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Press release
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PRESS
RELEASE Monday, March 2, 2009
For
Immediate Release by
Bushara
Dosa, President,
Darfur
People’s Assn. of NY
darfurny@yahoo.com
718-753-5863
The Brooklyn-based Darfur
People’s Association of NY will be joined by Darfuris from
throughout the United States , and by local advocacy groups, to
express gratitude to the
United Nations
Security Council for authorizing, and not impeding,
the
International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigation
into, and prosecution of, government-sponsored crimes in Darfur .
From 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 4, 2009, we will
rally in Dag Hammarskjold Park on East 47th Street,
near the Sudan Mission, to acknowledge that, without the
Security Council’s
support, we could not welcome on March 4th the expected
decision by the ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber I to issue an
arrest warrant for Sudan’s president, Omar Hassan
al-Bashir, responsive to the ICC
Prosecutor’s
application for said warrant based on charges of genocide,
crimes against
humanity, and
war crimes.
We commend the ICC Prosecutor, judges, and staff for perseverance
in seeking justice for our people, who have waited so long for our
plight to be addressed in a legal forum where accountability can
reign. We pray that attention to past crimes will lead to an end
to ongoing violence against our people.
President al-Bashir has used
local janjaweed militia and Sudan government military forces to
conduct a vicious campaign against our people, causing at least
500,000 deaths since 2003. Thousands of our sisters have been
brutally raped and abandoned. Millions of our people still seek
refuge in internally-displaced person and refugee camps, a process
that can separate family members permanently. Thousands of our
villages have been destroyed, and our water polluted.
In the months since ICC
judges received the case against al-Bashir, he and his allies
argued that continuation of ICC investigations and prosecutions
related to Darfur would hurt efforts to negotiate peace and
improve security there. They asked the
U.N. Security Council to suspend ICC judges'
activities on Darfur pursuant to Article 16 of the ICC-founding
Rome Statute. We in the diaspora, and all Darfuris, rejected
Khartoum
’s manipulative arguments, and urged the Security Council to let
the ICC judges act now. We are heartened that the Council heard
our cries as genocide victims, and did not capitulate to al-Bashir’s
campaign for impunity involving his past and ongoing crimes.
We remain fearful of al-Bashir’s
threats against peacekeepers, humanitarian workers, and Darfuri
civilians if an arrest warrant is issued for him. The
international community never should tolerate such threats, and
immediately should provide all protective support needed to
prevent loss of innocent lives in response to the ICC arrest
warrant.
We believe the ICC set an
example for international institutions that all are capable of
achieving global peace by pursuing justice and, by holding al-Bashir
accountable, proved that no one is above the law. We urge
the Security Council to further support the ICC by ensuring that
al-Bashir and other architects and perpetrators of crimes against
our people are arrested and turned over to the ICC for trial. Do
not forget that the ICC issued
arrest warrants
in 2007 for Sudan government official Ahmad Harun and
janjaweed
leader
Ali Kushayb, but they remain free, and Harun now is
Sudan
’s Minister of Humanitarian Affairs. We believe that arresting
al-Bashir, Harun, and Kushayb, and bringing them to trial, not
only will bring us justice but also will protect our brothers and
sisters elsewhere by deterring tyrants who consider following the
treacherous footsteps of the al-Bashir regime. We urge Member
States of the ICC and Security Council to fulfill their
responsibility to assist in the arrest of anyone for whom the ICC
issues a warrant.
As Darfuris, we believe
there can be no lasting peace in Sudan without accountability and
justice for all perpetrators of crimes against humanity, war
crimes, and genocide. We again thank the U.N. Security Council for
permitting ICC judges to proceed now. |
July 16, 2008
Darfuri
Civil Society and Darfuri’s Organizations in the United States
Contact
person: Motasim Adam
Tel:347
6838017 Email : motasim2000@yahoo.com
The Darfuri
Civil Society living in the Diaspora (US). Organize rally on Tuesday,
July 22, 2008 at front of the United Nations in New York ( 47th
St and First Ave. ) to support and express our appreciation for the
Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno- Ocampo’s formal request for an arrest
warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the President of
The Sudan Omar Hassan Ahmad Al-Bashir. Mr. Moreno- Ocampo’s unwavering
commitment to seeking justice for the people of Darfur led him to this
historic decision and we sincerely thank the UN Security Council for
referring the case of Darfur to the ICC and providing Mr. Moreno-Moreno-Ocampo
with the mandate to carry out his assigned mission.
