugee camps at Darfur Dream Team

Photo credit Gabriel Stauring
Goz Amer School
Classroom in a refugee camp
Proof that ~ Where there is a will there is a way.

Photo credit Gabriel Stauring of iactivism.org

OBAMA IS FAILING IN THE CAUSE TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY

There was a time back in 2006 that I thought George Clooney wasn't needed to speak out about this issue. I was wrong. We need him and everyone else. President Obama is failing in the cause to speak out against crimes against humanity and genocide.

I feel President Obama got the Nobel Peace Prize at a time we had more hope in what he would do in the area of human rights and genocidal regimes.

The Nobel Peace Prize 2009 was awarded to Barack H. Obama "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples".

ann-curry-george-clooney-visit-sudan
.............................................

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

Africa's next deadly war does not have to happen. January 9, 2011, the people of Southern Sudan will vote for independence, taking with them up to three-quarters of the country's known oil reserves and placing millions of civilians in the potential path of war.

They've done it before. The north and the south fought a 20-year civil war that ended in 2005 only after 2 million people were dead.

Read the full article Endgame in Sudan

Communicate to the President
that he has a role to play

1-800-GENOCIDE
1-202-456-1111
www.whitehouse.gov/contact

Rahma, age 15
Darfuri refugee camp Djabal in eastern Chad

PRESIDENT OBAMA - LET'S GO CHANGE THE WORLD - GENOCIDE IS NEVER AT A CONVENIENT TIME FOR THE REST OF US

WHAT DO THE PEOPLE OF DARFUR HAVE TO DO TO GET OUR ATTENTION?

ALL DIE? That is what is happening as we wait. They die of thirst, starvation, sickness, rape, cruelty.... and lack of a world's interest.

COULDN'T WE DO BETTER, MR. PRESIDENT?

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

.......................................
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Sung by Eva Cassidy
Uploaded by stressbed

Mohandas K. Gandhi:

The Roots of Violence:
Wealth without work,
Pleasure without conscience,
Knowledge without character,
Commerce without morality,
Science without humanity,
Worship without sacrifice,
Politics without principles.

I Carry The Torch for Darfur
Torch Relay
as a part of the
Dream for Darfur
Providence, Rhode Island

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

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

Find USA elected politicians contact information at this link: http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml

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

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

www.stopgenocidenow.org

IS THE SUDANESE GOVERNMENT EMBOLDENED BY OUR COMPLICITY?

These Darfuri children are holding messages for people of the Unites States.

It seems people think we will help.

These picutres were all taken by Katie-Jay and Gabriel of Stop Genocide Now
You can see more of their pictures from the many trips to the Darfur region:
www.flickr.com/photos/stopgenocidenow

**********************
************

The President was on Tonight Show with Jay Leno
March 19, 2009

Pictured: President Obama going by the DARFUR tent in his car while leaving the
NBC studios in Burbank, California.
President Obama waved to tent side of the street - fifteen yards away.

A crowd and the media gathered for Mr. Obama's departure.
Big picture of Darfuri girl pinned under red-lettering of "DARFUR" on the tent.

Remember what campaigner Barack Obama said?:

"Let's Go Change the World."
Well, let's!

He also liked to say:
"Yes, We Can"
and I was there in Nashua High School's gym
to hear that very speech in New Hampshire.

And we CAN.

He also liked to say: "Fired Up and Ready to Go"
It feels like we have to light that fire
and
get him charged ready to go
regarding the dying of Darfuris by our complicity.

There is no better time to act about a genocide than when it is going on.

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

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

These pictures are all drawn by Darfuri children.
The above picture made me pause.

Children draw pictures of their lives.

Please go to twitter.com/iact and read the comments:

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

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

Father Vazken Movsesian speaks at an Emergency Rally for Darfur that was held in front of the Federal Building in Los Angeles on March 17, 2009.
Link to the video
Uploaded by stopgenocidenow
...................................................

