Darfur Consortium: An African and International Civil Society Action for Darfur

June 23, 2008

Statement by Sudanese women rights groups on the arrest of Zobida and Zahra Hagar and the 9-months old Hashim Abdel-Shakur

We, the undersigned from women civil society organization, have grave concerns for the welfare of Zubaida Hagar Sandal, her 9-month-old baby son, Hashim Abdel-Shakur and her sister Zahara Hagar. The two women and the baby were arrested on June 8, 2008, from their house in Khartoum by National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) officers.

Our solidarity with Zubaida, her son and her sister comes from our concern for their safety and being held at unknown location, which is regarded as an enforced disappearance. We are opposed to their continued detention, which is illegal and is against all Sudanese traditions. In addition, we have serious concerns for their well-being as for other female detainees. This is especially alarming in light of recent campaign of arrests in the capital following May 10 events, which has taken place in house-to-house searches, public transport and the streets, targeting individuals from Darfur who are residents in Khartoum.

Read the full statement here.

June 22, 2008

8 UN agencies warn of an imminent famine in Darfur

As the people of Darfur face the annual hunger gap — the period leading up to the
harvest in October — the humanitarian community in Sudan is warning that limited time
remains to safeguard against an increasingly precarious situation.

Underlying this potential crisis is the continued insecurity in the region, which led to an
additional 180,000 being displaced from their homes in the first five months of 2008.
Attacks on the UN World Food Programme convoys have seriously delayed the delivery
of food aid to Darfur culminating in a cut in the general food ration of more than 40
percent since May. At least 2.7 million people will be affected by a reduction for at
least the next two months.

Read the full statement here.

ISS: Chad-Sudan Proxy Wars Could Lead to Overt Confrontation

The attack on Omdurman, on the Western banks of the Nile River, by the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) on May10th have brought diplomatic tensions between Chad and Sudan to a boiling point and increased the probability of an overt confrontation. The question arises why relations between N’Djamena and Khartoum have deteriorated to such an extent that overt confrontation now seems a possibility? Why have friends suddenly become foes and how does the latest diplomatic tension impact on the crises in Chad and Darfur?

Read the full article.

Work with the Darfur Consortium

The International Refugee Rights Initiative, which currently serves as the Secretariat for the Darfur Consortium, is now looking to fill two positions which will involve extensive work with the Darfur Consortium.

For more information, or to apply, please click here.

Justice for Darfur Calls on UN Security Council to Respond to the Sudan's Failure to Cooperate with the ICC

On June 5, the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Luis Moreno-Ocampo, will again brief the United Nations Security Council on the status of the ICC’s Darfur investigation and the status of the outstanding arrest warrants issued last year for Ahmad Harun and Ali Kushayb. The Justice for Darfur campaign is calling on the Security Council to use this occasion to call on Sudan to fulfill its obligations under Resolution 1593 (which referred the situation in Darfur to the ICC) and promptly arrest and surrender to The Hague these two suspects.

Read the full letter.

Arab Program for Human Rights Activists: Voices From Darfur (Arabic only)

SOAT: Arbitrary Arrests of Darfur Citizens

The Arab Coalition for Darfur is concernedly following up news coming from Sudan following the events of the 10th of May whereby the Sudanese Government adopted an arbitrary and haphazard arrest mechanism of Darfurians in all regions of the country. On the 16th of May, "Suba" was attached by 8 armored vehicles whereby 30 citizens were arrested and taken to an unknown location. On the same day forces headed to Haj Youssef region and six members of Al Fur Tribe were arrested. In the village of "Al Kiryab" 20 Darfurians were also arrested on May 12th. As in Al Khartoum, 20 Darfurians were arrested during the period of 12-15 of May.

Read the press release here.

Alternative Report - To Sudan’s Periodic Report Before the 43rd Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
May 19, 2008

Sudan ratified the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) on 18 February 1986. The Sudanese government is therefore obliged to respect and protect the internationally recognised human rights contained therein. The Sudan Organisation Against Torture (SOAT) hereby presents an alternative report to The Third Periodical Report of the Republic of the Sudan due to be considered at the 43rd Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) in Ezulwini, Swaziland, from 7 to 22 May 2008. This report reviews Sudan’s compliance with the ACHPR, article by article, with a focus on the period from the beginning of 2006 to the present day.

Read the full report here.