Our people
have cried out for justice for the last five years only to see the
humanitarian and political crisis worsen in Darfur. Mr. Moreno-Ocampo’s
request to examine the culpability of President Al Bashir for the
genocide committed against our friends and families brings us some hope
that the international community may finally match its rhetoric with
actions that lead to real results in The Sudan. It is for this reason
that we give our unequivocal support to Mr. Moreno-Ocampo’s decision
which aims to provide much delayed accountability for those responsible
for the destruction of the lives and livelihoods of Darfuris.
Despite the
immense magnitude of suffering and unimaginable pain of our people, we
have witnessed many governments and international experts condemn Mr.
Moreno- Ocampo’s decision with some of the same justifications and
rationales as President Al Bashir and the Government of Sudan. These
criticisms ignore the Darfuri voices that uniformly approve of the ICC’s
efforts and view the ICC as the only available outlet to secure justice
and accountability for the crimes committed in Darfur since 2003.
Therefore, we implore the UN Security Council to take no actions that
would impede the work of Mr. Moreno-Ocampo and the ICC.
We further
ask the UN Security Council to provide global leadership to ensure that
the campaigns for “peace and justice” in Sudan move forward together.
Such an effort begins with sending a message to the Government of Sudan
that the international community will not tolerate any reprisals against
the people of Darfur on account of the proceedings at the ICC. Equally
important, we believe that no one should ask the people of Darfur to
relinquish their rights to hold their perpetrators accountable in
exchange for unreliable promises regarding the establishment of peace
and security in Darfur. Our people have witnessed too many peace
initiatives fail and too many delays in the deployment of an effective
peacekeeping mission to put all of our hope in only these two domains.
We understand the difficulty at hand in dealing with an authoritarian
and genocidal government such as the one led by President Al Bashir.
However, there are no moral or legal grounds to strip our people – who
are the undisputed victims – of their legitimate rights for justice. We
have full confidence that with coordinated diplomacy and pressure from
the members of the UN Security Council peace, protection, and justice
can all be achieved for the long-suffering people of Darfur.
We believe
that Mr. Moreno-Ocampo has greatly contributed to this effort, as he was
requested to do so by the UN Security Council. It is our sincere hope
that the member states of the Security Council will continue to support
his efforts to reveal the truth about the genocide committed in Darfur
as the proceedings of the ICC will help end the culture of impunity in
Darfur and Sudan and assist all Darfuris and Sudanese in their efforts
to end the Darfur catastrophe and build sustainable peace.
When :
Tuesday, July 22nd , 2008 – 100 pm
Where: 47th
St. and First Ave. in Manhattan ( Dag Hammarskjöld Park )
رابطة ابناء دارفور بنيويورك تنظم مسيرة كبرى تاييدا لمحكمة العد ل الدولية
لاعتقال البشير
تتويجا للفرح الذي غمرقلوب الملايين من اهل دارفور ومناصري العدالة وحقوق
الانسان واحتفالا بالانتصار الكبير لابناء دارفور ومنظماتهم بمختلف ارجاء
الكون وناشطي حقوق الانسان ، تنظم رابطة ابناء دارفور بنيويورك مسيرة كبرى
تاييد ا وترحيبا لمذكرة اعتقال المشير البشير الذي ارتكب جرائم حرب وتطهير
عرقي و ابادة جماعية بدارفور ، والذي اطلق العنان على الجنجويد والجيش
السوداني لطمث الهوية الدارفورية ومحو اثار البشيرية بتلك البقعة الطاهرة من
الكرة الارضية ، ضاربا قيم الدين الحنيف و تعاليمه بارض الحائط ناسيا يوم
يقوم الناس لرب العالمين.
ان مرتكبي جرائم الحرب بدارفور لابد ان ينالوا جزاءهم بما اقترفت ايديهم
الاثمة من انتهاك سافر لحقوق الانسان في دارفور وتلاعب بروحه وتدمير
لممتلكاته وثقافته.