...................................................
Brian Steidle, author of "The Devil Came On Horseback" talks with Gabriel Stauring of Stop Genocide Now.
Link to the video
Uploaded by stopgenocidenow

Follow Gabriel Stauring or Katie-Jay Scott while they are in Chad talking with the Darfuri people while literally going to their deaths - by not only the Sudanese-government supporting genocide, but supported by our complicity: http://twitter.com/iact or http://stopgenocidenow.org - Stop Genocide Now.

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

...................................................
Darfuri delegation from Arizona
Link to the video
Darfuri delegation from Arizona
Uploaded by stopgenocidenow

Ffteen Darfuri men come to the L0s Angeles, California Federal Building. They drove from Phoenix, Arizona. All have families inside of Darfur. One mans mother was forced to journey to Camp Djabal in East Chad, where Gabriel and Katie-Jay will be March 23, 2009, and then into witness protection in Europe. Another Darfuri only hears news from Khartoum. His family is spread through displacement camps and no one in his family has a phone.

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

...................................................
Photos all from Stop Genocide Now's trips to the Darfur region, including Chad
Source: www.flickr.com/photos/stopgenocidenow

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

We Are All the Keepers of Justice.

In Sudan, there is an emergency.

Silence kills in its complicity to killing by treachery.

Darfuris are in dire need of some humanity

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

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

Find USA elected politicians contact information at this link: http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml

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

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

www.stopgenocidenow.org

DEAR PRESIDENT OBAMA - can you HEAR ME? CAN YOU?

PRESIDENT OBAMA,

ARE YOU REALLY GOING TO STAND BY AND DO NOTHING MORE THAN CONDEMN WITH YOUR WORDS?

WHAT A HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT!

THIS SOUNDS LIKE THE "SAME OLD WINE IN A BRAND NEW BOTTLE":

"The Government of Sudan’s disastrous decision to expel humanitarian relief organizations leaves a void that will be filled by deprivation and despair and they will be held accountable for the lives lost."

JUST WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? REALLY!

Throw we citizen humanitarians a "bone" or two.

Talk to us.

It looks and sounds like the same old lies....

We want to believe you are different.
........................................................

........................................................
The Same Old Wine (in a Brand New Bottle)
Loggins and Messina
Uploaded by larinyx

Sudan's president says warrant is conspiracy

By SARAH EL DEEB – Mar 5, 2009

KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) — Sudan's president, wanted by an international court on war crimes charges, denounced the tribunal, the U.N. and aid agencies on Thursday as part of a new "colonialism" that aims to destabilize his country.

President Omar al-Bashir danced and waved a cane defiantly before thousands of supporters, as the arrest warrant had its first repercussions on the ground. Sudan ordered at least 11 aid agencies to leave Darfur and cease operations in retaliation for the International Criminal Court's decision to issue an arrest warrant. The groups started the process of moving out Thursday.

Aid workers warned that the expulsion order could spark a humanitarian crisis for up to 2 million people in Darfur who are directly served by the agencies, receiving food, shelter and medical supplies.

In Zamzam Camp, one of the largest Darfur refugee camps, residents said aid workers who operate daily in the camps did not show up on Thursday. Refugees said they were now feared what will happen when their most recent monthly delivery of food and other supplies run out if aid workers don't return. Particularly worrisome is the pullout of health workers, and the possibility of disease outbreaks in the upcoming rainy season.

"After God, we only have the organizations" to help us, said Zamzam camp resident Ibrahim Safi, 34. He called the expulsion order a "catastrophe."

Speaking for the first time since the warrant was issued Wednesday, al-Bashir told a Cabinet meeting that those agencies, the U.N. and the tribunal are "tools of the new colonialism" meant to bring Sudan and its resources under control.

Al-Bashir accused the aid organizations of trying to disrupt peace efforts in Darfur, profiting from the conflict and interfering with foreign investment. He said his government ordered them out of Darfur because they violated the law.

"We in Sudan have always been a target of the U.N. and these organizations because we have said, 'No,'" al-Bashir said. "We said the resources of Sudan should go to the people of Sudan."

