DWAG Newsletter

 

Dear Rapid Response Network Members,

Darfur Women’s Action Group would like to truly thank you for your continued support, engagement, and action regarding the situation in Darfur and Sudan.

As you may already know, the genocide in Darfur is entering its 20th year. For many, the new year brings hope and optimism; a chance for a clean slate and to start anew. In Darfur, a clean slate is an extravagance not afforded to the millions whose lives have been uprooted by genocide and war. Innocent people remain displaced, unable to reunite with their families and return home. As the Earth continues to turn, the eyes of the world have moved on to other tragedies, despite the war in Sudan being worse than ever. At DWAG, we aim to bring the voices of those most affected to the global stage by shedding light on their suffering. In this week’s newsletter, we will give you the most recent updates from Darfur and Sudan, summarize our work from the past few weeks, and share opportunities for you to get involved with DWAG and our mission. Thank you for your dedication and commitment!

Kind regards,

DWAG Team
______________________________________________________________________________

Highlights of the Month

DWAG president Niemat Ahmadi was featured on Vogue Magazine  online and will be in the print  version for the month of March to bring attention to the dire situation in Sudan read the full article here

DWAG president Niemat spoke in a panel about the catastrophic humanitarian  situation in Darfur at an event organized by Tahiri Institute for Middle East Policy  you can watch it here

DWAG’s president will be speaking on Friday evening and Saturday morning at the Amnesty International Annual Gathering: you can watch here

DWAG’s president hosted a facebook livestream on the atrocities currently going on in Sudan. If you missed it, you can find a recording of the livestream here. We urge that you help us share the message on your social media account(s). Together, we can be the voice to bring peace and justice to Sudan!

DWAG was invited to and participated in a demonstration outside the UAE embassy in Washington D.C. The demonstration was hosted this Sunday on the 300th day of the current war in Sudan. The protests main focus was on the UAE’s funding of one of the main perpetrators of genocide in Darfur, the RSF.

On February 12th, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee introduced a bipartisan resolution recognizing the actions of the Rapid Support Forces and allied militia in the Darfur region of Sudan against non-Arab ethnic communities as acts of genocide. While this resolution fails to recognize the atrocities of the SAF, this is a major step forward in getting the United States and the international community to focus its attention on the genocide of the Darfuri people.

A group of five Sudanese organizations have come together to form the Sudan Anti Corruption Alliance. Their goal is to help stop the war by fighting the corruption that has been extremely prevalent in Sudan since the beginning of the totalitarian Al Bashir regime
.
On March 6th, after intense pressure from the international community and the UN, the Sudanese government announced that they would begin to allow “specified humanitarian aid” into the country from Chad, South Sudan, and Egypt. This comes after the government had long been preventing international aid from entering as they had been accusing Chad of smuggling supplies to the RSF.

The Swedish ambassador to Sudan, Anna Blok Mazoyer, told Radio Dabanga in an interview that the European Union is prepared to levy more sanctions against companies that support the war in Sudan. This comes after the European Union has already levied sanctions against 6 companies for financing the war.

The United States Department of State spokesperson reaffirmed their call for an end to the war, accountability for those involved in the atrocities, and a democratic transition. The United States, like the EU, plans to continue to levy sanctions against companies who continue to finance the war.

______________________________________________________________________________
This Month In Sudan

The war in Sudan has been raging on for the past 11 months and to many, seems unrelenting. Horrific crimes against humanity are being committed by both the RSF and SAF. It is imperative to stay up to date on what is happening in Darfur and Sudan as a whole so we can effectively advocate for justice for the people of Darfur.

Thousands have been forced to flee South Kordofan as the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North launched an attack on the RSF controlled town of Habila. Fighting lasted throughout the weekend. While there have been reports that the SPLM-N has captured the town from the RSF, these claims have not been able to be verified.

Reports of civilians fleeing the West Kordofan capital El Fula, which has been home to many of the displaced people from surrounding towns, have been coming out of Sudan over the past week. Many are fearing rumors of an RSF attack on the SAF controlled capital as much of the region aside from the capital is controlled by the RSF.

Reports have come out that RSF forces are committing attacks in the state of Al-Jazirah on over 50 villages. These raids come as a telecommunications blackout continues over much of the country. There are many reports of killings, arrests, and looting of civilians throughout Al-Jazirah.