وبهذه المناسبة تهيب الرابطة جميع ابناء دارفور بالولايات المتحدة ومناصري
العدالة وحقوق الانسان للمشاركة الفاعلة في هذه المسيرة الهادرة تضامنا مع
المدعي العام لمحكمة العدل الدولية ودعما لموقفه القوي لاعتقال البشير واعضاء
حكومته ليعلموا انه ولّى عصر الظلام واخفاء الجرائم والانفلات من المحاسبة
والمساءلة وان دماء اطفال ونساء دارفور ليست رخيصة ولا يمكن ان تروح هدرا
وتختفي بين ملفات الموت التي تحاول الحكومة مواراتها بين طيّات الظلام وان
السلام المستدام والاستقرار يبدآن بتحقيق العدالة والمحاسبة.
الزمان: الثلاثاء الموافق 22 يوليو 2008 الساعة الواحدة ظهرا.
المكان: امام المقر الدائم للامم المتحدة بنيويورك بميدان داق همرشولد
47 St and 1st Ave.
بمنهاتن
رابطة ابناء دارفور بنيويورك ترحب بمذكرة توقيف المشير عمر البشير
ترحب رابطة ابناء دارفور بنيويورك بالمذكرة التي اصدرها المدعي العام لمحكمة
الجنايات الدولية لويس اوكامبو بالقبض على المشير البشير لمحاكمته على ما
ارتكبه من فظائع تراوح بين التطهير العرقي والابادة الجماعية وجرائم ضد
الانسانية وجرائم حرب مستخدما ابشع الوسائل من تقتيل وتشريد للسكان واغتصاب
وتجويع وحرق كامل للقري والحضر وطمث للهوية و العادات والتقاليد والموروثات
وذلك بالمشاركة المباشرة من خلال اصدار الاوامروالتعليمات واطلاق العنان على
ايدي المليشيات للعبث بارواح مواطني دارفور.
ان الخطوة الجريئة التي اتخذتها المحكمة الدولية تاتي لوضع حد لعبث الخرطوم
بحياة الناس واعراضهم وارواحهم وتمثل انتصارا كبيرا لاهل دارفور الذين ذاقوا
الويل والعذاب وانذارا لكل من اراد البطش بشعبه ان مصيره سيكون قطبان محكمة
العدل الدولية وانه ولّى الزمان الذي يفلت فيه كل مجرم حرب من يد العدالة وان
شمس الظلم قد غابت والي الابد.
وبهذه المناسبة ستسير رابطة ابناء دارفور بنيويورك مظاهرة حاشدة يوم الاثنين
الموافق 23 يوليو الجاري تاييدا ودعما لمذكرة توقيف البشير وسوف يشارك في
المظاهرة كل فعاليات ابناء دارفور بالولايات المتحدة ومناصرو العدالة والحرية
وحقوق الانسان
رابطة طلاب وادي هور بالجامعات والمعاهد العليا
بيان رقم (1)
الي جماهير شعبنا الصامدة:
قد درج المؤتمر الوطني علي شق الصف وزرع الفتنة بين كل شخصين أو حزبين أو
قبيلتين متماسكتين وذلك عن طريق المبايعة الصورية التي تهدف الي الكسب
الاعلامي في ظاهره وشق التآلف في باطنه.
جماهير شعبنا الأوفياء:
وقد سعي البعض من بني جلدتنا بحثا عن أقرب الطرق الي الثراء فوقعوا ضحايا
في أحضان المؤتمر الوطني فتبنوا له برنامج بيعة أبناء الزغاوة ، وقد جمع
بين الطرفين مصالح البيع والشراء دون وضع أدني أعتبار للأوضاع الصعبة التي
يقاسيها أهلنا النازحين واللاجئين بالشقيقة تشاد والمشردين في أنحاء العالم
المختلفة ناسين بذلك الأرواح الطاهرة التي أزهقت والعروض التي هتكت
والأطفال الأيتام الذين شردوا، فباعوهم بثمن بخس حفنة دراهم .
وعليه نأكد لهذه المجموعة التي لا تمثل ألا نفسها ، وليس لها أتجاه أو وزن
سوي البحث عن المال بأي شكل حتي لو علي حساب جماجم الأبرياء.
ونحن أذ نأكد لهذه المجموعة وأذيالها الرديئة البائسة بأن هذا التصرف لا
يمر مرور الكرام. فنحن ضد هذا السلوك البشع الذي لا يشبه صفات أبناء شعب
الزغاوة، ونتوعد الباحثين عن الثراء علي حساب دماء شهداؤنا الطاهرة
وأموالنا المنهوبة وقرانا التي حرقت بيد أوليائهم من مرتزقة وانتهازيي
المؤتمر الوطني وجنجويدها ، نتوعدهم بيوم شديد البأس وحينها لا ينفعهم
مالهم الذي أكتسبوه بالباطل ولا حزبهم الذي جعل لهم وزناً وسيعرفون الي أي
منقلب سينقلبون عندما نضربهم بيد من حديد .
