Slideshow: Look what we've accomplished! from UNITED TO END GENOCIDE 9AUG12

AN update on the work and successes of United to End Genocide....

		Dear Supporter, Last fall, Save Darfur Coalition and Genocide Intervention Network merged to create United to End Genocide. One year later, we are the largest organization working to ending mass atrocities and genocide throughout the world, and with our amazing activists and supporters, we’ve already accomplished so much. Take a look at our slideshow highlighting our key accomplishments together last year. From Sudan to Syria, Burma to the Congo, we so appreciate your commitment to our movement to end and prevent genocide worldwide. We're really pleased about the work we accomplished together and for the work ahead of us and we thank you for standing by our side. If you’d like to learn more, you can download our annual report in its entirety here. Sincerely,   Tom Andrews President United to End Genocide Bama Athreya Executive Director United to End Genocide
		ABOUT UNITED TO END GENOCIDE We are United to End Genocide, the largest activist organization in America dedicated to preventing and ending genocide and mass atrocities worldwide. We are faith leaders, students, artists, investors and genocide survivors, and all those who believe we must fulfill the promise the world made following the Holocaust — "Never Again!" http://action.savedarfur.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=8681.0&dlv_id=12101

China in a tug of war between two Sudans 23MAR12

THE government of South Sudan is already flexing it's muscles on the international stage by shutting off the oil from their fields to punish the government of Sudan for fraud and theft. It is too bad the Arab League and the Persian Gulf oil producers are too greedy to take the same action against the prc for their support of Syria's assad. South Sudan's oil embargo in defense of their political and economic independence has the prc over a barrel, so to speak (something the Gulf oil producers could do as well), and we can only hope the South Sudanese government and people come out on top with more development revenue from their oil from both the prc and Sudan.

By Sudarsan Raghavan and Andrew Higgins

JUBA, South Sudan — On the day South Sudan became independent last year, China opened an embassy here, eager to protect its oil interests. It quickly dispatched its foreign minister and began discussing a huge aid package for this destitute land.
Just a few months later, Beijing finds itself trapped in a bitter wrangle between South Sudan and its former rulers in Sudan, with both countries pressing Beijing to take their side.
The dispute has cut off a significant source of oil to fuel China’s booming economy and imperiled billions of dollars in Chinese investments. It has also threatened Beijing’s diplomatic and economic relations with both the countries and strained the boundaries of a long-standing Chinese policy of noninterference in the internal affairs of other nations.
“This new reality has left China uncomfortably stuck in the middle of a tug of war,” said Zach Vertin, a Sudan analyst with the International Crisis Group, a nonprofit think tank. “Both sides have attempted to leverage the Chinese oil interest and draw them in line with their own interests.”
The saga playing out in one of the world’s poorest regions highlights the troubles an increasingly prosperous China faces as it tries to adjust to tumultuous change: from Sudan to Libya, Syria and Burma, Beijing has resisted what it portrays as Western-style meddling. But by staying on the sidelines, China has jeopardized its interests and image as a friend of the developing world. Many Arab nations, for example, were furious when China joined Russia in blocking United Nations action on Syria.
At the center of the struggle between the two Sudans is oil, which until last summer was controlled by Khartoum but which now lies mostly within the borders of the world’s newest state, the Republic of South Sudan. China is the biggest player in the oil industry on both sides of the frontier: It holds big stakes in the main oil fields in the south and in pipelines and other infrastructure in the north.
After years of providing diplomatic cover and weapons to a regime in Khartoum ostracized by the West, China must face up to a simple fact, said Pagan Amum, the secretary general of South Sudan’s ruling party: “The master has changed. It was Khartoum. Now it is Juba.”
China’s efforts to shift gears in Sudan began in 2005, with the signing of a peace deal between Khartoum and southern rebels. The agreement ended what was Africa’s longest civil war and paved the way for South Sudan’s independence in July. But officials today say that the Chinese have not done enough to erase suspicions rooted in Beijing’s long support for Sudan’s president, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, an indicted war-crimes suspect who used Chinese-supplied arms in trying to prevent the south from seceding.
South Sudan, which depends on oil for 98 percent of its revenue, insists that it wants to remain partners with China. But South Sudanese officials warn that if Beijing does not align its interests with their country, they will seek out U.S. and Western oil companies.
In testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee this month after a trip to South Sudan, Hollywood star George Clooney, a longtime critic of Bashir’s regime, noted that China’s massive investment in Sudan makes Beijing crucial to settling continuing violence in the region. China, he said, has invested about $20 billion, but “right now they are getting nothing from this” because of feuding between Khartoum and Juba. Clooney and several members of Congress were later arrested during a protest at the Sudanese Embassy in Washington.
Khartoum, which depends heavily on Chinese investment, trade and aid, is determined to keep Beijing on its side. The government dispatched a senior envoy to Beijing last month and has exerted influence over Chinese-led oil consortiums, which pump most of their oil in the south but still need the north to get it to China.
The south has refused to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in royalties for using Sudan’s pipelines, saying that the fees were exorbitant. Sudan responded by seizing oil tankers carrying South Sudanese crude and imposed a blockade on the export of the oil. Last month, South Sudan shut down its oil production, roughly 350,000 barrels a day, after accusing Sudan of stealing $815 million worth of its oil.