Khartoum Bahri, a city north of the capital city of Khartoum, has seen forced evacuations in the northern and eastern areas of the city. These evacuations come as the SAF continues to attack RSF forces in Khartoum since February. The areas forcibly evacuated were already home to many displaced peoples.

RSF forces attacked the town of Habila and surrounding villages in South Kordofan after having pulled out of the area in February. Dozens of people were killed, over 40,000 were forced to flee and 15 women were kidnapped.

Fighting started again between the RSF and SAF in the capital of North Darfur, El Fasher. These clashes occurred near two IDP camps in the city and led to an unidentified number of casualties.

SAF made advances to retake the capital of El Jazirah, Wad Madani, which led to clashes with the RSF. The intense fighting led to the SAF’s retreat to El Managil in the western portion of the state.

SAF is conducting bombings in residential areas in Naeema in the White Nile state. At least one person has been killed and many more have been injured. Reports coming from the region say there are no RSF in the area of the bombings.

 

______________________________________________________________________________

 

What you can do to help

You can always support us by making a donation at https://staging.darfurwomenaction.org/donate/

Send a letter to your representatives in both the house and the senate and urge them to take actions;

Send a letter to the editors of your local  news sources;

Volunteer to become state representative and serve as DWAG leader in your state, educate and mobilize more people to action;

Make sure to join our Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter)  here and follow us if you have yet done so

DWAG strives to mobilize the masses in an effort to press the international community and the government of Sudan to fulfill their obligation toward the people of Darfur. We cannot do this without your support, and that is why we are calling on you to continue standing by our side. Add your voice and speak with us, so together we can mobilize the masses to help the people of Darfur one day experience justice, security, and peace!

Thank you for your time! Have a great rest of your week!

DWAG Team

[ctct form=”6297″]

 

The Darfur Women’s Action Group (DWAG) strongly condemns the horrific and indiscriminate attacks that have taken place in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, from Saturday, July 27 to Monday, July 29, 2024. These brutal assaults, carried out by the paramilitary Rapid Support

Forces (RSF), have led to the tragic deaths and injuries of at least 97 civilians, targeting essential public infrastructure including hospitals, residential buildings, and places of worship.

 

According to local authorities, the acting Wali (governor) of North Darfur, El Hafiz Bakhit, has described the situation as “a true massacre,” with shells hitting public buildings, hospitals, and mosques. Particularly appalling was the bombardment of the Specialized Hospital for Women and Maternity, which suffered over 10 direct hits, yet remains the only operational hospital in the city. On Monday afternoon, RSF shelling of the Saudi Hospital resulted in the deaths of three

companions of patients, extensive damage to hospital wards, and additional casualties in the nearby Islamic complex, including at least three children. For over eight hours, the citizens of El Fasher endured relentless artillery fire, subsequently leading to the closure of markets and cessation of transportation.

 

The unconscionable violence resulted in the deaths of 97 individuals, including 43 children and 13 women, over three days. This violation of international humanitarian law demands immediate and decisive international action. Clementine Nkweta-Salami, the United Nations humanitarian coordinator in Sudan, condemned these “indiscriminate” attacks, stressing that civilian infrastructure, such as hospitals and markets, should never be targeted. However, despite international outcry, effective action to safeguard civilians and restore peace remains insufficient.

 

For the past months, El Fasher has been encircled by armed groups with severe restrictions imposed on movement along key roads out of the city, effectively trapping families within the city. At the same time, a severe lack of humanitarian access and an inability to deliver commercial goods due to insecurity have led to a scarcity of essential services and skyrocketing

costs for food, water, and fuel. As such, the shellings in El Fasher pose a major catastrophe, endangering the lives and well-being of about 750,000 children in the city, and potentially millions more.

 

Since the outbreak of conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF in April 2023, Sudan has faced unprecedented levels of displacement and humanitarian distress. Over 10 million people have been displaced, with the healthcare system in critical condition due to 88 documented attacks on medical facilities. Vulnerable populations, particularly children, are suffering from severe malnutrition and lack of access to essential medical care. With over 330,000 people facing acute food insecurity in El Fasher, the situation is dire and compounded by restrictions on movement and a severe lack of humanitarian access.