جماهير شعبنا الشرفاء:
أن هؤلاء المارقين ليسو منا فاليبحثوا عن شعب يأويهم غير الزغاوة ولا مكان
لهم بيننا بعد اليوم.
وبذات القدر ندين سلوك الذين سرقوا أسم رابطة طلاب وادي هور بالجامعات
والمعاهد العليا رغم سلامة نواياهم وسعيهم للوقوف ضد الفئة الباغية ألا
أننا ندعوهم الي المؤسسية وأحترام الكيان لا الزج بالاسباب التي تخلق
الصراعات .
قف .
- أرفعوا أياديكم عن شعب الزغاوة فلا تدنسوا شرف هذا الشعب العظيم .
قف .
- أيها المؤتمر الوطني أن هؤلاء لا يمثلون ألا أنفسهم . فما أبخس العرض وما
أغلي الثمن ...
ودمتم زخراً لحماية شرف شعبكم الأبي الزغاوة .
ضرار ادم ضرار
NEW
YORK METROPOLITAIN DARFUR ACTIVIST GROUPS CALL UPON CHINA TO DO MORE.
ALSO ASK WORLD COMMUNITY TO SANCTION TOP SUDAN OFFICIALS IN WAKE OF
RECENT VIOLENCE
In the
wake of a renewed Sudanese government bombing campaign on civilian
targets in recent days, Sudanese supported incursions into Chad and
attacks on civilians there, deteriorating conditions in
Darfur, and reports of tens of thousands of refugees from
Darfur fleeing into Chad, DarfurMetro, a consortium of groups
including coalitions of smaller grassroots organizations based in
Manhattan, Brooklyn, Westchester,
New Jersey, Queens, Bronx,
Long Island and
Connecticut, called for significant engagement by the Chinese
government to press for peace and security in
Darfur. Representatives of these groups, including New York
City Coalition for
Darfur, Brooklyn for Peace, Westchester
Darfur Coalition,
Long Island SaveDarfur, Bronx Committee on
Darfur, STAND-St John's University,
New Jersey Coalition for
Darfur and
Connecticut SaveDarfur yesterday joined
Mia Farrow, Jill Savitt of Dream for
Darfur and members of the local Darfuri community in front of
the Chinese Mission to the UN on 35 St and 1st Avenue to ask
China to do much more to resolve the Darfur crisis, which has
worsened in recent weeks. They attempted to deliver a letter
yesterday, signed by 100 members of Congress, calling for increased
Chinese pressure on the Sudanese regime but were met by locked doors.
A
spokesman for the consortium, Sharon Silber, Ph.D. of
New York City Coalition for
Darfur , said today that there needs to be much more pressure
placed on the Sudanese regime to reengage in significant peace talks,
to halt attacks on civilians and to allow the delivery of humanitarian
aid in the region. This pressure should include significant sanctions
placed on the Sudanese government officials most directly responsible
for the targeting of civilians and the policy of massive human rights
violations pursued as a strategy of counter-insurgency for the
regime. These officials include the following:
Omar Al-Bashir, President of
Sudan, Deputy Vice-President Ali Taha, head of the Sudanese
Security Council, Salah Gosh, head of the National security apparatus
which trains Janjiweed in methods of torture, Nafi Ali Nafi, General
Secretary and the originator of the so-called "Ghost Houses" where
individuals are tortured at night in buildings that stand empty by
day, Abdulrahim Mohamed Hussein, Defense Minister who armed and
directed Janjiweed militias, Al Zubir Taha, Minister of the Interior
and head of state police, Awad Aljaz, Energy and Oil Minister who
provides cash to Janjiweed militias and purchases weapons and Bakir
Hasan Salih, Assistant to Al-Bashir on Security and formerly Minister
of Defense, who devised the strategy of targeting civilian population
as method of maintaining control through terrorizing the local
population. She asked that the Chinese government stop shielding
Sudan from sanctions in the Security Council, call upon the
Sudanese to stop their policy of attacks on civilians and press the
Sudanese regime to re-enter peace talks with the rebel groups.
Dr.
