Author: DWAG Communication

Niemat Ahmadi

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir recently traveled to Jordan for the 28th summit of the Arab League. His presence was a stark contrast to 2014, when Jordan did not allow him to enter Amman, the capital of Jordan, to attend the summit. The reason for the ban was the pending arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC). Since 2009, al-Bashir is wanted for five counts of crimes against humanity, two counts of war crimes, and three counts of genocide.

Jordan has always been known as the Arab world’s leader in providing a safe haven for refugees. The country has taken in thousands of Iraqis, Palestinians, and Syrians as they fled war zones. However, the Jordanian Government should not allow a war criminal such as Omar al-Bashir to enter the country without facing the consequences of an international arrest warrant.

As recently as January 2016, President al-Bashir’s regime used chemical weapons against civilians in Darfur and the Nuba mountains killing nearly 250 people – mostly women and children. Additionally, it is a well-known fact that the regime has sponsored terrorism, welcoming Al Qaeda into the country in the 1990s, and more recently arming terrorist organizations such as Hamas and Islamic jihadist groups. All of these blatant violations of international law are good reasons for al-Bashir’s immediate arrest and ban from international conferences such as the Arab League summit.

All states must abide by their treaty obligations and anything to the contrary hurts the ICC’s objectives and aims, as recently pointed out by Prince Zeid bin Ra’ad Zeid al-Hussein, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Jordan, as an important player in the region, should stand with the victims of genocide in Darfur instead of aiding a criminal such as al-Bashir to evade justice.

by Adeena Eisen

“This is not just a humanitarian issue,” said Anne-Marie Slaughter, President and CEO of New America, a think-tank based in Washington D.C. Slaughter was referring to the international community’s handling of mass atrocities. On January 31, 2017, she spoke as part of the panel “After Aleppo: Prospects for Preventing Mass Atrocities in the New Trump Administration,” which I had the privilege of attending at the New America headquarters. The purpose of the panel was to address how the United States and the international community should respond to mass atrocities, especially in light of the new Trump administration.

Slaughter, who introduced the panel, spoke of how it is a grave mistake to address mass atrocities solely as humanitarian crises. In fact, if governments that commit human rights abuses are not stopped, they will inevitably pose security threats to the international community.

Such a perspective is vital to the goals of Darfur Women Action Group (DWAG). The genocide in Darfur does not just affect people living in the immediate region, but it also has repercussions for the global community. For example, the flow of refugees to European countries from crisis-affected areas—including Darfur—has presented major challenges to the European Union (EU). If the international community had acted preemptively to end such crises in Darfur or elsewhere, perhaps Europe would be dealing with a less overwhelming influx of refugees, which is difficult for any society to handle. This demonstrates that the international community has a stake in preventing mass atrocities.

Of course, preventing mass atrocities must be done out of good will too, or else it leads to short-sighted solutions. For example, the European Union (EU) is currently investing large sums of money to prevent more refugees from entering Europe. Even if this ‘solution’ is successful in keeping refugees out of European borders, it will not benefit the victims or end the genocide in Darfur.

Unfortunately, the tools needed to deal with genocide and other mass atrocities are limited. Luckily, other speakers on the panel were able to offer potential solutions that could expand the range of tools needed to prevent such crimes against humanity. Rich Fontaine, President of the Center for New American Policy, discussed the importance of investigating the financing of mass atrocities. This strategy could be especially relevant because the U.S. recently lifted sanctions on the Sudanese government. Reinstating these sanctions may block some of the financial resources that enable the government to commit human rights abuses against Darfuris.

This panel was valuable because it serves as a reminder that we must speak up and raise awareness among global leaders that ending the genocide in Darfur is in their own interest. By doing so, we can hold the Sudanese government accountable for genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity committed in Darfur and change how the international community responds to genocide.

On the 8th anniversary of Sudanese President al-Bashir’s arrest warrant, we at Darfur Women Action Group (DWAG) would like to express our grave concern regarding the continued impunity that the president enjoys. Despite the fact that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has charged President al-Bashir with committing genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, many countries have failed to cooperate with the ICC in holding him and other Sudanese leaders responsible for these heinous crimes.
We had hoped that justice would be forthcoming, if not through the ICC then through other forms. Instead, we have observed the United States improve relations with Sudan, even lifting economic sanctions that have been in place since the 1990s. At the same time, the European Union recently joined Sudan in creating an initiative that bars refugees from entering Europe. By allowing the Sudanese regime to get away with its crimes with impunity, the United States and the European Union not only undermine the ICC, but also embolden President al-Bashir and other war criminals who feel entitled to ignore (and even deny) the applicability of customary international law, including the Geneva Conventions, the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
The international community has repeatedly failed to impose consequences for President al-Bashir’s atrocities and has allowed the government of Sudan to continue its crimes in Darfur and throughout Sudan with impunity, betraying the people of Sudan who face violence every day.