 

We urge the international community to carry out swift and decisive intervention to prevent further atrocities in Darfur. Every hour without resolute action is another hour of suffering for the Sudanese people. We implore the international community to take the following steps to end the suffering and hold criminals responsible:

• Open unhindered humanitarian aid channels across Sudan to reach all those in need
• Urge U.S. leaders and the international community to lead a robust intervention to protect civilians, and to stop ethnic-based killings throughout Sudan
• Hold the regional enablers of the atrocities accountable, including regional and international actors like the U.A.E that are supplying funds and weaponry to the RSF
• Impose targeted sanctions on individuals, such as freezing assets, imposing travel bans sanctioning all businesses associated with the two warring generals in Sudan, and cutting the funding for weapons
• Pursue accountability for those most responsible for past and current genocide crimes, war crimes, and crimes against humanity committed in Sudan
• Provide support for women and civil society from historically marginalized Sudanese in order for their voices to be heard at all levels of the decision-making processes regarding solutions to the current crises

The time for condemnation alone is over; now is the time for concerted and meaningful intervention.

Thank you for your continued support! Stay tuned for more opportunities to take action. With Gratitude,

Niemat Ahmadi, DWAG president

And DWAG team

 

Today, on World Humanitarian Day, Darfur Women Action Group (DWAG) would like to draw attention to the worst humanitarian crises in Sudan and stand in solemn recognition of the courageous efforts of humanitarian workers around the globe, particularly those risking their lives in the conflict zones of Sudan. We wish to take this opportunity to call on the United Nations Security Council to make the protection of civilians and the protection of humanitarian workers in conflict zones, particularly in Sudan, an urgent priority. DWAG would also like to recognize the locally based Sudanese volunteers who have become front-line humanitarian workers without preparation or protection,  fiercely delivering aid and helping their communities survive every day.  Many have been killed, wounded, and prosecuted simply because of their life-saving work and they must be protected.

 

The humanitarian crisis in Sudan is a stark reminder that the international community’s commitment to protecting civilians and providing life-saving assistance must be unwavering. Across Sudan, around 25 million people— over half the country’s population— urgently need humanitarian assistance, with 48% of them being children. For many, humanitarian workers are their last hope. Yet, humanitarian access has been severely compromised by ongoing violence,  targeted attacks on aid workers, and famine that kills every day. The deliberate use of starvation as a weapon of war, flooding that obstructs escape routes, and blockades of major supply lines into besieged cities such as El Fasher have escalated the suffering of millions.

 

The ongoing conflict, now 16 months long, has devastated civilian infrastructure. Over 75% of health facilities in conflict-affected states are non-functional, and since April 2023, 88 attacks on healthcare—including workers, facilities, and ambulances—have resulted in at least 55 deaths and 104 injuries. In Darfur, women flee hundreds of miles seeking safety from sexual violence, parents despair as they struggle to feed their children, and children are forced to leave home to escape indiscriminate shelling amidst intense flooding because even the refugee camps are under attack.

 

In 2023, Sudan became the second most dangerous place in the world for humanitarians, with at least 22 aid workers killed. The situation in Sudan is dire. Humanitarian workers in the region are facing unprecedented challenges as they strive to deliver aid amidst escalating violence and systemic obstruction. Despite these hurdles, they continue to serve those in need with extraordinary courage and dedication, stepping up where the international community has failed. Their efforts are critical, but they cannot replace the need for urgent, decisive action from global leaders to address the root causes of this crisis and ensure that humanitarian aid reaches all those in need. It is our leaders’ duty to uphold international humanitarian laws and serious measures for their protection worldwide— today and every day.

 

DWAG stands firmly by humanitarian workers and the people whose suffering they alleviate. To continue their life-saving work, they need not just our support, but yours as well. It is clear that much more funding is needed for humanitarian assistance. It is also clear that, no matter what, DWAG will continue to raise awareness of the conflict in Sudan and amplify the voices of the afflicted as warring parties try to silence them through killings, rape, starvation, and intimidation.

 

Thanks to our donors and supporters, our DWAG team in Sudan has been able to distribute life-saving emergency relief to refugees arriving in South Sudan. We will continue to deliver assistance where we can to vulnerable people in Darfur. We will not stand back in the face of horrifying death and suffering. The world cannot afford to turn a blind eye— keep your eyes on Sudan!

 

Thank you for your continued support. Stay tuned for more updates and opportunities to take action.