Silber said that because of the deteriorating security situation,
there are reports of imminent insufficiency of water and food supplies
for internally displaced persons in the region. Soon it may be
necessary to fly in massive quantities of these supplies to break the
blockade created by the policies of the ruling military regime.
Dr.
Silber indicated that because of their provision of weapons and funds
to the Sudanese regime, as well as their protection of
Sudan in the UN Security Council, the Chinese government is
responsible for the atrocities which the Sudanese government continues
to commit with impunity.
She
also called upon the US government to pursue more vigorously the
implementation of multilateral sanctions and to commit significant
staff and resources to the reinvigoration of peace talks in the
region.
She
asked that European governments display a real willingness to pursue
sanctions which they have to the present time avoided, and to support
UNAMID deployment to give security to the people of
Darfur .
Representatives of grass-roots organizations joined in this call for
greater action on
Darfur . It is up to all of us, said Fran Minichello, of
Brooklyn for Peace, to help the people of
Darfur .
your
Darfuri neighbors
Are you aware that, in the Kensington
neighborhood of Brooklyn, more than 300 refugees from
Darfur,
Sudan are making a home … and are trying to protect their family, friends and
others left behind in Internally-Displaced Person (IDP) camps
in Darfur, and in refugee camps in the
adjacent country, eastern Chad.
To do so, they created the Darfur
People’s Association of New York (DPANY).
2
½ million native Africans already have been displaced from their Darfur
homes,
with family members often separated when
fleeing. To prevent Darfuris from ever returning to their homes, 85% of
towns have been burned and many water-wells poisoned. To prevent
reconstruction of displaced families, almost 100% Muslim,
1) women and female children are targeted
for rape and disfigurement & expectable community rejection and 2) the
450,000 Darfuris murdered thus far primarily are men and male children.
Many men who survive must flee Sudan alone: DPANY includes only 18
women and 27 children, & members strive to locate family and friends
“lost” in Darfur and to re-unite their families there.
More than 250,000 Darfuris have lived for
up to 4 years in Chad camps with no schools. To help establish
classrooms, DPANY collected supplies that would not melt or
dry-up during months of hot transport: pencils, notebooks, pads,
blackboard chalk & erasers, backpacks. Refugees have little clothing
& little water for washing. To address this need, DPA
collected used & new, light-weight, clean clothing especially for
women, children and babies, women’s flat shoes, children’s shoes, unisex
T-shirts & caps. DPA also collected 500 large laundry
bags for sorting and storage, and shipping. In 2006-2007, DPANY
collected school supplies and clothing to fill three 40-sq. foot
shipping carriers &, for each, collected $20,000 for sea & overland
transport through Camaroon & Chad, & for a member to escort the trucked
bags and distribute their contents in camps. On
11/19/07, DPANY shipped a 4th carrier,
from Newark to Libya, from where the contents will be trucked through
Libya & Chad. A Libyan NGO (non-government organization) may pay
for overland shipping to one United Nations-designated camp; but the
$8000 debt remaining for transport must be paid before
1/01/08 if bags are to be released by the
shipper from the Libyan port for delivery to the camp. DPANY
needs your help now. Please
donate funds, or help to raise funds.
Donations
formally are tax-deductible if you write
checks and money orders to Brooklyn for Peace,
DPANY’s non-profit 501©(3) fiscal sponsor ( DPANY is a NYS
not-for-profit corporation but does not yet have Federal status
). In the check Memo section,
write “DPANY Refugee Camp Drive”.
If formal tax-deductibility is not needed, write checks
to Darfur People’s Association of New York and include the same
language in the check Memo section.
Mail all donations to
Darfur People’s Association of
NY (DPANY),
Box 300405, Brooklyn, N.Y.
11230.
For further information,
contact DPANY President Motasim Adam(347-683-8017),
Rahama
Deffallah (347-721-6387), Bushara Dosa (347-254-0778), Laura Limuli
(Darfur Crisis Committee of Brooklyn for
Peace718-788-6175), or DPANY cubicle
(718-282-0108 ext. 282, Fax:
718-284-9812) donated by CAMBA (former Church
Ave. Merchants Block Assn.) in Suite
307, 2211 Church Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11226.
Visit
www.darfurpeopleny.org .
Volunteer clerks, web master, and
home-based English tutors for women are needed.