 

ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF HIS INDICTMENT, LET US NOT FORGET:

 

THE CRIMES
President al-Bashir stands accused of the world’s most heinous crimes—genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The president launched the genocide in Darfur more than 13 years ago, by ordering the Sudanese Armed Forces and allied Janjaweed militias to carry out a scorched-earth campaign against the civilian population.

Since then, more than 300,000 people have been reported killed and thousands of villages have been destroyed. Rape has been systematically used as a weapon of war, and girls and women are attacked on a daily basis. Human rights defenders such as lawyers, journalists, and students are regularly arrested, tortured, and/or killed in custody.
To date, the Sudanese Government continues to carry out or sponsor violent attacks against innocent civilians in Darfur – including a recent massacre in Nertiti City that left 13 people dead and 60 people wounded. We are also deeply troubled that there have been allegations of the use of chemical weapons which still have not been investigated by the United Nations (UN).
DETERIORATING HUMANITARIAN CONDITIONS
In 2009, after learning of the ICC arrest warrant against him, President al-Bashir retaliated. The Sudanese President forced 13 international NGOs to leave Sudan and shut down three national organizations that provided lifesaving assistance for internally displaced people (IDPs) in Darfur. As a result, humanitarian conditions severely deteriorated and IDPs were subjected to starvation, diseases, water shortages, and acute malnutrition. To this day, conditions have not improved. Over 3 million Darfuris remain displaced and are unable to return home, in part because foreigners have occupied most of their lands.
EIGHT YEARS OF IMPUNITY MUST END
March 4, 2017, marks the 8th anniversary of the ICC arrest warrant against President al-Bashir. During this time, we have seen some ICC state parties demonstrate a strong commitment to justice by restricting al-Bashir’s ability to travel freely around the world.
Other countries, however, have consistently failed to hold the president accountable. China, a United Nations Security Council member, welcomed President al-Bashir for a state visit in 2011. Other ICC members, such as Chad, South Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti and Nigeria, have greeted and hosted the president. Among the countries that are not ICC members but have also welcomed Bashir are Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and South Sudan.
The failure to hold President al-Bashir accountable not only has devastating effects inside Sudan, but sends the wrong message to leaders like Syrian President Assad and others who are perpetrating extreme violence throughout the world. It supports their ability to continue killing their own people with total impunity.
If not in the name of the Security Council resolutions which referred the matter to the ICC; if not in the name of the Rome Statute, then in the name of the Geneva Conventions binding on all States, we urge all members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and the States parties to the Rome Statute to stand for justice and make this year the last anniversary of President al-Bashir‘s impunity.
We demand that Member States of the United Nations, and especially members of the Security Council and the Rome Statute, abide by the obligations deriving from the ICC arrest warrants against President al-Bashir and other Sudanese leaders. They will get far more justice in The Hague than their victims have gotten. To our African brothers an sisters, we recall that the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights clearly articulates and obligates African Union’s members to promote justice, rule of law and human dignity at home and internationally. To our Muslim brothers and sisters, we recall that Islam prohibits attacks on civilians especially the rape of innocent women and girls.
We urge western countries to consider withholding military and/or economic aid (with the exception of humanitarian aid) from countries that allow President al-Bashir to enter into their territory without being arrested. The United Nations (UN) should also seriously consider adopting new mechanisms to allow the enforcement of ICC arrest warrants on any areas administered by the UN, including its headquarters.
It is imperative that the international community makes it clear to President al-Bashir and all perpetrators of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, that their impunity will not be tolerated for another year.

 

 

Bijan Razzaghi

Bloody vomiting, difficulty breathing, diarrhea, rashes on the skin, miscarriage among women and loss of vision. These are some of the symptoms described by the victims of chemical attacks in Jebel Marra, a region in Darfur, Sudan. According to a report published by the nonprofit Amnesty International, more than 30 chemical attacks were carried out by the Sudanese government in the area of Jebel Marra in 2016 – as recently as September. The strikes claimed the lives of at least 250 innocent civilians, including many children, and continue to cause pain and suffering. Reports coming from the ground indicate that many individuals are still dealing with health complications stemming from the chemicals.

