Darfur Women Action Group (DWAG) is a women-led anti-atrocities nonprofit that aims to build awareness, mobilize, educate, and empower survivors of the Darfur genocide. Explore the publications below to learn more about our organization and the ongoing genocide in Darfur.
Our President’s Features
Pulling Peacekeepers From Darfur Will Be a Murderous Mistake (2020)
The Way Forward in the Post Revolution Sudan, the Institute of World Politics (2019)
Sudan Moves Forward – Africa 54, VOA Africa (2019)
Niemat Ahmadi: Did Evil Win?, Lighthouse Reports (2018)
Niemat Ahmadi, Founder of DWAG – Straight Talk Africa, VOA Africa (2016)
Eyewitness Testimony: Niemat Ahmadi, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (2013)
Spotlight on Sudan, Institute for Policy Studies (2010)
Court Issues Arrest Warrant for Sudan’s Leader, Marlise Simons and Neil MacFarquhar (2009)
Additional Learning
News Sources and Scholarship
Books
Against a Tide of Evil: How One Man Became the Whistleblower to the First Mass Murder of the Twenty-First Century, Dr. Mukesh Kapila with Damien Lewis (2013)
The Translator: A Memoir, Daoud Hari (2009)
Not on Our Watch: The Mission to End Genocide in Darfur and Beyond, John Prendergast and Don Cheadle (2007)
Videos & Films
Inside the Forgotten War in Darfur, Where the Killing Never Stopped, Julia Steers, VICE World News (2020)
A young poet tells the story of Darfur, Emtithal “Emi” Mahmoud, TED Talks (2017)
On Our Watch, Neil Docherty, PBS Frontline (2007)
Combating Darfur Executions | The Devil Came on Horseback, Ricki Stern and Anne Sundberg, National Geographic (2007)
Darfur Now, Ted Braun (2007)
2021 In Review:
| January | On January 1, 2021, the first stage of the withdrawal of United Nations- African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) peacekeeping troops commenced. In doing so, the UN transferred civilian protection and the direct oversight of peace processes to the interim government of Sudan. While the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) was established to aid the interim government towards its transition to democracy, without a civilian protection mandate UNITAMS can do little do directly protect the people of Darfur. Unprecedented violence exploded across Darfur, with El Geneina in West Darfur, witnessing the highest number of casualties and displacements. An estimated 123,000 civilians were displaced in the month of January, the majority of which were living in Kerending camp. At least 163 civilians were killed and 215 were injured in the violence. This would later be labeled the El Geneina Massacre. |
| February | This month, the interim government of Sudan signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) shortly after Ali Kushayb’s motion to appeal his case at the International Criminal Court (ICC) was denied. The MoU signaled that the interim government would work with the ICC to see justice prevail in the case of the former janjaweed colonel. Ali Kushayb was brought to the Court in The Hague as one of the primary enablers of the Darfur genocide, his charges including with 31 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity from at least August 2003 to April 2004. |
| March | The UNAMID Team Site in Kalma, South Darfur, was handed over to representatives of the interim government on March 18 upon assurances civilian protection standards would be upheld by local and national forces. The decision to follow through with the UNAMID withdrawal and the ensuing violence targeting displaced persons that occured at the hands of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and other armed groups led to mass protests across the region. The protestors demanded the removal of the governor of South Darfur, Mousa Mahdi, for not ensuring adequate protection for the displaced. |
| April | Arab-Masalit tribal clashes engulfed El Geneina in a second wave of violence from April 3-11 that claimed 147 lives and left 285 people injured. In South Darfur and South Kordofan, April saw a surge in violent incidents which killed a total of 54 civilians. Amidst relentless violence, COVID-19 entered its third wave of infections in Sudan. Government officials are meeting the holy month of Ramadan with as many COVID precautions as possible, enforcing outdoor prayers and social distancing as best they can. By the end of the month, 2,000 people died from COVID-19 and 32,000 infections were reported. |
| May | In the month of May, families who had escaped the attacks in El Geneina, West Darfur in January and April were still unable to return. As the devastating effects of climate changes led to massive fires and a new water crisis in Darfur, displacement camps grew past capacity and the quality of life worsened. In a time of much needed hope, the ICC held the confirmation of charges hearing against Ali Kushayb. Lawyers from the Office of Public Counsel for Victims (OPCV), Ms. Paulina Massidda and Ms. Amal Clooney, spoke on behalf of 151 survivors and expressed the urgency of bringing Ali Kushayb to justice. The confidence and solidarity expressed by former Prosecutor Bensouda and the OPCV resonated throughout Darfur and international allies alike, offering hope that the world had not forgotten Darfur. |
| June | On June 15, the peace talks between the interim government and the Sudanese People’s Liberation Movement North faction under the leadership of Abdelaziz El Hilu (SPLM-N El Hilu) adjourned without agreement on a final draft framework. Juba, the capital of South Sudan, mediated the discussion for nearly three weeks. SPLM-N El Hilu is one of two powerful rebel groups that have not signed a peace agreement. Lasting peace for Darfur cannot come until every rebel group has come to agreement with the interim government. June also marked the final liquidation of all UNAMID Team Sites, leaving vulnerable populations to rely on the interim government for civilian protection. Violent incidents and mounting casualties at the hands of the RSF in South Kordofan and West Darfur indicate the inability and disinterest of the interim government in fulfilling this promise. |
| July | On July 9, 2021, the ICC judges confirmed all 31 charges brought before the Pre-Trial Chamber against former janjaweed militia colonel, Ali Kushayb. The case will be brought before a Trial Chamber in the coming months with the new prosecutor, Mr. Karim Khan. The interim government also unanimously pledged to hand over the indictees in Sudanese custody: Ahmed Harun, Omar al Bashir, and Abdelrahim Mohammed Hussein. No such transfer has taken place yet. Persistent tribal violence in Darfur during the month of July has led to the death of nearly 80 civilians. |