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27, Ch. des Crêts-de-Pregny, 1218 Grand-Saconnex, Geneva
(Switzerland) Tel: 0041 22 747 00 89
Fax: 0041 22 747 00 38 E-mail:
info@darfurcentre.ch
Webpage
http://www.darfurcentre.ch
Darfur Relief and Documentation Centre
Geneva, 13.02.2008
New Wave of Violence in Darfur
In a new wave of violence and destruction in Darfur, the
government of Sudan and its allied Janjaweed
militia, supported by heavy military equipments
including Antonov bombers and helicopter gunships,
attacked and destroyed vast area in West Darfur State.
The attack was carried out on Friday 8 th
February
2008 against Abo Soroug, Seirba and Selia and their
environs in Kulbus province, north of El-Geneina,
West Darfur State. The area is mainly inhabited by the
Eringa indigenous African tribe. In a typical
scorched-earth tactic, the army and the Janjaweed
targeted civilian populations and installations for killing
and destruction. They looted and destroyed whole
residential areas including market places and medical
centres. They also destroyed water sources, food stores
and attacked premises of humanitarian
organisations such as the ICRC, MSF and Concern. This
attack left thousands of civilians without shelter,
food or other means of survival. Following the attack
the government cordoned off the area, prevented
United Nations agencies from visiting the area and
ordered the army to burry the villagers’ dead bodies in
mass graves. Preliminary information indicates that at
least 200 people were killed during these attacks.
The Janjaweed targeted villages’ headmen and community
leaders for selective killing. In Seirba they
killed about 45 persons including Fursha (Chief Mayor)
Mr. Da`wod Idris Ishag, his wife and four of his
aides. At least 90 civilians were injured in Seirba and
more than 18,500 were displaced. DRDC is in
possession of the names of 24 persons killed in Seirba.
In Abu Soroug, the Janjaweed killed the Chief
Mayor and about 40 villagers including 13 children, 8
women and 4 elderly people. At least 340 civilians
were injured in Abu Soroug including 23 children and 8
women, and about 10,000 were displaced. In
Selia, the Janjaweed seriously injured the Chief Mayor
and killed 38 of his entourage. At least 270
civilians were injured in Selia and about 12,800 were
displaced.
The new wave of violence caused the displacement of
large numbers of villagers thus complicating further
the critical humanitarian situation in this area. Abo
Soroug, Seirba and Selia are host to thousands of
internally displaced persons (IDPs). It is estimated
that at least 20,000 individuals were forced to flee the
region into neighbouring Chad. On 12 th
February 2008 about 6,000 individuals
were localized in Korok
and Figera areas in eastern Chad yet the whereabouts of
the rest of the displaced persons is unknown. It
is to be noted that the Janjaweed have attacked this
area several times in the past. The local people
refused to move out of the area and preferred to pay
ransom or “protection money” to the Janjaweed to
spare their attacks. On 19 th
December 2006 the Janjaweed killed 19
persons from Abo Soroug area thus
violating the agreement with the villagers.
In a related development the government of Chad declared
that it would no longer receive refugees from
Darfur in its territory and that those refugees who are
already in eastern Chad should be removed to
another country. On Monday, 11 th
February 2008, Chad Prime Minister
Nouradin Koumakoye was quoted
saying that: "We
demand that the international community transfer the population (of
Sudanese refugees)
from Chad to Sudan" adding that:
"We want the international community to
look for another country so
that the Sudanese can leave. If they cannot do it, we
are going to do it." While the reasons that led
officials in Chad to reach such conclusion are
understandable, it is our request that the government of
Chad will continue extending a helping hand and meet its
legal obligations in international law by
providing shelter and protection to persons that fled
their countries because of imminent threat to their
lives and security of persons.
2
DRDC strongly condemns the recent military offensives
against Abu Soroug, Seirba and Selia and their
environs. DRDC deplores the world’s disproportionate
response to this kind of systematic and wellplanned
atrocities against some of the most vulnerable and weak
populations in the African sub-region.
These attacks represent collective and indiscriminate
punishment against civilian population, which is
prohibited by international humanitarian law. Attacking
civilians in this manner also violates Sudan’s
obligations under regional and international human
rights law. The resurgence of large-scale violence in
Darfur mocks the binding commitment made by the
international community when political leaders met at
the 2005 World Summit and solemnly adopted the
'Responsibility to Protect' doctrine and pledged to save
the world from the horrors of genocide, ethnic
cleansing, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The
carnage in Darfur represents a serious test to the world
undertaking that states have the primary
responsibility to protect their own populations and that
the international community has a responsibility to
act when states fail to protect the most vulnerable in
their territories.