Hasabo Abdel-Rahman, the head of the government agency coordinating humanitarian affairs, also accused the aid groups cooperating with the ICC and offering the court "false" testimonies.

Read the full article:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The following is from the Stop Genocide Now
www.stopgenocidenow.org Katie-Jay Scott. The button in my heading will take you to their website. They will blog and video message (vlog) daily from Chad. Check it out. It is an invaluable source for on-the-ground and up-front-and-personal information.


Dear Activist Leaders for Darfur,

This past week, our team camped out at the LA Federal Building and co-organized a huge emergency rally for Darfur on Tuesday. We hoisted a Darfur tent on the roof top as Obama flew over after a local town hall meeting. Secretary Clinton received over 1500 text messages in the past week and half for Darfur. Finally, they appointed a Special Envoy to Sudan. But this is only the beginning of renewed activism for Darfur. There have been emerency rallies in New York, Boston, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Texas, and I know more are being planned.

Now, this Saturday, I depart once again with the i-ACT team of Stop Genocide Now for the Darfur refugee camps in Chad. The situation on the ground is terrible, as we all know. Many believe that those who escape this slow genocide will be forced to walk for days across the desert - a story we have heard before - to Chad and Central African Republic. Now more than ever, the Darfuris need you to step up and speak out for them. Take action like you have never before.

To meet the survivors in grave danger and hear their stories, please follow us and join the community of i-ACTivists as we journey to the region. 10 Consecutive days of i-ACT begin March 23rd - video web casting, daily journals, photos, and ACTION items can be found at our site!

Please spread the word:

1. Download the attached flyer - post at your school, workplace, community, place of worship, everywhere and anywhere!
2. We have a button for your to publish on your site (feel free to also download any materials while we are out there and embed them - all under Creative Commons)
   
3. Join our Facebook Event or join the Pledge on Change.org
4. Please share this brief paragraph with your group, and add a personal invite to them from you:
   

Over the last few weeks the situation in Darfur has grown exponentially dire. President al-Bahsir indicted. 16 aid agencies expelled. Food, water, medicine, and shelter supplies will run out soon, if not already. Hundreds of thousands may die if we do act urgently for the people of Darfur.

For 10 consecutive days, i-ACT (interactive-activism) will connect 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. Visit Stop Genocide Now i-ACT (www.stopgenocidenow.org/iact) to join the community, learn what Darfuris are saying about the ICC and justice and personally connect with a child who needs your voice and action. Many may die in the next weeks, and your voice and action is needed now more than ever.

We depart in less than 2 days for the field but I will be available until then for questions etc. After that please post your questions and comments on the website! If you have daily action items you want to suggest we use - please send them my way and we will try to incorporate them!

With much hope for Darfur!
ktj

--
KTJ Scott
Director of Community Programming
Stop Genocide Now
www.stopgenocidenow.org
i-ACT (interactive-activism)

Educate. Activate. Empower.

digits: 503.349.4946
just in case: ktj@iactivism.org

We cannot expect our leaders to stand UP if we are sitting down.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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

..................................................
Dear President Obama - A Letter Sent March 12, 2009
Uploaded by ilovemylifesblog - That is me.
March 19, 2009

I uploaded it twice - here is the one I was trying to improve upon.
Didn't really, but I'm still on a huge learning curve. Only my second video.

Text at my Youtube posting:

Music Selections:
"Autumn Leaves " performed by Eva Cassidy Live at Blues Alley

"Dark of the Moon" - performed by Libana - Night Passage

"Ise Oluwa" performed by Libana - Night Passage
From West Africa's Yoruba culture. The translation:
That which the Creator has made can never be destroyed.

Music selections are available at www.amazon.com and iTunes

The letter to President Obama was written March 12, 2009 and sent through the White House website contact form, as well as, a letter the old-fashioned way through the United States Postal Service.

Although the government of Sudan (GoS) denies it (just like former President Bush denies he condoned illegal torture. However, neither denial makes it any less the truth):
2003 - through to present: Genocide of unarmed Darfuri families is supported by the government of Sudan

March 4, 2009 Judges at The International Criminal Court ordered the arrest of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir with war crimes and crimes against humanity for playing an essential role in the murder, rape, torture, pillage and displacement of large numbers of civilians in Darfur. However, the judges did not charge him with genocide as the prosecutor had requested.