The government has denied independent investigators access to the areas affected, and therefore a thorough investigation into the chemical weapons use in Darfur is still pending. However, photographs and testimonies from victims suggest that the chemical of choice for these vicious attacks was blister agent (also known as mustard gas) – a compound of sulfur mustard and nitrogen mustard. The substance, used by Saddam Hussein against Iran and the Kurds in the 1980s, can cause blistering and peeling of the skin, respiratory distress, and loss of vision. The compound is not an instant killer, but it can trigger long-term health complications that can eventually be fatal. In other words, deaths caused by this agent are slow and painful – making it the most cruel war weapon in the market.

The compound was most likely delivered through artillery shells or aerial bombs dropped by Sudanese Air Force planes SU-24s, SU-25s, and A-5s. It is widely known that these aircraft were provided by Russia and China, and that they are capable of carrying these types of chemical bombs. The planes have been spotted in airfields located in the cities El Fesher and Nayala – which is in itself a problem. Their presence violates the United Nations Security Council’s (UNSC) resolution 1556, which states that no military aircraft should be operating in the Darfur region.

Fighting Impunity

Although there is no physical evidence of the attacks in Darfur, there is little doubt that they took place. Among the 56 witnesses featured in Amnesty International’s report, many described bombs falling from the sky that exploded into “a toxic cloud of smoke.” This description matches other accounts of chemical weapons recorded in different parts of the world. Other than that, it is hard to believe that hundreds of people in Darfur would lie about what they saw and experienced, as well as the resulting health issues that affects them to this day.

These tragic testimonies should have been enough to make the international community demand justice and accountability for these crimes. In the least, they should have sparked sufficient outrage for the United Nations to demand immediate access for an independent investigation in the area. However, there has been little to no reaction from most world leaders, including the United States. It is surprising, considering that three years earlier a similar event occurred in Syria and there was a major reaction, even resulting in the destruction of that country’s chemical weapons. Why is Sudan an exception?

It is particularly important that the international community be reminded that the chemical weapons attacks in Darfur violate the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), an arms control treaty supported by the United Nations (UN) that forbids the production, stockpiling and use of chemical agents. Furthermore, they violate the laws of war determined by the Geneva Convention, specially the ones that protect civilians and civilian objects. And lastly, the use of chemical weapons by the Sudanese government demonstrates a blatant disregard for human life and the wellbeing of citizens living in Darfur and the the values that the Geneva Convention has preached.

It is time that this issue be treated with the seriousness that it deserves. The victims’ accounts need be taken into consideration as evidence. The United Nations (UN), the United States and member states of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) must demand immediate access to the areas affected for an independent investigation. The Sudanese government should be held to the same standards as other leaders who have committed similar crimes. It is morally and legally imperative to apply appropriate measures on the chemical attacks in Darfur, and to ensure that perpetrators pay for their crimes.

Ignoring serious crimes such as genocide and the use of chemical weapons will not only embolden criminals like President al-Bashir of Sudan, but will also further erode international norms and put our institutions’ competency in question.

9 February 2017

 

 

Member States of the UNSC
United Nations
New York

 
Your Excellencies,

 
Darfur Women Action Group (DWAG) and the undersigned would like to express our deep concern about the recent massacres against civilians in Nertiti, Jabel Marra, Central Darfur, and El Geneina West Darfur. We are particularly concerned with the continuing surge of violence that has killed countless men, women and children and devastated lives in Darfur, Sudan for more than 14 years. We are equally appalled by the lack of independence and transparency in the investigations of these incidents, a continuing and unfortunate trend regarding violent crimes committed against civilians in the area.

 
As you may have learned, on 1 January, Sudanese government forces invaded the city of Nertiti and committed a brutal massacre, slaughtering 10 innocent civilians and injuring another 60 people. Among the victims were several young children and the only doctor in the city, whose job was to save lives. On that same week, another tragic attack took place in El Geneina. On this occasion, 5 people were killed. Sadly, to date there has been no investigation or accountability regarding either incident.

 
We are disheartened by the continuing inaction of the international community regarding credible reports of the use of chemical weapons in Darfur. According to a report by Amnesty International, published in late 2016, over 250 civilians, the majority of whom were women and children, were killed by an aerial bombing of mysterious substances. The Sudanese government continues to deny access to the area for independent investigation while victims of the attack remain in need of urgent medical attention. Our contacts on the ground within the affected communities have reported that victims of such attacks are still suffering from skin breakage, vomiting, loss of vision and other symptoms as a result of the chemicals. As Sudan is a party to the Chemical Weapons Convention since 1999, we urgently call on the UN and the OPCW to investigate these allegations immediately.

 
Your Excellencies

 
The United Nation African Union Mission (UNAMID) troops were on the ground when these attacks took place, and in many instance not far away the crime scenes. UNAMID has constantly failed to protect civilians and to provide adequate reporting of incidents, which allows the government of Sudan to manipulate the situation, dilute the truth and restrict the flow of humanitarian assistance to the needy.