The massive violations of human rights as well as
humanitarian and international criminal law associated
with the conflict in Darfur including these recent
attacks should not escape the world scrutiny and action.
Once again DRDC calls on the international community to
send a decisive signal to the government of
Sudan to end the destruction of life and livelihood in
Darfur. This recent attacks should encourage the
world community to provide UN/AU Hybrid Operation in
Darfur (UNAMID) with the necessary equipment
and expedite its deployment. DRDC calls on the
International Criminal Court to investigate these attacks
and bring those responsible for them to justice. Ends.
Rally for Chad & Darfur
Join us in condemnation of the recent attacks on the
Chadian capital of N’djamena and Darfur Refugee
Camps
When: Saturday Feb. 23, 2008
12-3 pm
Where: Starts: Ralph Bunche Park
1st Ave b/w 42 nd
and 43rd
St
Ends: Sudanese Mission to the UN,
Dag Hammarskjöld Plaza
47th St b/w 1 st
and 2nd
Ave
Show your support against the violence on the
people of Darfur and Chad!
Sponsored by the Chadian Association of North
America, Darfur People’s Association of NY, NYC
Coalition for Darfur, Darfur Vigil Group, and Darfur
Crisis Committee of Brooklyn for Peace
A letter from the world's Nobel laureates to China: You must act on
Darfur
Thursday, 14 February 2008
We the undersigned Nobel laureates, Olympic athletes, current and former
government officials, business leaders, human rights activists and
public advocates, are writing to urge you to intensify your diplomatic
engagement in support of a peaceful resolution to the situation in
Darfur.
As the primary economic, military and political partner of the
government of Sudan, and as a permanent member of the United Nations
Security Council, China has both the opportunity and the responsibility
to contribute to a just peace in Darfur. Ongoing failure to rise to this
responsibility amounts, in our view, to support for a government that
continues to carry out atrocities against its own people. As host of the
2008 Olympic Games, China has a special role to play in ensuring that
its actions this year are commensurate with the Olympic ideals of peace
and international co-operation.
The atrocities in Darfur continue to intensify. Of the seven million
inhabitants of Darfur, hundreds of thousands have already died due to
the conflict and 2.5 million have been displaced. Rape and sexual
violence have been and continue to be used as weapons of war against
untold numbers of girls and women. The government of Sudan has also been
involved in the forced relocation of people from refugee and internally
displaced people's camps. Without homes to return to, those displaced
are left vulnerable to further attack.
We recognise some efforts by China in 2007 to increase diplomatic
pressure on Sudan – notably through its support of the passage of UN
Security Council Resolution 1769, calling for the deployment of a UN-AU
hybrid peacekeeping force (Unamid) to Darfur. At the same time, however,
we note with dismay that the Chinese government worked to weaken the
resolution before it passed. China also doubled its trade with Sudan in
2007, providing resources that make it easier for that government to
continue to carry out its atrocities. China's military relationship with
Sudan also continues. We have also been disheartened by your
government's action since Resolution 1769 was passed. Your government
has remained silent as Sudan continues to block the effective deployment
of Unamid and engages in violent actions that violate the spirit of the
mission. Given the severity of the crisis in Darfur, and the nature of
the China-Sudan relationship, we are calling for more serious action by
your government in support of the full, immediate and unimpeded
deployment of Unamid.
As the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games approach, we will continue to call on
the Chinese government for action. We are aware of the tremendous
potential for China to help bring an end to the conflict in Darfur. We
will continue to watch for concerted and consistent Chinese action to
ensure rapid deployment of UN-AU peacekeepers, progress in the peace
talks, and an end to the use of rape as a weapon of war.