The Sudanese government has long vowed to resist the court, and it summoned several humanitarian organizations to a meeting almost immediately after the warrant was announced.

The British charity Oxfam said that the government had revoked its license to operate, a decision the group said could affect more than 600,000 people. Doctors Without Borders from Holland, which provides health care in one of the worlds biggest camps for displaced people, in South Darfur, was ordered to leave the country.

One aid official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity, because of negotiations to persuade the government to back down, said the following; It happened right after the announcement. The connection was clear.

The government of Sudan began expelling humanitarian aid agencies from Darfur (March 4, 2009). Thirteen to sixteen agencies have been forced out of the region. This expulsion leaves one million Darfuris without water, food and medical assistance.

www.stopgenocidenow.org
www.enoughproject.org
www.savedarfur.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 comment line is available
9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. weekdays

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

Find USA elected politicians contact information at this link:
http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml

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

Call the USA Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
202-647-6575

The USA State Department public comment line
7 days a week, 24 hours a day

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Obama chooses Sudan envoy, to announce Wednesday
Tue Mar 17, 2009 8:33pm EDT

March 18, 2009
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Barack Obama is set to name retired Air Force General Scott Gration as his special envoy to Sudan, where he has warned of a worsening crisis following the expulsion of foreign aid organizations.

We Are All the Keepers of Justice.

In Sudan, there is an emergency.

Silence kills in its complicity to killing by treachery.

March 18, 2009

Meningitis is spreading through Darfur IDP camps. Now more than ever immunization is needed in all camps:
1- New cases climbed to 38 cases in Kalma IDP camp (South camp).
2- Nine cases in Kassab IDP camps (North Darfur).

Situation in Zamzam IDP camps is deteriorating rapidly.
1- There are 63,000 new comers since January without any services or registration. They gather on the bare ground of the Camp. They are the first casualties of NGOs expulsion.
2- Water problem is getting worse. some women and children spend close to 11 hours at the pump just to fill one 4-gallon plastic container.
3- Clinics are closed in the camp. Only God knows how acute the health situation in the camp in the absence of NGOs.

The government of Sudan ordered banks in Sudan to freeze bank accounts of 15 NGO's, of which 12 of them were expelled.

The NGO's are:

1- International Rescue Committee - U.S.A.
2- CARE - U.S.A.
3- Save The Children - U.S.A.
4- Save The Children - UK.
5- Development & Rebuilding Org - U.S.A.
6- TATCO - U.S.A.
7- Refugees Council Org.- Norway
8- Khartoum Center for Human Rights- Sudan
9- Solidarity Organization - France
10- Anti Starvation Org. - France.
11- Doctors -Without - Borders- France
12- OXFAM - UK.
13-MERCY - U.S.A.
14- SUDO - Sudan
15- AMAL Sudan

DOES PRESIDENT OBAMA HAVE ANY MORE THAN MERE WORDS FOR THE DARFUR SPIRALING OUT OF CONTROL SITUATION?

WE'VE BEEN HERE BEFORE

Threatening, empty hope-filled words aren't going to do anything but allow Omar al-Bashir to become bolder and bolder, President Obama.

Email text from Massachusetts Save Darfur Community Activist Leader and Investors Against Genocide leader:

Clinton and now Obama have said:

The Government of Sudan’s disastrous decision to expel humanitarian relief organizations leaves a void that will be filled by deprivation and despair and they will be held accountable for the lives lost.

We know that people have already died because of al-Bashir expelled aid groups. How many more lives have to be lost before our government is acting?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Press Release) March 18, 2009

President Obama Announces Major General Scott Gration as U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan

Today, I am pleased to join Secretary Clinton in announcing the appointment of Major General J. Scott Gration as the U.S. Special Envoy for Sudan. General Gration’s personal and professional background, and his service to the country as both a military leader and a humanitarian, give him the insights and experience necessary for this assignment.