 
The renewed attacks in Nierteti and El Geneina are not isolated incidents but part of the ongoing and systematic attack that the Sudanese government has been perpetrating against specific groups in Darfur for more than 14 years. Violence has soared since 2016, with unprecedented aerial bombings that have driven well over 400,000 people out of their homes, many of whom remain trapped in the mountains. All the while, the government of al-Bashir has constantly denied these victims access to lifesaving humanitarian assistance.

 
We are deeply concerned that UNAMID and other United Nations’ (UN) agencies have failed to provide an accurate account of the number of violent deaths in Darfur as these attacks continue. The UN has also failed to document the exact number of incidents of sexual violence against women and of displaced people and communities. The inaction of the UN, and subsequent lack of data and pressure have resulted in insufficient humanitarian aid, a free pass for perpetrators and lack of justice for victims. We look to you, Mr. Secretary General and Mr. President, to ensure the UNAMID delivers on its mandate.

 
Your Excellencies, the ICC had indicted President al-Bashir for the world’s worst crimes – genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity – yet he continues to carry on his genocidal policy against the people of Darfur. He has exercised ruthless barbarity and cruelty; his soldiers systematically use rape as a weapon of war. Despite more than 40 resolutions by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Darfur and the fact that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued five arrest warrants for individuals responsible for the genocide and other crimes in Darfur, Sudan has refused to fulfill its commitments to international treaties related to human rights and to demonstrate respect for the rule of law.

 

 

Furthermore, Sudan has continued to defy justice and to undermine the authority of the UNSC by flouting its obligation to cooperate with the ICC, while continuing to undermine the authority of the UNSC with impunity.
Accordingly, we the undersigned call on the UN leadership, the UNSC and its Member States to match their words with actions to hold Sudan accountable. It is imperative that the international community hold the Sudanese regime accountable for violating fundamental international norms, not only in defense of the civilian population of Darfur but in the name of all humanity. We urgently petition the United Nations and in particular the UNSC to IMMEDIATELY take the following measures to end violence, protect civilians, and restore the dignity of the people of Darfur and Sudan at large.

 
We, the undersigned, ask that the UNSC act IMMEDIATELY to:

 
● Impose measures to ensure that the Sudanese regime and its sponsored militias immediately cease the criminal aerial bombardment of civilian areas in Darfur and throughout Sudan, including South Kordofan and the Blue Nile.
● Demand immediate access to the areas affected by the use of chemical weapons for an independent investigation and medical treatment to victims.
● Launch a professional and independent task force with expertise in sexual and gender-based violence to conduct an investigation into crimes of sexual violence, including alleged abuses in Tabit and other parts of Darfur and provide physical and psychological treatment for the victims of the ongoing sexual violence.
● Impose measures to ensure that the Sudanese regime allows unhindered humanitarian access and medical assistance to all people in Darfur and throughout Sudan.
● Impose measures on Sudanese regime and its armed forces, military intelligence, and allied militias to stop all war crimes and other serious abuses – including attacks on civilians, harassment, intimidation, arbitrary arrests, and restrictions on the freedom of movement of humanitarian aid workers.
● Demand that all military personnel, regardless of rank, implicated in abuses – including as a matter of command responsibility – are held fully accountable.
● Impose travel bans and freeze assets on individuals responsible for crimes committed in Darfur, particularly the use of chemical weapons, violence against women, mass killing, continued obstruction of peacekeepers, and denial of humanitarian assistance.

 
The suffering and oppression of the people of Darfur and Sudan have continued for far too long – especially for women and girls who have not only survived genocide but also rape. It is time for the UN and in particular the UNSC to fulfill their Charter responsibilities in order to ensure that civilians are protected, perpetrators are held accountable and the people of Darfur can voluntarily return to their lands, in the name of lasting peace, justice and human dignity. Those who commit genocide, use chemical weapons and rape as “normal” tools of war are morally and legally reprehensible. According them normal protocols as Heads of State and Government delivers the message – not only to al-Bashir but to other war criminals around the world — that the international community will accept such crimes without meaningful consequences. It is an erosion of customary international law and an attack on our common humanity that the United Nations must not allow to continue any longer.

 
We would be grateful if you would circulate this letter to all Member States of the Security Council.

 
On behalf of the survivors of genocide and sexual violence in Darfur and on behalf of all those who seek peace and justice in Darfur and in Sudan, We assure Your Excellencies of our highest consideration.

 
Sincerely, the undersigned.