The complete list of signatories
Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo, Nobel Peace Laureate, East Timor,
1996; Dr Shirin Ebadi, Nobel Peace Laureate, Iran, 2003; Adolfo Pérez
Esquivel, Nobel Peace Laureate, Argentina, 1980; Rigoberta Menchú Tum,
Nobel Peace Laureate, Guatemala, 1992; Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel
Peace Laureate, South Africa, 1984; Professor Elie Wiesel, Nobel Peace
Laureate, United States, 1986; Betty Williams, Nobel Peace Laureate,
Ireland, 1976; Professor Jody Williams, Nobel Peace Laureate, United
States, 1997; Marcos Anastácio, Surfer, Portugal, 1995 National
Champion; Carlos Arena, Swimmer, Mexico, 1996 Olympic Games; Marilyn
Chua, Swimmer, Malaysia, 2000 Olympic Games; Marion Clignet, Cyclist,
France, 1996, 2000 Olympic Games; Nikki Dryden, Swimmer, Canada, 1992,
1996 Olympic Games; Jimena Florit, Cyclist, Argentina, 2000, 2004
Olympic Games; Sabrina Kolker, Crew, Canada, 2004 Olympic Games; John
Naber, Swimmer, United States, 1976 Olympic Games; Vince Poscente, Speed
Skier, Canada, 1992 Olympic Games; Shannon Shakespeare, Swimmer, Canada,
1996, 2000 Olympic Games; Nikki Stone, Aerial Skier, United States, 1998
Olympic Games; Anna Van der Kamp, Crew, Canada, 1996 Olympic Games;
Richard Vaughan, Badminton, United Kingdom, 2004 Olympic Games; Maria
Bello, Actress, United States; Dave Eggers, Author, Pulitzer Prize
Finalist, United States; Eve Ensler, Activist, Playwright, United
States; Mia Farrow, Activist and Actor, United States; Angelique Kidjo,
Artist, Benin; Joanna Lumley, Actress, United Kingdom; Hugh Masekela,
Musician, South Africa; Ruth Messinger, Activist, United States; Tom
Stoppard, Playwright and screenwriter, United Kingdom; Russell Simmons,
Entrepreneur, Activist, United States; Emma Thompson, Actress, United
Kingdom; Joana Vasconcelos, Artist, Portugal; Kerry Washington, Actress,
United States; Baron Alton of Liverpool, House of Lords, United Kingdom;
Robert Badinter, Senator, France; Gerhart Baum, Former Member of
Parliament, Germany; Catherine Bell, Member of Parliament, Canada; John
Bercow, Member of Parliament, United Kingdom; Bert Brown, Senator,
Canada; José Ribeiro e Castro, Member of the European Parliament,
Portugal; Chris Charlton, Member of Parliament, Canada; Olivia Chow,
Member of Parliament, Canada; Nick Clegg, Member of Parliament, United
Kingdom; Hon. Irwin Cotler, Member of Parliament, Canada; The Baroness
Cox of Queensbury, House of Lords, United Kingdom; Jean Crowder, Member
of Parliament, Canada; Libby Davies, Member of Parliament, Canada;
Franziska Drohsel, Federal Chairwoman, Young Socialists, Germany; Lynne
Featherstone, Member of Parliament, United Kingdom; Hon. Mabinty Forna,
Member of Parliament, Sierra Leone; Sen. Bill Frist, Former Senate
Majority Leader, United States; Brunhilde Irber, Member of Parliament,
Germany; Glenys Kinnock, Member of European Parliament, United Kingdom;
Hon. Yoine Goldstein, Senator, Canada; Ana Maria Gomes, Member of the
European Parliament, Portugal; Sally Keeble, Member of Parliament,
United Kingdom; Susan Kramer, Member of Parliament, United Kingdom;
Irene Mathyssen, Member of Parliament, Canada; Alexa McDonough, Member
of Parliament, Canada; Madeleine Moon, Member of Parliament, United
Kingdom; Kerstin Müller, Member of Parliament, Germany; Chris Mullin,
Member of Parliament, United Kingdom; Peggy Nash, Member of Parliament,
Canada; Kerry Nettle, Senator, Australia; Baroness Northover of
Cissbury, House of Lords, United Kingdom; Birgitta Ohlsson, Member of
Parliament, Sweden; Baron Owen of Plymouth, House of Lords, United
Kingdom; Cem Özdemir, Member of the European Parliament, Germany; Penny
Priddy, Member of Parliament, Canada; Hon. Nancy Ruth, Senator, Canada;
Denise Savoie, Member of Parliament, Canada; Jürgen Schröder, Member of
the European Parliament, Germany; Marina Schuster, Member of Parliament,
Germany; Natasha Stott Despoja, Senator, Australia; Christoph Strässer,
Member of Parliament, Germany; Paddy Torsney, Former Member of
Parliament, Canada; Judy Wasylycia-Leis, Member of Parliament, Canada;
Anders Wijkman, Member of the European Parliament; Sweden; The Baroness
Williams of Crosby, House
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