Sudan is a priority for this Administration, particularly at a time when it cries out for peace and for justice. The worsening humanitarian crisis there makes our task all the more urgent.

I have made clear my intention to work with the international community to end the suffering. That means supporting the full, unobstructed deployment of the joint African Union/United Nations peacekeeping force and the negotiation of a political solution that will give the people of Darfur a meaningful voice in the decisions that affect their future. The Government of Sudan’s disastrous decision to expel humanitarian relief organizations leaves a void that will be filled by deprivation and despair and they will be held accountable for the lives lost.

As we work to bring peace to Darfur, we will continue to work with both parties to Sudan’s Comprehensive Peace Agreement to ensure its full and complete implementation. All parties must see this through if Sudan and the surrounding region are to enjoy lasting stability.

I have worked closely and directly with General Gration for several years, and have traveled with him to refugee camps in Chad filled with those who were displaced by the genocide in Darfur. He is a valued personal friend and I am pleased he has accepted this assignment. He knows the region, has broad experience, and has my complete confidence. Standing alongside Secretary Clinton and Ambassador Rice, his appointment is a strong signal of my Administration’s commitment to support the people of Sudan while seeking a lasting settlement to the violence that has claimed so many innocent lives.


Five videos about the Darfur situation
....................................................

....................................................
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oTeX8pmEhE
Uploaded March 18, 2009 by AlJazeeraEnglish
Hashem Ahelbarra reports from the rally in the remote village of Sibdu.

....................................................
.
...................................................
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RF89RKyAgU
Uploaded March 18, 2009 by NTDTV

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

....................................................
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qd0PioGnX6o
Uploaded March 19, 2009 by EUXTV

A refugee from Darfur in the Djabal refugee camp in Chad talks about reports from family members still in Darfur on new attacks by Janjaweed rebels just a few days after the International Criminal Court issued its arrest-warrant for Sudanese president Omar Al-Bashir.

He says some 300 huts were burnt and six people killed in one specific incident. Other refugees in Djabal said their relatives were too afraid to leave for Chad because the roads are controlled by the Janjaweed, and also said they

FIlmed during a EUFOR Tchad/RCA press trip. Interview by Raymond Frenken.

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

....................................................
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9QkIszkZJY
Uploaded March 18, 2009 by MADarfur

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Aid expulsions spark disease fears in Darfur camps

Thu Mar 19, 2009 2:43pm GMT

Source: www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis

By Andrew Heavens

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Aid officials said there were fears of fresh disease outbreaks in two Darfur refugee camps after residents refused to let state-backed aid agencies come in to replace expelled humanitarians.

Sudan expelled 13 foreign aid groups and closed three local organisations this month, accusing them of helping the International Criminal Court build up a war crimes case against the country's president. The groups deny working with the court.

The expulsions sparked international outrage with aid groups warning the closures would have a devastating impact on hundreds of thousands of people uprooted by the conflict.

Sudanese government aid officials said the expelled groups' work would be covered by remaining international organisations and scores of local groups that authorities were planning to bring into the area.

But aid officials and activists said residents of South Darfur's huge Kalma and Kass camps were refusing aid from state-backed organisations, even though they were running short of medicines, food aid and clean water.

Hussein Abu Sharati, who says he represents displaced Darfuris in 158 camps, said Kalma residents had met and voted to refuse all aid from Sudanese groups. "They don't see these groups as aid organisations, they see them as tools of the government," he told Reuters by satellite phone.

"IDPs (internally displaced people) in Kalma and Kass are refusing all access to the government and local aid groups even if it means receiving less water or a greater risk of disease," said an aid worker from one of the ousted organisations, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The worker said residents had blocked state deliveries of fuel for their own generators, set up to pump fresh water in to the camp, raising the risk of the spread of diseases like cholera. Camp leaders had refused to let Ministry of Health officials vaccinate residents against a meningitis outbreak.

The reports were impossible to verify independently as international journalists have not been able to get travel permits to visit Kalma and surrounding camps in recent days.