 

With Gratitude,

Niemat Ahmadi, DWAG President

The DWAG Team

Dear Secretary of State Blinken and members of the mediation team,

Darfur Women Action Group (DWAG) and the undersigned Sudanese women civil society leaders, activists, refugees, and displaced persons in the diaspora and Sudan, extend our gratitude to you and the

U.S. government for taking steps to address the suffering of the Sudanese people. We are writing to you now with urgency to sound the alarm on the escalating violence, increased severe humanitarian crisis, and the critical need for civilian protection in Darfur and across Sudan. Today’s crisis, fueled by long-standing impunity and inaction regarding crimes committed in Darfur over the past two decades, demands immediate intervention. We urge the U.S. government and all stakeholders to take robust action to deliver desperately needed lifesaving humanitarian aid and authorize UN-led forces to protect civilians before it is too late.

Sudan has been engulfed in a vicious war that has brought untold suffering to the women, men, and children of Sudan. Since April 2023, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have been engaged in a senseless war and have committed heinous crimes against the people of Sudan, including crimes against humanity, war crimes, and genocide. The violence, which began in Khartoum, rapidly escalated across the country, with Darfur experiencing the most devastating atrocities, including the ethnic slaughter of the Masalit and other indigenous African communities. While the RSF continues to occupy, indiscriminately shell and loot civilians’ homes, by using rape, sexual and gender-based violence as a tactic of war, the SAF are employing heavy artillery shelling, air strikes, and indiscriminate attacks mainly targeting civilians’ homes, markets, essential public services, and evacuation routes. Women and girls as young as 10 years of age have been abducted and raped numerous times, sometimes, in front of their families in an attempt to break the families’ will and destroy their dignity.

In addition, the deliberate targeting of humanitarian workers and local volunteers in Darfur is extremely concerning, as it has severely undermined aid operations and put millions of people at high risk of starvation. Both warring parties have employed starvation as a weapon of warfare against innocent civilians by blocking humanitarian access. As a result, over 10 million people are displaced within Sudan, trapped with nowhere to go, many dying in silence. It is estimated that more than 2 people million have fled the country as refugees, living in deplorable conditions in neighboring countries, lacking even the most basic means of survival. The UN has warned that over 26 million Sudanese are facing acute hunger, with famine already declared in Darfur, where hundreds are dying in displacement camps with no shelter, as the rainy season and increasing flood have exacerbated their suffering beyond description.

We are saddened and appalled by the lack of international attention and action on Sudan. When the war erupted and aid agencies fled, our people were left to fend for themselves amid the brutality. It was the women, youth, civil society in Sudan, and the diaspora who have taken on the challenge of helping our people survive, but it has become nearly impossible due to insecurity and restrictions imposed by both sides. For 16 months, we have been dehumanized, forced to witness our families being slaughtered, trapped, and left to die in silence. Recent attacks in El Jazeera and Sinar States have devastated the lives of hundreds of thousands, with the RSF killing civilians, looting properties, and seizing control of grain warehouses, further exacerbating the suffering of those forced to flee during the heavy rainy season.

The siege and escalated attacks in El Fasher, the capital city of North Darfur, have resulted in some of the deadliest mass atrocities. The severe restrictions on movement, the blockade of medical supplies brought by aid groups, and widespread insecurity, have led to a scarcity of essential services and skyrocketing costs of food, water, and fuel. RSF fighters have burned over forty villages surrounding El Fasher, intentionally crippling the food supply and increasing vulnerability as part of a deliberate tactic to exacerbate civilian suffering. RSF bombardment of all three hospitals and the last two clinics in El Fasher, while patients were still inside, with over 900 patients now left with no medical attention, highlights the severity of the crisis. According to UNICEF, at least seventy-seven hospitals across Sudan have come under attack since the war began, though the true number is likely far higher. These actions are clear violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, and perpetrators must be dealt with accordingly.

The crisis in Sudan is of a global magnitude and requires a global response. As the U.S.-led negotiations on Sudan’s civil war approach on August 14, 2024, the international community must prioritize the urgency facing the Sudanese people rather than prolong negotiations. Both warring parties, led by Sudanese generals, have repeatedly promised a cessation of hostilities but have failed to honor ceasefire agreements since the conflict began. The U.S. and stakeholders in Geneva must use this meeting to bring together the coalition of those willing to collectively intervene and save civilian lives before it is too late. We, therefore, urge you to take the following steps to swiftly end the crisis in Sudan:

1. The U.S. and its allies in Geneva must demand that the warring parties issue a public call on their troops to stop attacks, adhere to immediate and unconditional cessation of hostilities, end the siege on El Fasher and all other cities, and generally halt the killing across Sudan.
2. The warring parties must halt all attacks against women and humanitarian workers.
3. The warring parties must agree to women’s participation by no less than 50% in all aspects of the peace process, including ceasefire negotiations, peacekeeping operations, and other processes related to the resolution of the conflict.
4. Call for the immediate deployment of UN-led forces under Chapter VII to protect civilians in conflict zones of Sudan to prevent further atrocities against vulnerable populations.
5. Publicly recognize the use of starvation as a weapon of warfare in Sudan to prevent further loss of life and ensure that unhindered humanitarian aid reaches those in desperate need, particularly in El Fasher, Central Sudan, and Sinar areas.
6. Call on countries that violate the existing sanctions or arms embargoes against Sudan to stop and they must, subsequently, face accountability
7. Impose travel bans and other sanctions as punitive measures on parties that refuse to end the violence or allow humanitarian aid.

Thank you for your kind consideration. With Gratitude,

Niemat Ahmadi, DWAG President

For the safety of those involved, the list of the other 100 signatories has been removed.

Darfur’s genocide has been ongoing for over 24 years – and the number of civilian casualties increases every day while the world remains SILENT!

Dear DWAG Supporters:

We are reaching out to you with an urgent appeal! Since November 2023, with the exception of El Fasher in North Darfur, Darfur has fallen entirely under the control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). In El Geneina, West Darfur alone, the RSF has slaughtered between 10,000 to 15,000 people, with countless more casualties across Darfur and Sudan going undocumented. Civilian deaths have escalated to alarming rates, yet the world remains silent. In a recent report, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) confirmed that a child dies every two hours in Zamzam camp, in North Darfur. Before this crisis, Darfur was home to over 122 internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, where 3 million people had lived for over two decades. They remain unable to return home, their lands stolen, and their attackers still unpunished. The international community’s inaction indirectly legitimizes the slaughter and extermination of Sudan’s indigenous African population—this is why we urgently need your help.

Since April 15, 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in violence, sparked by a power struggle between the RSF and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). This war has torn the country apart, causing unspeakable suffering. The RSF has occupied civilians’ homes, using rape and sexual violence as weapons of war, while the SAF’s shelling and bombardment have destroyed homes, markets, and essential infrastructure. In both Khartoum and Darfur, RSF fighters have committed widespread sexual and gender-based violence, including abductions and sexual slavery. Starvation is now being used as a weapon of war by both sides.

While the atrocities in Khartoum constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity, in Darfur, active genocide is being systematically carried out against indigenous Africans. The international community must act immediately to end the violence and hold those responsible accountable.

Patterns of Ethnically Targeted Attacks and Extermination of Indigenous Africans in Darfur

The RSF’s attacks in Darfur are systematic and explicitly aimed at the indigenous African population. Civilians have been massacred, and deprived of food, water, and medical assistance, with the RSF deliberately cutting off all means of survival. As a result, a large portion of the population has been forced into mass displacement since the start of the conflict. This genocidal strategy has been most apparent in El Geneina, West Darfur, where an estimated 10,000 to 15,000 indigenous Masalit people were brutally murdered by the RSF and its allied militias. Similar atrocities have unfolded in Kutum and Tawila in North Darfur, Mornay in West Darfur, and Nyala in South Darfur, where countless lives have been lost, and residents forced to flee their homes. Many survivors have taken refuge in El Fasher, now internally displaced persons (IDPs), but they remain under the threat of further attacks.

El Fasher is far from a safe haven. The city is under continuous shelling, with civilians and healthcare infrastructure being targeted. Major roads in and out of the city are blocked, preventing the movement of humanitarian aid. The Zamzam camp, home to 500,000 displaced people, has been attacked, and the situation is further worsened by devastating floods, which have made it even harder for people to flee.

Despite a recent U.S.-led ceasefire negotiation between the warring parties in Switzerland, attacks on civilians continue, particularly in displacement camps. Life-saving humanitarian aid remains blocked, and the suffering is only deepening with outbreaks of disease. Now more than ever, we must ensure that swift and decisive action for civilian protection and humanitarian aid is taken by the U.S., the UN, and the African Union to stop this genocide and save lives.