South Sudan says it will pay less than $1 a barrel in fees to transport oil through the north’s pipelines. Khartoum says it wants $36 a barrel and $1 billion in back payments. The two sides are even fighting in a London court, as South Sudan seeks to recover money from the sale of the seized crude.
South Sudan said recently that it intends to build a pipeline that would head south to Kenya. It is not clear who would fund such a massive project, but, if built, the pipeline would sharply reduce Juba’s dependence on the north — and the value of China’s huge investment in existing pipelines to Sudan’s Chinese-built oil export terminal on the Red Sea.
An old alliance under threat
It was inevitable that China would get tangled in the dispute. The state-owned China National Petroleum Corp., or CNPC, has a big stake in most of the biggest oil concessions. The oil from both Sudans represents at least 5 percent of China’s global crude imports.
This is much less than what China imports from Angola but is still important, especially as it is produced mainly by Chinese companies that are controlled by the state and, thus, in Beijing’s view, are more reliable. Angola’s oil, by contrast, is largely pumped by Western companies.
China also has great leverage over Sudan. Beijing provides massive loans to the north; oil and trade bring in billions more in foreign currency, vital to run Sudan’s economy and to buy weapons.
CNPC, whose boss in Beijing is appointed by the ruling Communist Party, declined to comment for this report. The company requested and received written questions but did not respond. In public comments, Chinese officials have sought to maintain neutrality, saying that both Sudans “can only achieve common development through peaceful co-existence.”
In Juba, officials stressed that China should make greater efforts to persuade Khartoum to accept South Sudan’s position. “We are not asking China to help us. We are asking China to help itself with its friend,” Amum said. He made clear that Juba would no longer tolerate China’s alliance with Khartoum.
“They are used to looking north,” he said. “They are now being told to turn around, southward.”
There are signs that China’s previously rock-solid support for Khartoum might be softening. In a recent interview with Qatar’s al-Raya newspaper, Bashir complained that Beijing had cancelled a loan to his government for a big agricultural development project. China pulled out, the Sudanese president said, because Khartoum was due to repay the money with oil shipments, which had been disrupted by the south’s independence.
Even so, it is unlikely, analysts said, that China would jilt Khartoum for Juba — that would probably alarm other repressive and corrupt regimes, such as those in Angola and Equatorial Guinea, where China has forged highly profitable oil relationships.
“The Chinese are not going to throw away old friends,” Vertin said. “They won’t abandon Sudan. That would be a bad precedent for them.”
Sudan also has some powerful and so far loyal friends in Beijing, though how long this lasts may depend as much on the labyrinthine internal politics of the Communist Party as events in Africa. One of Khartoum’s biggest backers in Beijing for years has been Zhou Yongkang, a member of the party’s Politburo Standing Committee responsible for security. In recent days, however, rumors — all unconfirmed — have swirled in Beijing that Zhou is in deep political trouble after the purge last week of a senior party official with whom he is thought to have been allied.
Zhou used to be the head of CNPC, the state oil company, and led its push into Sudan’s oil sector in the 1990s after American and other Western companies pulled out. He has visited Khartoum repeatedly.
China’s predicament
Amid mounting anger in Juba over China’s continuing coziness with Khartoum, South Sudan on Feb. 20 expelled Liu Yingcai, the head of Petrodar, a consortium that is majority owned by CNPC.
In a letter, the Juba government accused Liu of colluding with Khartoum to steal South Sudan’s oil and of not fully cooperating with orders to shut down oil production. Petrodar, in a statement, denied the allegations. The consortium said it had ordered staff members “not to comply with the forced lifting” of oil, which it said was done by members of Sudan’s national security forces.
Now, South Sudan has launched an investigation of Petrodar to determine the extent of its role in the oil theft. Juba is also probing the actions of the Greater Nile Petroleum Operating Co., an oil consortium that is 40 percent owned by China and that also may have helped Khartoum steal oil. If the consortiums are found sufficiently guilty, Amum said, their contracts could be terminated.
“It will be an opportunity for others, with possibly even better technology, to come in,” Amum said. “If the Chinese are not with us, we will have another very good story, too. With the Chinese or with others, we will prosper.”
As tensions between the two Sudans grow, China’s predicament becomes more precarious. Last month, Sudan allegedly bombed an oil field at El Nar in South Sudan, nine miles from the jagged, contested border between the two countries, sending Chinese and other foreign workers maintaining the oil wells scrambling for their lives.
“They bombed this place because of the oil,” said Miakol Lual, a local tribal chief. The attack destroyed portions of the oil infrastructure.
“It’s a message to all foreigners: ‘You deal with us, not the other side,’ ” said a foreign supervisor who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to talk to the media. Khartoum has denied attacking the field.
In Juba, Chinese expatriates are growing anxious. In January, rebels linked to South Sudan kidnapped 29 Chinese workers in Sudan, releasing them last month. The Chinese Embassy has ordered all its nationals to stay in at night and not discuss anything sensitive with locals.
“Everyone is worried about the situation,” said a Chinese telecommunications worker who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he feared he would get fired. “If things get worse, we have made preparations to move out of here.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/china-in-a-tug-of-war-between-two-sudans/2012/03/07/gIQAQUUrWS_print.html 