 
Niemat Ahmadi, President
Norrie Kurtz, Chair of the Board
Darfur Women Action Group
Washington DC, United States

 
Lauren Fortgang and Diane Koosed
Never Again Coalition
Portland, OR, United States

 
Abdalmageed Haroun
Human Rights and Advocacy Network for Democracy (HAND)
Brooklyn, NY, United States

 

 

Dr. Jacky MAMOU, President
Collectif Urgence Darfour
Paris, France

 

 

Darfur Union in the Netherlands
Utrecht, The Netherlands

 

 

Stop Genocide Now
Redondo Beach, CA, United States

 

 

Greg Stanton, President
Genocide Watch
Washington DC, United States

 

 

Al Sutton M.D.
African Freedom Coalition
New York, NY, United States

 

 

Ismail Adam
Darfur Association of Canada
Toronto, Canada

 

 

Drar Adam Drar, Secretary General
Face Past for Future Foundation (FP4F)
Kampala, Uganda

 

 

Martha Boshnick, Co-chair
Darfur Interfaith Network
Washington DC, United States

 

 

Debra Dawson
African Soul and American Heart
Fargo, ND, United States

 

 

Ahmed H. Adam, Sudanese Scholar
United Kingdom

 

 

Daowd Salih, Co -Founder/Board President
Damanga Coalition for Freedom and Democracy
Charlottesville, VA, United States

 

 

Ibrahim Ahmed
Beja Organization for Peace and Development
Herndon, VA, United States

 

 

Eileen Weiss, Co-Founder
NY Coalition for Sudan
New York, NY, United States

 

Sharon Silber, Co-Director
Jews Against Genocide
New York, NY, United States

 

 

Mahjob Abdalla
Darfur Diaspora Association
Mississauga, Canada

 

 

Emily Bove, Executive Director
Women Thrive World Wide
Washington DC, United States

 

 

Esther Sprague
Sudan Unlimited
San Francisco, CA, United States

 

Motasim Adam
Darfur People’s Association of New York
Brooklyn, NY, United States

 

 

Olivia Warham, MBE Director
Waging Peace
London, United Kingdom

 

 

Eric Cohen, Co-founder
Act for Sudan
Boston, MA, United States

 

 

William Rosenfeld, Director
Coalition for Darfur
Boston, MA, United States

 

Susan Morgan, Co-founder
Investors Against Genocide
San Francisco, CA, United States

 

Dr. Ali Dinar, President
Darfur Alert Coalition
Philadelphia, PA, United States

 

Dr. Mahamoud Braima
Darfur Association
Baton Rouge, LA, United States

 

 

Adam Omer, President
Darfur Association
Lincoln, NE, United States

 

Bakheit Shatta, President
Darfur Community Association
Omaha, NE, United States

 

Elfadel Arabab, Director
Fur Cultural Revival
Portland, ME, United States

 

Abdelhameed Ali, Chairman
Fur Solidarity
Baltimore, MD, United States

 

 

Bijan Razzaghi

The Government of Sudan has long used aircraft to bomb villages in Darfur, killing thousands of civilians and displacing millions of innocent people. In an attempt to limit Sudan’s ability to continue attacking Darfuris, in 2005 the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) imposed an Arms Embargo that prohibits countries from supplying Sudan with weapons. Unfortunately, China has consistently ignored the UN’s directive and its obligation as a member state and has consistently provided bomber planes to the Sudanese government.

In my research as a Policy Intern and Darfur Women Action Group (DWAG), I found that China has recently committed to selling to the government of Sudan six new combat aircraft made at the Guizhou Aircraft Industry Corporation. The aircraft are of the make and model FTC-2000 and will replace aircraft A-5 and F-7, which have been used in Sudan since the 1990s.

The new FTC-2000s were designed as light trainer-attack aircraft, and have the capability of flying many hours and with more frequency than existing Sudanese aircraft. Such characteristics can enhance Sudan’s ongoing genocidal campaign and are a potential risk for the people of Darfur. These aircraft will enable the Sudanese government to execute more frequent attacks on Darfuri villages, and for longer periods of time.

A delivery date for the airplanes has not been set, but it will likely happen in 2017. The planes will probably be exchanged for Sudan’s most precious natural resource and China’s most pressing need – oil. However, it does not matter how Sudan will pay China for the product. The deal is still a violation of the UN’s Arms Embargo on Sudan.

This is not the first time that China has aided Sudan’s Military and, consequently, contributed to the genocide in Darfur. For this reason, an accountability mechanism must be applied for both perpetrators alike – not only the genocidal government of Sudan but also for its allies. The Chinese government must be held accountable for providing the planes used to attack civilians.