Kalma and Kass are home to tens of thousands of people who fled their homes after raids and attacks by government troops and militias during the Darfur conflict.

International experts say almost six years of fighting has uprooted 2.7 million people. Many of the camps that have taken them in have become highly politicised.

Darfur's joint U.N./African Union UNAMID peacekeeping force has said it is ready to do what it can to fill any humanitarian gaps left by the expulsions of the aid agencies.

"UNAMID does not have a mandate for humanitarian assistance. But it is not going to let people die," said Daniel Augstburger, head of the humanitarian sector for the U.N. Mission in Darfur.

Aid workers have been concerned about suggestions the peacekeepers might take on humanitarian work in Sudan.

"Gradually the line between peacekeepers and aid workers gets blurred and then everyone becomes a fair target," said one.

Armed men attacked an UNAIMD patrol in South Darfur this week, killing one Nigerian peacekeeper.

Five workers for the Belgian arm of Medecins Sans Frontieres were kidnapped in North Darfur last week and held for three days by a group that, government officials said, was protesting against the International Criminal Court.

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

....................................................
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSBUwYe38RU
Uploaded March 18, 2009 by Kengikat

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

I am very worried that our new President

is planning to ignore Darfur

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

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

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.stopgenocidenow.org

SHAME ON PATRICK KENNEDY AND JAMES LANGEVIN - ONLY 78 0F 435 US REPS SIGNED LETTERS FOR DARFURI FAMILIES

I am from Rhode Island. And neither of RI's two U.S. Representatives signed the three letters for the life and death situation for Darfuri families.

357 did not sign.

78 did sign.

Shame on Patrick Kennedy and James Langevin. What was the reasoning behind withholding your signatures?

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

On March 4, 2009, the Government of Sudan began expelling humanitarian aid agencies from Darfur. Thirteen to sixteen international and three national agencies have been forced out of the region. This expulsion leaves one million Darfuris without water, food and medical assistance.

Members of the US Congress had the opportunity to sign letters to three Sudanese allies urging them to take urgent action for Darfuri families.

The letters were authored by Congressmen Capuano and McCaul and are addressed to Chinese President Hu Jintao, Arab League Secretary-General Amre Moussa and African Union Chairman Muammar Qadhafi. The letters urge these leaders to send a clear message that expelling humanitarian aid agencies from Sudan - and putting Darfuri lives at even greater risk - is unacceptable.

The deadline to sign-on to these letters was noon on Tuesday, March 17, 2009.

Call 1-800-GENOCIDE and praise or express sorrow to your Representative for either signing or not signing the letters. The option to be connected to your Representative immediately follows the option to be connected to the Secretary of State, so please remain on the hotline until you can be connected to your Representative.

Here are the U.S. Representatives who signed the letters:

(78 of 435): Baldwin, Berkley, S. Bishop, T.
Bishop, Boozman, Braley, Cao, Capps, Capuano,
Clay, Delahunt, DeLauro, Doggett, Doyle,
D. Edwards, Ellison, Engel, Eshoo, Farr,
Filner, Fortenberry, B. Frank, Franks,
Fudge, Garrett, Gordon, A. Green,
A. Hastings, Herger, Higgins, Himes,
Hinchey, Hirono, Holt, Honda, Inglis,
Jackson Lee, E.B. Johnson, Kirk, B. Lee,
Lofgren, Lynch, Maloney, E. Markey, McCaul,
McCollum, McCotter, McDermott, McGovern,
McIntyre, B. Miller, George Miller,
G. Moore, Jerry Moran, T. Murphy,
Nadler, Olver, Pascrell, Payne, Perriello,
Pitts, Polis, M. Rogers (AL), Rothman,
Rush, Linda Sanchez, Schakowsky, Schiff,
Schwartz, Slaughter, Speier, Tauscher,
Van Hollen, Walz, Waters, Wolf, Woolsey

Thank you to these Representatives and the
states' citizens they represent.

But, a disappointing list of 435 potentially caring hearts.