A new flag raised: South Sudan celebrates birth before world leaders as thousands celebrate 9JUL11

GOD BLESS these people, and I hope and pray real peace comes to the region soon, and that this new country develop a society, government and economy that respects the human rights of all it's citizens and is democratic, transparent and works for the benefit of all.

JUBA, South Sudan — South Sudan raised the flag of its new nation for the first time Saturday, as thousands of South Sudanese citizens and dozens of international dignitaries swarmed the new country capital of Juba to celebrate the country’s birth.
South Sudan became the world’s newest country Saturday with a raucous street party at midnight. At a packed midday ceremony, the speaker of parliament read a proclamation of independence as the flag of Sudan was lowered and the flag of South Sudan was raised, sparking wild cheers from a crowd tens of thousands strong.
“Hallelujah!” one resident yelled, as other onlookers wiped away tears.
The U.S. and Britain announced their recognition of South Sudan as a sovereign nation. President Barack Obama said the day was a reminder that “after the darkness of war, the light of a new dawn is possible.”
“A proud flag flies over Juba and the map of the world has been redrawn,” Obama said in a statement. “These symbols speak to the blood that has been spilled, the tears that have been shed, the ballots that have been cast, and the hopes that have been realized by so many millions of people.”
The noon-hour ceremony hosted by Salva Kiir, who was sworn in as South Sudan’s president, took place under a blazing hot sun. Sudan President Omar al-Bashir, a deeply unpopular man in Juba, arrived to a mixture of boos and surprised murmurs.
“Wow, this is a great day for me because it’s a day that reflects the suffering that all southerners have had for almost 50 years,” said David Aleu, a 24-year-old medical student.
Thousands of South Sudan residents thronged the celebration area, and organizers soon learned they did not have enough seats for all the visiting heads of state and other VIPs. The heat was strong enough that Red Cross workers attended to many people who fainted.
Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. and the American envoy at Saturday’s celebration, urged South Sudan residents and leaders to build a country worthy of the sacrifice of all the lives lost during the five decades of conflict.
“Independence was not a gift you were given. Independence is a prize you have won,” she said. “Yet even on this day of jubilee we remain mindful of the challenges that await us. No true friend would offer false comfort. The path ahead will be steep... but the Republic of South Sudan is being born amid great hopes.”
The black African tribes of South Sudan and the mainly Arab north battled two civil wars over more than five decades, and some 2 million died in the latest war, from 1983-2005. It culminated in a 2005 peace deal that led to Saturday’s independence declaration.
Thousands of South Sudanese poured into the ceremonial arena when gates opened. Traditional dancers drummed in the streets as residents waved tiny flags. Activists from the western Sudan region of Darfur, which has suffered heavy violence the past decades, held up a sign that said “Bashir is wanted dead or alive.” Bashir has been indicted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes in Darfur.
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon pointedly noted in his speech that Sudan and South Sudan have not yet resolved all of their political issues. The status of the contentious border region of Abyei — where northern and southern troops are standing off — remains in flux. South Kordofan, which is a part of the north but which has many southern supporters, has seen heavy fighting in recent weeks.
“Let their differences be resolved around the negotiating table,” Ban said.
South Sudan is expected to become the 193rd country recognized by the United Nations next week and the 54th U.N. member state in Africa.
Though Saturday is a day of celebration, residents of South Sudan must soon face many challenges. Their country is oil-rich but is one of the poorest and least-developed on Earth. Unresolved problems between the south and its former foe to the north could mean new conflict along the new international border, advocates and diplomats warn.
Violence has broken out in the contested border region of Abyei in recent weeks, and fighting is ongoing in Southern Kordofan, a state that lies in Sudan — not South Sudan — but which has many residents loyal to the south. The 1,300-mile (2,100-kilometer) north-south border is disputed in five areas, several of which are being illegally occupied by either northern or southern troops.
Obama said that South Sudan and Sudan must recognize that they will be more secure and prosperous if they move beyond past differences peacefully. He said the 2005 peace deal — the Comprehensive Peace Agreement — must be full implemented and the status of Abyei resolved.
The young government faces the huge challenge of reforming its bloated and often predatory army, diversifying its oil-based economy, and deciding how political power will be distributed among the dozens of ethnic and military factions. It must also begin delivering basic needs such as education, health services, water and electricity to its more than 8 million citizens.
While South Sudan is now expected to control of more than 75 percent of what was Sudan’s daily oil production, it has no refineries and southern oil must flow through the north’s pipelines to reach market.
But for Saturday, at least, those problems lay on the back burner. Smiles, singing and dancing instead took precedence.
Adut Monica Joseph waited for the ceremony with her sister and uncle as world leaders arrived. She said she looked forward to a day when women in South Sudan don’t face the hardships they have in recent decades. The risk to the mother of death during child birth is extremely high in the poor and underdeveloped rural south.
“I’m very grateful to see many people from other countries,” said the 22-year-old. “I’m appreciating that they have come to celebrate with us. I hope when we have independence we shall have freedom and education for women.”
___
Associated Press writer Jason Straziuso in Kenya, Nairobi contributed to this report.

Is This the Next Darfur (Sudan's Nuba Mountains)? 28JUN11

FORTUNATELY the U.N. Security Council passed a resolution in 28 JUN 11 authorizing the deployment of peacekeepers from Ethiopia with a mandate to aggressively defend the residents of Abyei. The Sudanese government military forces and rebels have agreed to a cease fire and the government is supposed to withdraw from the region. We can only hope and pray the U.N. forces are able to protect the people of this area and a just and lasting peace is negotiated. The U.N. Security Council now needs to provide the same protection for the people of the Nuba Mountains. Unfortunately, the immoral government in Khartoum is totally unreliable and too often willing to resort to genocide to maintain their control of the nation. So sad for a nation that is so wealthy in natural resources and in people who, given the chance, could transform Sudan into an economic powerhouse in Africa but for the corruption of the current regime supported and manipulated by the greed of the prc. From HuffPost...
Co-authored by Julie Flint
Soon after the Nuba Mountains region of central Sudan exploded in war two weeks ago, a patrol from the United Nations peacekeeping force was detained by Sudanese government soldiers and subjected to a mock firing squad in the soldiers' divisional headquarters.
First the peacekeepers were lined up. Then an officer cocked his AK-47 and pointed it at them. He demanded that they leave South Kordofan state, the ancestral home of the Nuba people, and warned: "We will kill you if you come back here."
The U.N. mission in South Kordofan is the only international protection for the Nuba people, the forgotten victims of Sudan's 22-year civil war. South Sudan will finally earn freedom from the Khartoum regime when the South becomes independent on July 9. But the Nuba, trapped along the North-South border, will remain within Khartoum's reach.
The peacekeepers meant to protect the Nuba cannot even protect themselves. They are out-gunned and out-numbered by Sudanese government forces who have dropped 500-pound bombs less than 2,500 feet from U.N. mission headquarters in the state capital, Kadugli. On Monday, Sudanese forces threatened to shoot down any U.N. flights over South Kordofan.
Now, the peacekeeping force is under orders from Khartoum to leave South Kordofan by July 9, the day South Sudan becomes independent. If it is pushed out, who will remain in South Kordofan to bear witness to the atrocities that are already unfolding? International staff working for non-U.N. agencies have already left Kadugli -- every last one of them.
The U.S. special envoy to Sudan, Princeton Lyman, has said there is not yet evidence that the new Nuba war amounts to "ethnic cleansing." But confidential U.N. reports that we've seen speak of "wide-scale exactions against unarmed civilians with specific targeting of African tribes," and of people targeted "along racial/ethnic lines."
The Nuba live on the southern edge of Sudan's Arabized north. As black Africans, they have always been regarded as second-class citizens by Sudan's northern elites. Many fought alongside the southern rebels of the Sudan People's Liberation Army in the civil war from 1985 until a ceasefire in the Nuba Mountains in 2002, hoping to end their marginalization and preserve their unique culture.
Long before the Khartoum regime launched its war on Darfur, it attempted to destroy life in the rural Nuba Mountains and resettle the entire population of insurgent areas in camps where Nuba identity would be eradicated. Community leaders and intellectuals were killed; villages were burned to the ground.
Despite the Nuba people's immense suffering, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005 did not satisfy their aspirations -- including their demand for self-determination. What little the peace agreement did offer was neglected as Darfur monopolized international attention.
Today the international community is making another mistake. It is failing to understand that this is not a conflict that can be resolved by North-South negotiations. This is a North-North conflict. The so-called Three Areas along the North-South divide -- Abyei, South Kordofan and Blue Nile -- are regions with particular histories and problems that remain largely unaddressed. Without urgent attention to South Kordofan, next month's partition may well ignite a new civil war.
Hundreds of thousands of Nuba are already on the move, fleeing from tanks, artillery and aerial bombardment. Humanitarian access has been shut down. A week ago, U.N. peacekeepers warned of a humanitarian crisis that they are "not sufficiently prepared to counter."
Apart from a couple of statements in the U.N. Security Council, the international community has failed to put the plight of the Nuba people on its agenda. President Obama must understand that the conflagration in South Kordofan has the potential to bring down the whole edifice built by the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. The Nuba Mountains require an immediate ceasefire with unconditional humanitarian access, followed by a robust monitoring mission on the ground and resolution of the grievances that caused conflict in the first place.
The Nuba Mountains were killing fields a decade before Darfur. Are they doomed to be again?
Ms. Farrow, an actor and advocate, has traveled to Sudan 16 times. Ms. Flint has reported from the Nuba Mountains for 20 years.