Press release
Darfur Relief and Documentation Centre
May 13, 2008

Darfur Insurgents Attack Sudan’s capital

On Saturday 10th May 2008, a group of armed assailants believed to be members of the Darfur insurgent group Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) attacked Omdurman, Sudan’s twin capital city. Large numbers of government security forces and paramilitary groups were mobilized. The government repulsed the attack some hours after it was launched. This military operation is the first in which Darfur insurgents attack Sudan’s capital and cause panic all over the country. This operation is expected to have serious
repercussions on the political crisis in Sudan. We observed an intensive use of the government-controlled media in a public mobilization campaign portraying the assailants as “Chadian mercenaries.” The ongoing campaign is very dangerous as it has the effects of flaring-up ethnic hatred against the people of Darfur.

As a result of a responsible initiative taken by the Arab Program for Human Rights Activists, in Cairo, a regional workshop was held, from 8 – 10 May, 2008. The workshop was entitled "Towards a regional coalition to save Darfur." Representatives from civil society and human rights organizations from eleven countries attended the workshops; they are: Sudan, Jordan, Bahrain, Algeria, Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Libya, Mauritania, Kuwait and Egypt; in addition to the participation of a number of experts and media personalities that are interested in Sudan in general and Darfur in particular.

Read media coverage of the fifth Global Day for Darfur here.

On April 8, Dismas Nkunda, Chair of the Darfur Consortium and Co-Director of the International Refugee Rights Initiative, talked to US radio show host at the "In My Pajamas Show".

Listen to the broadcast here.

Darfur Bar Association writes to H. E. Ambassador Liu Guijin, Special Representative of the Chinese Government on the Darfur Issue in Khartoum

Extract from the letter:

"It is disturbing that these abhorrent crimes are being systematically committed by
the Government of Sudan in Darfur and that members of the international community
including your Government are fully aware of the extent and magnitude of these crimes.
The atrocities committed in Darfur were recognized by your Government in many ways
and on a number of occasions including deliberations at the UN Security Council."

Interview with Sudanese Minister and war crimes’ suspect, Ahmed Harun

February 18, 2008
Published in Al Hayat, Pan Arab daily ( Saudi financed publication in England)

Press release

South Africa, Egypt must emulate Ethiopia on helicopters to hybrid force

(KAMPALA, February 8) The Darfur Consortium has welcomed the decision by the Ethiopian government to offer helicopters to the hybrid African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), but urged other African countries such as Egypt and South Africa to also make contributions.

Press release

Civil Society Organisations call on new AU leadership to prioritise peace and human security, gender parity and strengthening AU organs

ISSUED BY: Institute for Democratic Governance, International Refugee Rights Initiative, Solidarity for African Women Rights and Oxfam.

Addis Ababa – 2nd February 2008 – Following the election of the Chairperson of African Union and the Commission and as the 10th African Union Summit comes to a close, CSOs have called on the African Union to prioritise peace and human security, gender parity and strengthening AU organs.

ZAMBIA and nine other countries have been elected as members of the African Union (AU) Peace and Security Council for the next five-years, amid challenges of conflicts in various parts of the continent.

The 10 countries representing five African regions were elected here during the 12th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the AU at the commission headquarters.

Read the article in which Dismas Nkunda, Chair of the Consortium, is quoted here.

(January 30, 2008, Addis Ababa) Ten countries have been elected as Members of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union yesterday at the end of the 12th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of AU here at the headquarters of the African Union Commission, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

According to an AU press release, drawn from the five regions of the continent, the newly appointed member countries of the PSC are: Burundi and Chad (Central Africa), Rwanda and Uganda (Eastern Africa), Tunisia (Northern Africa), Swaziland and Zambia (Southern Africa) as well as Benin, Burkina Faso and Mali (Western Africa).

SUDAN: civic groups reject nation’s bid to head the African Union

(January 25, 2008) A bid by the Sudanese government to seek headship of the African Union (AU) has met with stiff resistance from human rights advocates.

Dismas Nkunda, spokesman for Darfur Consortium, a grouping of over 50 activist organizations working to end the suffering in Darfur, said it would be a huge blow to the credibility of the AU and its capacity to respond independently to the crisis if Khartoum was elected to chair the continental body

"How can the AU maintain a credible leadership role in the ongoing peace negotiations if it is headed by a party to the conflict? Tensions between Chad and Sudan are also escalating. The AU needs a leadership which can mediate independently," Nkunda said in statement.

The Deputy Prosecutor of the Internatinal Criminal Court joined other African women across in a session organized by Darfur Consortium members Femmes Africa Solidarite. The session focused on conditions for women in Darfur and the need for peace and justice in the region.