The Danger of Darfur Under Full Control By The RSF

Currently, over 98% of Darfur is in a state of chaos, with the region almost entirely out of government control. Darfur, an area the size of France, is now dominated by the RSF, with only two cities partially controlled by the SAF. The RSF has intensified its attacks, seizing homes, blocking civilians’ movement, and tightening its grip on the region. If this continues, it could mark the final stage of the extermination of Darfur’s indigenous people, including survivors of the 2003 genocide.

The RSF and Janjaweed militias are repeating the horrors of the 2003 genocide on a larger and more devastating scale. Once limited to attacks on horseback, the Janjaweed have evolved into the nationally recognized RSF, equipped with advanced weapons and backed by powerful regional and international supporters. Unlike in 2003, no international humanitarian agencies, journalists, or UN diplomats are allowed in Darfur, leaving genocide victims to fend for themselves. The RSF has consolidated its control over Darfur’s five states, establishing itself as one of the most systematic genocidal forces in history. Despite this, world leaders remain silent or offer only minimal condemnation.

We at DWAG Say NO to the silence against the ongoing and escalating genocide in Darfur!

The Presence of Multinational Troops in Darfur

The RSF has proven to be a multi-national militia. While the majority of its troops are from Sudan, many more are from West and Central African countries, including Arab militias respectively from the Republic of Mali, Niger, Central African Republic, Chad, and Libya. The introduction of cross-border uncontrolled troops alone proves to be a dangerous trend. With the history of terrorist activities from Sudan to Mali in the region, if left unchecked, those temporary militia forces may evolve into ISIS or al-Qaeda army-like regional extremist forces, fueling crises that both international and regional actors will be forced to respond to – but it will be too late to contain them. Such a regional supply of troops from various countries equally makes control or a solution at the national level impossible. Therefore, the humanitarian crisis in Sudan is not just a regional issue—it is a global catastrophe

What You Can Do To Help

In the face of genocide and current unspeakable atrocities, solutions must take an atrocity prevention approach that starts with civilian protection and distribution of humanitarian aid. This should be followed by pursuing accountability for the most serious international crimes, which will then create an environment that enables the peaceful transformation of Sudan.

Therefore, we need you to add your voices to ours to call on the U.S. government and the member states of the UNSC to take the following steps:

• Intervene robustly to protect civilians and to stop the genocide in Darfur.
• Open an unhindered humanitarian accessibility channel in Sudan and Darfur, in particular, to reach all those in need.
• Pursue accountability for those most responsible for past and current genocide behavior, war crimes, and crimes against humanity committed in Darfur and across the Sudan.
• Impose targeted sanctions, such as freezing assets, imposing travel bans, sanctioning all businesses associated with the two warring generals in Sudan, and cutting the funding for weapons.
• Deploy immediate humanitarian intervention to all in need inside Sudan and in the neighboring countries with and without the permission of the government.
• Hold the regional enablers of the genocide in Darfur accountable, including regional and international actors supplying funds and weaponry to the RSF.
• Provide support to Civil Society Organizations and women from historically marginalized Sudanese to have the capacity and voice at all levels of decision-making processes regarding solutions to the current crises.

Other Ways To Help

• Send our “Letter To The Congress” that contains all of our demands and requests https://staging.darfurwomenaction.org/press_release/sudan-needs-you-campaign-a-letter-to-congress/ to your representatives and call their offices to ask that they be the voice for the people of Sudan and demand U.S. leadership in ending genocide and holding perpetrators accountable.
• Donate to DWAG https://staging.darfurwomenaction.org/donate/ or other organizations providing support to the local-level emergency response initiatives in Sudan.
• Join and support our campaign Sudan Needs You! and share it via your social media platform with 100 people.

The crisis in Sudan and the catastrophe in Darfur are of global magnitude which requires global response but if we can speak in one voice and demand our government and the UN to work for an end, we can end this genocide and hold perpetrators accountable.

With our collective effort, we can make a difference!

Download This Template!

Stand With the People of Sudan

[Your Name]

[City], [State] [Postal Code]

Phone: [Your Phone]  Fax: [Your Fax]

E-Mail: [Your E-Mail]

Date: [Insert date here]

 

The Honorable [Name of Elected Representative]

[Address of Elected Representative’s Office]

**You can find the contact information for your elected representative at Congress.org. (Please ensure to remove this message from your finalized letter)**

 

Dear [Representative or Senator xxxxx],

 

As [a] member[s] of your constituency, [I am\We are] gravely concerned about the suffering of the people of Sudan as the humanitarian crisis worsens every day. For years, many members of Congress spoke out against the genocide in Darfur and called for accountability for Omar al-Bashir. However, now that al-Bashir has been ousted, the world has forgotten Darfur, even as two of Bashir’s close associates continue to commit genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity in Sudan. Therefore, I am reaching out with urgency and to ask you to be a voice for the people of Sudan, particularly Darfur as atrocities continue to increase. [I/We] need you to stand with the people of Sudan by asking the Biden Administration to take serious measures and lead the U.N. Security Council to immediately deliver desperately needed humanitarian aid and authorize civilian protection forces to protect the vulnerable and hold perpetrators of atrocities accountable.