Yemen imposes state of emergency after deadly attack on protesters 18MAR11

THE U.N. imposes a no-fly zone over Libya and threatens military action in an attempt to stop the slaughter there but continues to ignore the genocide in Darfur and the bloody attacks on protesters in Yemen. Why? Because Darfur and Yemen offer no profits for corporate America and the American military-industrial complex. Don't be surprised when the Yemini government is overthrown and the new government wants nothing to do with America and the West.

Muhammed Muheisen/ AP - Anti-government protestors carry wounded protestors from the site of clashes in Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, March 18, 2011. Yemeni security forces firing from rooftops and houses shot at tens of thousands of anti-government demonstrators.

By Hakim Almasmari

SANAA, Yemen — Yemeni authorities declared a nationwide state of emergency Friday, hours after pro-government gunmen firing from rooftops unleashed a bloody attack on protesters in the capital.

The death toll rose to 47 after the surprise assault, in which security forces and government supporters fired directly at protesters for more than 20 minutes, according to witnesses. In addition to the dead, hundreds of people were injured, dozens critically, medical workers said.

Doctors at the scene of the attack near Sanaa University, the protesters’ headquarters, said most of the wounds were to the head and chest, which they said indicated an intent to kill.
“Where are the human rights organizations?” said Alawi Hababi, a doctor at the university. “This is a massacre not witnessed in Sanaa over the past three decades.”
Protesters have held demonstrations daily across Yemen for more than 40 days, demanding the immediate ouster of longtime President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Government forces have struck back with increasing violence, injuring more than 300 people in the port city of Hodeida on Wednesday. But Friday’s protests were the largest yet, with crowds estimated in the hundreds of thousands turning out in Sanaa and Taiz. There were significant rallies elsewhere, including in Hodeida and Aden.
The measure imposed Friday empowers the government to restrict Yemenis’ civil rights and monitor their communications, according to a senior Interior Ministry official.
“The country is witnessing a real crisis, and the state of emergency is the only option in ensuring that Yemen can be safe,” said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Hussein al-Mashdali, a lawyer and constitutional expert in Sanaa, challenged the move, saying it is not provided for in the constitution. “President Saleh does not have the authority to announce a state of emergency,” he said.
Meanwhile, Saleh said at a news conference restricted to state media representatives that he had ordered an investigation into attacks on protesters across the country and denied that the government was responsible for the killings in the capital.
“Security forces did not shoot at the protesters and were not armed,” he said.
An official at the presidential palace, also speaking on the condition of anonymity, reiterated that security forces were not involved. “The shooting came from the residents located near the area of the protest at Sanaa University,” the official said.
Youth activists said the gunfire came from the rooftops of government officials’ residences, in particular the home of Ahmed Ali Mohsen, a senior ruling party figure and governor of Mahweet province. At least 10 witnesses also said members of the ruling family, including Mohammed Mohammed Saleh, a nephew of the president’s, had been seen at the side of gunmen firing on protesters on the ground.
Witnesses said that security forces prevented ambulances from entering or leaving the area of the protest and that government vehicles took at least 20 of the wounded to the National Security Prison rather than to a hospital.
“At least seven national security vehicles took the injured to prison, and we fear they will be harassed and not treated,” said Ahmed Bahri, a lawyer who was at the protest.
Among those fatally shot Friday was Jamal al-Sharaabi, a photographer for the independent Yemeni weekly al-Masdar, the Committee to Protect Journalists said. A photographer for the BBC’s Arabic service was reportedly injured.
The opposition parties condemned the attack in forceful terms and reiterated their call for Saleh to step down. “The funeral of this regime will follow the funeral of the innocent civilians who were killed today,” said Mohammed Qahtan, the parties’ spokesman.
President Obama said in a statement Friday that those responsible for the attacks on Yemeni protesters must be held accountable. “I strongly condemn the violence that has taken place in Yemen today and call on President Saleh to adhere to his public pledge to allow demonstrations to take place peacefully,” he said.
Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said in a statement that the United States was “alarmed” by the violence and was “seeking to verify reports that this is the result of actions by security forces.”
Saleh is a key ally in U.S. efforts to combat al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, an affiliate of the terrorist network that is active in Yemen.
International companies have started to evacuate their foreign staffs from Yemen amid fears that the growing violence might erupt into war. The U.S. and French embassies have also urged their citizens to leave.
Almasmari is a special correspondent.

DARFUR; Satellite images show burned villages in Sudan & Read Our New Report, 'Flashpoint: Abyei' 9MAR11

The difference between Libya and Darfur? Libya has oil and gas, Darfur has sand and nomads. The same hypocrisy that kept the West, that kept First World nations from intervening to stop genocide in Cambodia and Rwanda is preventing decisive action in Darfur while keeping Libya the focus of attention. Too bad Darfurians aren't white, then they would have some chance for help, after all, that worked for the people of the Balkans.....

Burned Villages in Abyei Ask President Obama To Take Swift Action Now! We've taken two trips in the last few months to the disputed region of Abyei bordering North and South Sudan. Throughout this time, we've been sounding the alarm that Abyei was likely going to be a flash point for violence. Sadly, our concerns are now becoming a reality. Over the past week, villages in the Abyei region were burned to the ground, and tens of thousands of people were forced to flee their homes. In Darfur over the past few months, the UN has also documented aerial bombardment of civilians and burning of villages with tens of thousands of Sudanese driven from their homes. We urge you to join us in acting before this violence leads to a full-scale resumption of war in Sudan. Thanks to our Satellite Sentinel Project, we now have something we've never had before: satellite images that we can use to show the world, with indisputable proof, the systematic nature of violence targeted against civilian populations. Last fall, when we traveled to the region and spoke with the citizens of Abyei, we heard the same message again and again: the people of Abyei were worried that fighting would erupt, and they asked for the United States and other countries to step in to help protect them. Take a look at the Satellite Sentinel Project report, and join us in asking President Obama to take swift, bold action to help stop the violence — in Abyei, Darfur and all of Sudan. Take action now. Thank you for your help to support the people of Abyei and all of Sudan at this critical moment. Sincerely, George Clooney and John Prendergast

