Darfur Women Action Group (DWAG) is a women-led anti-atrocities nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) status, founded in 2009 by a Darfuri genocide survivor to amplify the voices and empower the affected communities and to provide a platform for interested stakeholders to work on advancing its unique goals.

DWAG envisions a world where justice for all, equal rights and the respect for human dignity is the primordial ethic.

DWAG works on empowering survivors of the Darfur genocide, both in Sudan and in the diaspora. It does this by providing them with access to tools that will enable them to combat violence, address massive human rights abuses in their societies, and work with others to prevent future atrocities while promoting global peace.

DWAG is taking a unique approach to fighting and preventing genocide by:

• Advocating for protection of civilians, accountability for crimes committed and permanent settlement of the crises in Darfur and Sudan at large.
• Maintaining the international community’s attention on the situation in Darfur.
• Providing elementary level education for the children living in camps.
• Providing skills training, trauma counseling and psychosocial support for women survivors of sexual violence at our Women Empowerment Centers.
• Promoting leadership building among women at the grassroots level.
• Conducting capacity building trainings for civil society organizations from the affected communities on the ground in Darfur and within the diaspora.
• Collaborate and provide support for human rights defenders to ensure proper documentation.

In 2002, the Government of Sudan began a genocidal campaign against indigenous Africans in Darfur. Using militias, they killed innocent people, burned villages, looted properties, and destroyed food and water sources. Rape is used as a weapon of war and a method of terror against women, resulting in countless women and girls falling victim to sexual violence who are then left to suffer in silence due to the stigmas around survivors. The impact of the violence is harrowing: over 300,000 civilians have been killed, over 3 million people are still living in refugee or internally displaced camps today with nowhere to return to. In 2006, the United Nations International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur declared that war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed in Darfur. Additionally, the United States government, international organizations, and world leaders have officially declared the violence in Darfur to be genocide.

In 2009, the International Criminal Court (ICC) indicted former President Omar al-Bashir for genocide in Darfur. In retaliation, he expelled the most effective humanitarian aid agencies, restricted access to those in need, and used starvation as a tactic to kill more people. Countless men, women, and children have lost their lives while the living continue to endure unimaginable suffering. While for years, violence in Darfur has remained alarmingly high, world leaders have been silent and have not acted to stop the genocide. The al-Bashir regime’s isolation of Darfur from the rest of the world decreased international concern and reduced the sense of urgency, allowing the genocide to continue.

Former President al-Bashir of Sudan and four leaders from his regime are wanted by the ICC for the world’s worst crimes – genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity – committed in Darfur. They remained in power because of support by some superpowers. For years, the United States was seeking to normalize relations and the European Union initiated collaboration and cut an anti-immigration deal that gave money to the indicted war criminals. al-Bashir became emboldened and continued his genocidal policies by killing and starving his own people across Sudan.

In December 2018, Sudanese were mobilized in masses and took to the streets in an unprecedented uprising demanding the ouster of al-Bashir. On April 11, 2019, Bashir was forced out of power and, regrettably, another military general took power using similar forces to quell protests in Khartoum by ordering soldiers to shoot protesters. This resulted in two simultaneous massacres, one in Khartoum on June 3rd that killed over 150 people in one night, and another in Darfur, where 100 homes were burned, 15 people were killed, over 100 were wounded, and dozens of women were raped. Sadly, the world has done nothing to hold these criminals accountable.

Instead of securing a civilian government as demanded by the people of Sudan, the military has been granted the upper hand and given nearly full control over the interim government, leaving the issue of Darfur unresolved. On top of that, the generals who have committed genocide have been legitimized by the gradual rapprochement of the international community. We fear that this new arrangement will give them the power to completely eradicate the people of Darfur.

While the world turns a blind eye, we at DWAG say no to the silent conspiracy against the Darfur genocide and decided to stand firm and make our voices even louder in demanding accountability, protection, and peace.

That is why we need you: your voice and support. With your help, we can protect the victims and pressure the international community into meeting their obligation in bringing the perpetrators to justice through trial and bringing sustainable peace to Sudan before it is too late for the people of Darfur.

Will you help?