 

Sudan has been engulfed in a vicious war that has brought untold suffering to the people of Sudan. Since April 2023, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have engaged in a senseless war, plunging the entire country into a catastrophic crisis in which heinous crimes are committed against the people of Sudan daily. The violence, which began in Khartoum, rapidly escalated across the country, with Darfur experiencing the most devastating atrocities, including the ethnic slaughter of the Masalit people and other indigenous African communities in Darfur. While the RSF continues to occupy, indiscriminately shell, and loot civilians’ homes, using rape, sexual, and gender-based violence as tactics of war, the SAF are employing heavy artillery shelling, air strikes, and indiscriminate attacks; predominantly targeting civilians’ homes, markets, essential public services, and evacuation routes.

 

With Darfur experiencing the most horrific bloodshed, 15,000 people have been slaughtered in El Geneina- a city in West Darfur- alone, where ethnic massacres of the Masalit and other indigenous African communities in Darfur have left a trail of death and devastation. Women and girls as young as 10 years of age have been abducted and raped countless times by RSF forces on ethnic bases, sometimes, in front of their families in an attempt to break the families’ and community’ will and destroy their dignity. The final report of the U.N. Panel of Experts on Sudan confirmed the occurrence of widespread and escalating conflict-related sexual violence, including kidnapping, rape, and sexual exploitation against women and girls during RSF attacks on both Khartoum and Darfur. Moreover, the U.N. fact-finding mission recently reported that serious international crimes have continued to be perpetrated by both the RSF and SAF, including mass rape, sexual slavery, child recruitment, and indiscriminate shelling of innocent civilians. The report also revealed that both factions are responsible for the destruction of essential public services- including electricity, water, and communications- intended to isolate and silence the people of Sudan.

 

Over 26 million people in Sudan are facing acute hunger, with famine having been officially declared in Darfur. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has reported that a child dies every two hours in the Darfur displacement camps. Both the RSF and SAF have systematically used starvation as a weapon of war and death against civilian populations, leaving countless to die in silence. Over 10 million people have been displaced internally, trapped in a war zone with no escape and minimal means of survival. More than 2 million people, most of whom are women and children, have been forced to cross the borders into neighboring countries and live in deplorable conditions. The atrocities are mounting and the Sudanese people continue to suffer while the world watches.

 

Given the ongoing atrocities, [I/We] urge you to stand with the people of Sudan, both in ending the longest genocide in our history and in securing a safe, just, democratic future for the people of Sudan. [I/We] urge you to leverage your influence in Congress to advocate for these priorities and to encourage your colleagues to do the same. We appreciate your kind consideration of the following recommendations:

 

1. Make Sudan a primary focus, calling for urgent action to deliver humanitarian aid and protect civilians, especially those in areas under siege;
2. Demand immediate, unconditional ceasefires from both the RSF and SAF, and call for an end to the attacks on civilians, humanitarian workers, and vital infrastructure, including hospitals and aid convoys;
3. Impose immediate targeted sanctions with travel bans on parties obstructing humanitarian efforts and perpetuating violence;
4. Call for the expansion of the existing arms embargo in Darfur to the entirety of Sudan to stop the supply of weapons, ammunition, and other support to the warring parties and prevent the further escalation of violence;
5. Impose sanctions to hold warring parties accountable for past and present crimes committed in Darfur and Sudan.

 

The people of Sudan, Sudanese Americans, and members of your constituency look to you as a beacon of hope in these dark times. Your unwavering support gives us confidence that the U.S. will not ignore its obligation under international law. [I/We] look up to you and kindly urge you to be [my/our] voice and the voice for those voiceless in Sudan by supporting these immediate actions.

 

Thank you for your kind consideration.

 

Sincerely,

The undersigned

In partnership with Darfur Women Action Group

www.darfurwomenaction.org