Download the Report: SSP2-Final.pdf

The human security situation in the Abyei region of Sudan has rapidly deteriorated in the past week due to renewed violence. Satellite Sentinel Project (SSP) has confirmed through the analysis of DigitalGlobe satellite imagery that buildings consistent with civilian infrastructure appear to have been intentionally burned Maker Abior and Todach villages. Some 100 people in the Abyei region have reportedly died in the clashes to date. According to the humanitarian organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), tens of thousands of civilians have either been displaced by fighting or fled due to fear of further attacks.
Fighting reportedly broke out on Sunday, February 27 between armed Misseriya and a southern police unit in the village of Todach, purportedly sparked by a dispute over the rights of Misseriya to graze their cattle in the area. Evidence of the attack at Todach has been documented by SSP monitoring of the location. Conflicting reports allege that over the next four days, elements of Misseriya militias and/or Popular Defense Forces (PDF) staged attacks on multiple villages, including Todach, Noong, Wungok and Maker Abior. These communities are all within the Abyei region as defined by the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s 2009 ruling.
The events of the past week contravene security arrangements established by Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and National Congress Party (NCP) officials at Kadugli on January 17, 2011, which stipulated the removal of southern police units from the area in the wake of fighting between Misseriya militias and southern police in early January. Misseriya leaders and northern officials have alleged that the local police in the Abyei region are aligned with the Government of South Sudan and include SPLA elements. As mandated by the Kadugli Agreement, two additional Joint Integrated Unit (JIU) battalions were deployed to replace police units in Abyei; however, multiple accounts confirm the failure of the JIUs to intervene and quell the recent violence in the Abyei region.
The recent violence in the Abyei region has occurred in the context of apparent increases observed by SSP in the military capacity of both the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) in regions along the contested border line. The recent violence in Abyei, coupled with the continuing militarization occurring on both sides of the border, has made an already volatile human security environment even more precarious.
Download or view DigitalGlobe satellite images from our latest report, "Flashpoint: Abyei."
Read our full report

WHAT ABOUT DARFUR??? The President on Libya: "The Violence Must Stop; Muammar Gaddafi Has Lost the Legitimacy to Lead and He Must Leave"

THE hypocrisy of the Obama administration, many members of Congress, including sens john mccain r AZ and joe liebermann I CT, as well as that of the European Union, on violence against civilians in Libya is disgusting. Yes, governments should speak out against Gaddafi's violence against his people, sanctions should be imposed, the refugees from Libya should be provided for, a no fly zone should be declared and enforced and those committing crimes against humanity should be arrested and tried at the International Court in The Hague. What is so disgusting is the outrage is not out of any concern for the welfare of the Libyan people, it is out of concern for Europe's need for Libyan oil and natural gas. Omar Bashir has been waging a campaign of genocide (he has been charged for the crime by the International Court but not arrested) against the people of Darfur for over a decade and tens of thousands have been killed by the government forces of Sudan and their allies. Millions suffer in refugee camps lacking adequate provisions and security. The world, especially the industrialized nations, allow this to continue year after year because?????..... Darfur is not economically important to the G20. If genocide in Darfur was an economic threat to the profit margins of the corporations of the G20 and especially to the military-industrial complex in the U.S. it would have been stopped years ago and Bashir would have been arrested, tried and in prison. 

The United States, and the entire world, continues to be outraged by the appalling violence against the Libyan people. The United States is helping to lead an international effort to deter further violence, put in place unprecedented sanctions to hold the Qaddafi government accountable, and support the aspirations of the Libyan people. We are also responding quickly to the urgent humanitarian needs that are developing.
Tens of thousands of people—from many different countries—are fleeing Libya, and we commend the governments of Tunisia and Egypt for their response, even as they go through their own political transitions.  I have therefore approved the use of U.S. military aircraft to help move Egyptians who have fled to the Tunisian border to get back home to Egypt. I’ve authorized USAID to charter additional civilian aircraft to help people from other countries find their way home.  And we’re supporting the efforts of international organizations to evacuate people as well.
I have also directed USAID to send humanitarian assistance teams to the Libyan border, so that they can work with the United Nations, NGOs and other international partners inside Libya to address the urgent needs of the Libyan people.
Going forward, we will continue to send a clear message: the violence must stop; Muammar Gaddafi has lost the legitimacy to lead and he must leave; those who perpetrate violence against the Libyan people will be held accountable; and the aspirations of the Libyan people for freedom, democracy and dignity must be met.

The United States, and the entire world, continues to be outraged by the appalling violence against the Libyan people. The United States is helping to lead an international effort to deter further violence, put in place unprecedented sanctions to hold the Qaddafi government accountable, and support the aspirations of the Libyan people. We are also responding quickly to the urgent humanitarian needs that are developing.
Tens of thousands of people—from many different countries—are fleeing Libya, and we commend the governments of Tunisia and Egypt for their response, even as they go through their own political transitions.  I have therefore approved the use of U.S. military aircraft to help move Egyptians who have fled to the Tunisian border to get back home to Egypt. I’ve authorized USAID to charter additional civilian aircraft to help people from other countries find their way home.  And we’re supporting the efforts of international organizations to evacuate people as well.
I have also directed USAID to send humanitarian assistance teams to the Libyan border, so that they can work with the United Nations, NGOs and other international partners inside Libya to address the urgent needs of the Libyan people.
Going forward, we will continue to send a clear message: the violence must stop; Muammar Gaddafi has lost the legitimacy to lead and he must leave; those who perpetrate violence against the Libyan people will be held accountable; and the aspirations of the Libyan people for freedom, democracy and dignity must be met.

THIS from NPR 3MAR11

Obama's Tough Message For Gadhafi: 'He Must Leave'

Hussein Malla/AP

Celebrating victory in the battle for Brega, a Libyan rebel fighter takes aim at a burning vehicle that was used by troops loyal to Moammar Gadhafi.

President Obama issued his toughest warning yet to Libya's embattled regime on Thursday.
"The violence must stop," the President said . "Moammar Gadhafi has lost legitimacy to lead, and he must leave."