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

See the Darfur grade of U.S. Congrss members:
http://www.darfurscores.org/

Champions of Darfur

• Sam Brownback (R-Kansas)
• Richard Durbin (D-Illinois)
• Thomas Tancredo (R-Colorado)
• Donald Payne (D-New Jersey)

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

Contact Patrick:
https://forms.house.gov/formpatrickkennedy/IMA/contact.htm

Here is my text to Patrick Kennedy tonight:

Issue: Darfur.

(Please consider adding Darfur to the list.)

Members of the US Congress had the opportunity to sign letters to three Sudanese allies urging them to take urgent action for Darfuri families.

The letters were authored by Congressmen Capuano and McCaul and were addressed to Chinese President Hu Jintao, Arab League Secretary-General Amre Moussa and African Union Chairman Muammar Qadhafi. The letters urge these leaders to send a clear message that expelling humanitarian aid agencies from Sudan - and putting Darfuri lives at even greater risk - is unacceptable.

The deadline to sign-on to these letters was noon on Tuesday, March 17, 2009.

357 did not sign.

78 did sign.

US RI Rep Kennedy, I want to know the reasoning behind withholding your signature from these three letters. I am very disheartened at your lack of support for the Darfur current situation.

Not only has the government of Sudan expelled NGOs that have provided water, food and medical services, but last week the government of Sudan ordered Banks in Sudan to freeze Bank accounts of 15 NGO's, of which 12 of them were expelled.

The NGO's are:

1- International Rescue Committee - U.S.A.
2- CARE - U.S.A.
3- Save The Children - U.S.A.
4- Save The Children - UK.
5- Development & Rebuilding Org - U.S.A.
6- TATCO - U.S.A.
7- Refugees Council Org.- Norway
8- Khartoum Center for Human Rights- Sudan
9- Solidarity Organization - France
10- Anti Starvation Org. - France.
11- Doctors -Without - Borders- France
12- OXFAM - UK.
13-MERCY - U.S.A.
14- SUDO - Sudan
15- AMAL - Sudan

Email text I received, March 12, 2009 from a Sudanese living in exile in the USA

This is some of what is happening in Darfur:

1 Eyewitnesses say armed men on two vehicles kidnapped five aid workers from Doctors-Without-Borders workers in a hospital in Saraf Omrah location in Central Darfur. The kidnapped workers: one French national, one Italian national, one Canadian national, 2 Sudanese nationals (guards).

Doctors-Without -Borders organization is one of the organizations that medically treats and documents cases of rape and other atrocities, which angered Government of Sudan (GoS).

2 Situation in the large cities of Darfur is extremely tense. News from Elfasher is that there was sporadic gun fire in the last five days. Janjaweed forces are seen roaming the city freely and assaulting citizens.

3 A Darfuri activist in Midwest ( U.S.A.) told me this morning that GoS security agents are looking for her sister in Nyala (South Darfur). She said her sister has no political affiliation or activities. She believes that Government of Sudan's agents in U.S.A. has a hand in what is going on to her family back home. (All demonstrations supporting International Criminal Court (ICC) decision on March 4, 2009 in major U.S. cities by Diaspora of Darfur were taped by GoS agents. This Darfuri activist is a student in a university. She told me she cancelled all classes today just to keep calling her relatives in Sudan, Arabian Gulf countries, to follow up situation in Darfur.

4 Some Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) (refugees) in a camp in west Darfur (UmTagook) were forced to get out to demonstate (yesterday Wednesday, March 11, 2009) to condemn the ICC warrant of arrest. A satellite TV channel from Khartoum (Alshoroug TV) taped the forced-demonstration to be shown nation-wide.

5 Retributions are going on against outspoken IDP camps leaders. Thurday, March 12, 2009: IDP camp (West Darfur) leader Sheikh Haroun Mohamed Ishag was lead out by armed men and killed by gun fire at about distance of a 1/2 a mile from the camp.

I look forward to your response.

Thank you.

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

Images of Darfur
http://darfur.unfpa.org/jon_darfur/index.html

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

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

www.stopgenocidenow.org