Credit: NPR

Speaking at a Washington, D.C., news conference with Mexican President Felipe Calderon, Obama said he's approved the use of U.S. military aircraft to help transport refugees fleeing Libya and hinted that using force in support of rebels is among "a whole range of options, military and non-military" that are being discussed.
"I don't want us hamstrung," he said. "I want us to be making our decisions based on what's going to be best for the Libyan people in consultation with the international community."
Rebels Bulking Up
The president's remarks come as Libyan rebels controlling the port of Brega bolstered their defenses around a strategic oil installation a day after rebuffing a major counteroffensive by forces loyal to Gadhafi.
The ragtag force of rebels, made up of mutinous army units and partisans, fanned out in pickup trucks armed with machine guns and rocket launchers to beef up positions around Brega. They said they need to regroup, restock, rearm and dig in defensively so that the city cannot be retaken.

Hussein Malla/AP

New Libyan rebel recruits flashed the "V" for victory sign as they stood in formation Thursday at a training base in Benghazi.

"The rebels have managed to push out to another village just beyond Brega, and they're holding that line for now," NPR's Lourdes Garcia-Navarro reported.
She said that while government warplanes launched a new airstrike on the town Thursday morning, there appeared to be no pro-Gadhafi forces left after an all-out push to retake the town Wednesday.
Brega is the site of the country's second-largest petroleum and natural gas facility and has been under opposition control since last week. Oil production in Libya — a key source of light, sweet crude for refining into diesel fuel — has dropped precipitously since the revolt began Feb. 15.
In the battle for Brega, the rebels captured at least three teenagers who said they were from Niger, bolstering opposition claims that Gadhafi was hiring foreign mercenaries to fight against them.
Garcia-Navarro said the captives, one of whom appeared to be as young as 13 or 14, were paraded in front of a crowd of people Thursday. "The crowd here was extremely angry when they saw them," she said. "One of them got slapped around."
The teens "said they had been put on planes and given weapons to fight the pro-democracy rebels. ... They said that they had been promised money and that everything would be fine," she said.
Gadhafi is "crazy," Faraz Lashrush, a member of Libya's national rugby team and now a rebel fighter, told NPR.
"He's using children, you know ... using young people, he's bringing people from Africa to kill his own people," he said.
In the nearby opposition-held town of Ajdabiya, rebel fighters girded against any further attempts by government forces to retake control of the area. They reinforced the western gate with a tank, four rocket launchers and four truck-mounted anti-aircraft guns after the city was targeted by government warplanes Wednesday.

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In the rebel stronghold of Benghazi, three of at least a dozen fighters killed Wednesday were buried. Hundreds of mourners chanted "Down with Gadhafi" as they laid the men in the ground.
"Our message to Gadhafi is we are coming and we will make Libya free," a man in the crowd, Sami Mosur, told The Associated Press. "He is a criminal. We are coming to him from Benghazi. We are coming from everywhere. He is a killer."
International Court Vows To Investigate
The fighting at Brega halted for now the regime's first counteroffensive on the opposition-held eastern half of the country. It also underlined the deadlock that Libya appears to have fallen into more than two weeks into its upheaval.
Gadhafi's forces seem unable to bring significant strength to dislodge rebels from the territory they hold. But the opposition does not have the capability to go on the offense against the Libyan leader's strongholds in the west, including Tripoli.
The relative lull Thursday came as the prosecutor at the International Criminal Court promised to investigate Gadhafi and his inner circle, including some of his sons, for possible crimes against humanity in the violent crackdown on anti-government protesters.
The prosecutor, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, said there would be "no impunity in Libya."
Moreno-Ocampo said Gadhafi's forces are alleged to have attacked peaceful demonstrators in several towns and cities. He said the court was using the opportunity "to put them on notice: If forces under their command commit crimes, they could be criminally responsible."
Moreno-Ocampo also warned that leaders of the Libyan opposition, who have seized weapons from the country's military, could be investigated if allegations were raised against them.
"No one has the authority to attack and massacre civilians," he said.
'Tents As Far As The Eye Can See'
As Libya edged closer to a full-fledged civil war, tens of thousands of people continued to pour across the borders into neighboring Egypt and Tunisia.
U.N. refugee agency spokeswoman Melissa Fleming said that more than 180,000 people have reached the two borders. More than 77,300 have crossed east into Egypt, most of them Egyptians. A similar number have fled west into Tunisia, she said, but 30,000 were stuck at the border.

Uprising In Libya

At one refugee camp on the Tunisian border, as many as 15,000 people were being temporarily housed, NPR's David Greene reported.
"The tents spread out as far as the eye can see," Greene said. "It doesn't seem like a situation of desperation right now, but U.N. officials say it could easily become that if the numbers keep growing."
In Geneva, U.S. Ambassador Betty King said the United States is giving $12 million to help with evacuations, and the U.N. has pledged $5 million to kick-start emergency efforts to help people fleeing the violence.
Britain and France both began airlifts Wednesday to help Egyptians stranded on the Libyan-Tunisian border get back home. The British planes, departing from the Tunisian city of Djerba, will help evacuate up to 8,800 Egyptian migrants to Cairo, Prime Minister David Cameron said.
Seeking to control the flow of people into Italy, Rome announced Thursday that it has decided to set up a refugee camp on the Tunisian border and may send in planes to airlift Egyptians to Cairo. Since the uprisings across North Africa and the Middle East began, thousands of migrants have arrived by boat in Italy, a major trade partner and one-time colonial master of Libya.
"We have a Plan B ready to handle an influx of migrants should they arrive," Interior Minister Roberto Maroni said.
Doubts On No-Fly Zone Over Libya
Libyan opposition leaders have been pleading with foreign powers to launch air strikes against Gadhafi's forces as the U.S. and other nations debate whether to impose a no-fly zone over the country.
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said Thursday that foreign military intervention in Libya would be counterproductive and called instead for additional sanctions.
Speaking with reporters at a meeting of European foreign ministers in Bratislava, Slovakia, Westerwelle said Germany's view is that military intervention "would be very counterproductive." He said it's crucial that any decision to impose a no-fly zone be discussed at the United Nations.
U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates tried to play down the idea of a no-fly zone Wednesday, saying it would involve more than just enforcing a quarantine of Libyan airspace.
"Let's just call a spade a spade: A no-fly zone begins with an attack on Libya to destroy the air defenses," Gates said. He added that the operation would require more warplanes than are on a single U.S. aircraft carrier.
So far, the uprising in Libya has sent world oil prices spiking to the highest levels in more than two years, above $100 per barrel. Libyan crude production has dropped from 1.6 million barrels per day — nearly 2 percent of world consumption — to as few as 600,000 barrels per day.
With reporting from Lourdes Garcia-Navarro in Brega, Libya; David Greene in Tunisia; Sylvia Poggioli in Rome; and Teri Schultz in Brussels, Belgium. Material from The Associated Press was used in this story.
http://www.npr.org/2011/03/03/134224147/rebels-deploy-around-strategic-libyan-oil-port&sc=nl&cc=nh-20110304 

 

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SUDAN SPLITS, DARFUR BURNS from AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL 11FEB11

THE world has been caught up in the revolution in Egypt, and while we celebrate the victory of the non-violent protesters in bring freedom and democracy to Egypt DARFUR HAS BEEN BURNING. The Sudanese government in Khartoum has agreed to honor the vote for independence for South Sudan, but has actually increased the violence against the people of Darfur. This from Amnesty International, please join their action to end this violence and bring those responsible to justice. Be sure to click the link to view the before and after satellite images of villages destroyed in recent violence in Darfur.

	While the world's attention is focused on the vote for independence in South Sudan, Darfur continues to burn. Bring those responsible for committing atrocities in Darfur to justice!

		Sudan has spoken – more than 99% of voters have opted for splitting the largest country in Africa in two. While the world's attention is focused on the results of the referendum on independence for South Sudan, Darfur – right next door – continues to burn. In December alone, more than 20,000 people were displaced by government attacks. In total, more than 2.5 million civilians have been forced to flee because of violence, and widespread atrocities. The people of Darfur must not be forgotten. Our Science for Human Rights team has just uncovered some astounding evidence1 that aims to ensure such a thing won't ever happen. Their analysis provides even more solid proof of the tragic and senseless human rights abuses that continue to be committed against the people living in and around Darfur.
		Once there stood three communities with 819 homes and other free-standing structures. Now there's just ash and remnants of a life that no longer exists. Our satellite images reveal a bird's-eye view of grave crimes – once bustling communities transformed into little more than dust. Remind the international community that it still has work to do in Darfur. Ensure that those responsible for committing crimes against humanity are brought to justice! The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for several Sudanese officials, including the president of Sudan, Omar al Bashir. However, the Sudanese government (along with its international allies) have done all they can to stall any further progress. They have in large part failed in their obligations to cooperate with the court and arrest those indicted. But there are still many members of the international community who have the power to push back. We hope these new images will etch themselves into the memories of those leaders and help re-ignite the spark that must be lit in order for justice to be fully realized in Darfur. Please send this message, along with these new images, as a painful and powerful reminder of the people of Darfur who must never be forgotten. In Solidarity, Scott Edwards Director, Science for Human Rights Amnesty International USA Share on Facebook Share on Twitter

What Southern Sudan means for Darfur 20JAN11

ENCOURAGING news from South Sudan, it is amazing what these people have gone through for freedom and democracy. Americans should learn a lesson from these people who have laid their lives on the line in their struggle for a democratic country the next time we have elections.....DEMOCRACY IS NOT A SPECTATOR SPORT! Unfortunately the people of Darfur can't share the same hopes and dreams as reported  below......

I have encouraging news from South Sudan, and I have troubling news from Darfur. Let’s start with the South: After more than 20 years of civil war and six years of intense preparation, the people of South Sudan have finally voted in a referendum to determine their own destiny. Voting ended on Saturday and according to election monitors from the European Union, the UN referendum panel, Carter Center and other observer missions, the referendum process was peaceful, free and fair. President Obama praised the referendum process, declaring: “The past week has given the world renewed faith in the prospect of a peaceful, prosperous future for all of the Sudanese people -- a future that the American people long to see in Sudan.” This moment didn’t happen by accident. It took years of hard work and cooperation among national governments, NGOs, civil society groups, and support from activists just like you. One monumental event set the process in motion: In 2005, the Government of Sudan and SPLM signed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), creating the framework for this historic vote. It demonstrates how important a peace agreement is to allowing people to determine their own destiny. We haven’t crossed the finish line yet. While we celebrate the success of the referendum, we must remember that there are many more steps to reach a lasting peace. The official results are not expected until February 7th at the earliest, and all accounts indicate the vote was overwhelmingly for independence for South Sudan. Then we begin five long months of negotiations on critical post-referendum issues between the North and South including oil-revenue sharing, border demarcation, citizenship, and the status of the contested Abyei region. July 9th is the soonest South Sudan could declare independence. Now, let’s talk about what’s happening in Darfur. While the world has focused on South Sudan, the situation in Darfur has continued to deteriorate. According to a recent UN report the conflict in Darfur claimed at least 2,300 lives in 2010. In addition, over 40,000 civilians were displaced in the last few weeks of December by government aerial attacks on villages and clashes between rebel groups and the Sudanese armed forces. We believe – we know – that the violence in Darfur can be stopped, once and for all. The success of the referendum in South Sudan demonstrates what is possible when there is a comprehensive peace process and just how far the people of Darfur are from being able to live and work without fear of violence. This victory for peace reinforces our call for a comprehensive peace process in Darfur. There is a real danger that the media, United States Government and international community will lose focus in the weeks and months ahead. During this critical time, we need your help to keep the spotlight on Sudan. Thank you for your continued activism and support. The conclusion of a peaceful referendum in South Sudan is a moment to celebrate, but it’s also a stark reminder of all the work we have to do before the people of Darfur are able to live in peace. Best, Mark Lotwis Save Darfur Coalition

The Save Darfur Coalition — an alliance of more than 190 faith-based, advocacy and human rights organizations — raises public awareness about the ongoing crisis in Darfur and mobilizes a unified response to promote peace throughout the Darfur region and all of Sudan. The coalition's member organizations represent 130 million people of all ages, races, religions and political affiliations united together to help the people of Sudan. Please join the movement at http://www.savedarfur.org.

Today is historic for Sudan -- but it's just the beginning from THE SAVE DARFUR COALITION 9JAN11

FROM SAVE DARFUR AND SPOTLIGHT ON SUDAN, an update on the first day of voting in South Sudan and links to keep informed on the progress for peace in Darfur and South Sudan.

Shine a Spotlight on Sudan Share this important Sudan update with your friends & family. Click here Referendum voting starts today, but we can’t turn our backs now. Help us to be vigilant and cast a spotlight on South Sudan, Darfur and the rest of the country over the coming months. Share this update today. Today is the first day of voting in the referendum which will determine the destiny of millions of Southern Sudanese. Voters will cast ballots from today through January 15. And it will take weeks to gather all the ballots from remote areas – only then will the results be announced. The period between voting and the announcement of results could be a volatile and potentially explosive period. Expectations of independence are so high that any delays or complications could spark widespread violence. We can't turn our backs after the vote. We need your help to shine a spotlight on Sudan. Get the important facts on the situation, and then spread the word today. Official observers expect an overwhelming vote for independence, but we may not know the final outcome until early February. You and I know the media doesn’t have the best attention span for these important moments around the world. Will the world stay tuned for several weeks while the votes of Southern Sudanese are counted? When innocent families are most vulnerable to sudden violence, will we have our backs turned? We can't let that happen – we need your help to keep the world's attention focused on Sudan. Click here to spread the word about what is happening in South Sudan and Darfur. The danger for the Sudanese people is a prolonged period in which the international media and world leaders are no longer paying attention. Look no further than Darfur, where last month 32,000 Darfuri civilians were displaced by violence. While the world focused on the referendum in Southern Sudan, the Darfur peace process fell apart – with the government of Sudan pulling out, and all three of the major Darfur rebel groups refusing to participate. This is exactly why we need your help. Keep the spotlight on Sudan. Together, we can make sure the world continues to pay attention, and the United States government continues its high level engagement on Sudan. As we welcome a peaceful start to the referendum in Sudan, we have to make sure Darfur is not forgotten. We have worked too hard to let up now. Thank you for all you do. Sincerely, Martha Bixby Save Darfur Coalition

The Save Darfur Coalition — an alliance of more than 190 faith-based, advocacy and human rights organizations — raises public awareness about the ongoing crisis in Darfur and mobilizes a unified response to promote peace throughout the Darfur region and all of Sudan. The coalition's member organizations represent 130 million people of all ages, races, religions and political affiliations united together to help the people of Sudan. Please join the movement at http://www.savedarfur.org.

Big News: A win for Darfur from SAVE DARFUR COALITION 14DEZ10

FINALLY, a high level diplomat has been appointed for Darfur! Now it is up to us to make sure this is not a cosmetic position, but one that will work for an end to the conflict, an end to the violence against the children, women and men of Darfur. Check out the report from the Save Darfur Coalition

Please watch this short video message where I share scenes from my trip to Darfur and the many rallies and public events held during 2011. Dear Craig, Exciting News — a high-level diplomat for Darfur has been appointed! After thousands of grassroots activists like you lobbied for a diplomat, Secretary of State Clinton yesterday named Ambassador Dane Smith to be a high-level U.S. diplomat dedicated exclusively for Darfur. This is exactly what we advocated for — now Ambassador Smith must make sure world leaders do not forget about Darfur as the referendum in South Sudan approaches. Appointment of a high-level diplomat for Darfur is a capstone to a busy and amazing year for us — and while there are times I get frustrated with how long it can seemingly take to create change, I'm humbled by the work we've been able to do — all thanks to generous and active supporters just like you. I'd love to share some of the highlights of 2010 with you now in the hopes that you will feel truly proud of your connection with us and the role you play in protecting civilians from violence and advocating for the human rights of millions in Sudan. You made your voice heard. They listened. Time and time again we've asked you to send your messages to U.S. and global leaders urging them to stay focused on Sudan. From asking Vice President Biden to make Sudan a priority on his 2010 trip to Africa resulting in high-level talks with leaders in Egypt, Kenya and South Africa to sending over 70,000 of your messages to President Obama about the unfair national Sudanese election last spring — your actions truly made a difference. At a time when the world was seemingly losing interest in the plight of innocent individuals and families in Sudan, our work together put the issue in the international spotlight — most notably President Obama giving a major speech to the United Nations high level meeting on Sudan in September. You stayed vigilant in promoting protection and justice. Together, we successfully led efforts to prevent a repeat of the merciless retaliation against civilians following a new warrant for the arrest of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. Charged with crimes against humanity and war crimes, Bashir cruelly retaliated against civilians in Darfur by expelling over a dozen international aid groups, forcing an emergency response by the United Nations and others to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in Darfur. When the new warrant for genocide was issued, your outcry helped prevent a repeat of this retaliation. You helped share the stories of what life was REALLY like in Sudan. Last winter, we sent a delegation to Darfur, Khartoum and Juba to conduct a human rights assessment and report back to you — our dedicated activists — and to our nation's elected leaders about the grim everyday reality for so many in Sudan. We learned that people living in internally displaced persons (IDP) camps were still plagued with fear of violence and retaliation. One person told me "I lost my family, I lost my country, and I may lose my life." On top of that, the conditions at the camps, especially when it came to access to water, were truly heartbreaking. Long lines and broken pumps meant that thousands were not getting access to the water they and their families desperately needed. But with your help, our delegation was able to gather critical information and spread the word about the real situation in Sudan — information that would help us keep the pressure on U.S. leaders to make Sudan a priority and get resources to those who needed it most. You took to the streets. During the times we struggled to get world leaders to pay attention to our messages, calls and meetings, we asked you to show up in a way that they couldn't ignore. From our participation in the Sudan365 "Beat for Peace" drumming events to our work with Sudan Freedom Walk to host a rally and concert on Capitol Hill, we made sure that our calls to protect the human rights of the people of Sudan could not go ignored. You are doing everything you can to prevent massive violence against civilians. It's hard to even say it, but with the January 9th, 2011, referendum on South Sudan independence just weeks away, the situation in Sudan is extremely volatile. We've been calling on you for weeks to take action to help us do everything we can to ensure a fair and free referendum and get the infrastructure in place to prevent widespread unimaginable violence in the region. Our actions are making a difference and for that we can't thank you enough. We'll also be communicating with you frequently about how the situation is unfolding and how you can help in the coming weeks. These are just a few of the many examples of what we accomplished together this year. And with so much more to do in 2011, I'm really looking forward to your ongoing commitment to the people of Sudan. Your actions, your support, and your commitment is vital to everything we do. On behalf of all of us at Save Darfur, I wish you a joyous and healthy holiday season and thank you again for your unwavering support. Appreciatively, Mark Lotwis Save Darfur Coalition P.S. While we have so much to be proud of in 2010, next year is already shaping up to be one of our most challenging yet. We'll be in touch in early January with more about our plans and how to stay involved.

The Save Darfur Coalition — an alliance of more than 190 faith-based, advocacy and human rights organizations — raises public awareness about the ongoing crisis in Darfur and mobilizes a unified response to promote peace throughout the Darfur region and all of Sudan. The coalition's member organizations represent 130 million people of all ages, races, religions and political affiliations united together to help the people of Sudan. Please join the movement at http://www.savedarfur.org.