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Darfur current situation and the coming days By Adeeb Yousif
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Jan 12, 2009 - 2:50:00 PM

Darfur current situation and the coming days

By Adeeb Yousif

January 12^th 2009

Human Rights Defender

[email protected]

Mobile (+1)201-238-8632

NEW YORK

          I am a Darfurian and Sudanese human rights defender. I write this letter today in order to urge you to take action to end the six years of violence in Darfur. Hundreds of people have been killed, hundreds of women raped, hundreds of children abducted, hundreds of villages burned, hundreds people are currently arrested and a million people have fled their homes.

The immediate issues facing internally displaced peoples (IDPs) are those of survival and protection. According to Dennis McNamara, Director of the UN Internal Displacement Division, protection remains a major concern. As a result of the great importance given to national rule, this issue is highly sensitive and careful handling is required.    I am deeply concerned about the Sudanese government having recently rearmed the Janjaweed militia in the three states of Darfur with new unconventional weapons and also opening a new training camps in the Garash Northeast of Zalingie, Jebel Jawa, Jebel Kuoyo, Jebel Karago Derasa, Sarafuamra, Mstreha�etc The main reason for these actions is to threaten and intimidate the IDPs and the international community regarding the accusations of the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. This has created a situation where most international organizations and UN agencies evacuated some of their staff out of the country.   On the watch of the international community, the Janjaweed have received renewed support from the Government of Sudan (GoS), where IDPs as well as civilians feel threatened and concerned about suspected attacks.

What I predict will happen in the coming few days are renewed genocidal attacks against IDPs and civilians that may also be inflicted upon international organizations. GoS is working on a campaign to organize demonstrations in many towns in Sudan, including Darfur, to stop the ICC process against Bashir and to get international organizations permanently out of Darfur.

I urge you to take immediate action to prevent this uprising of genocide and human rights abuses in Darfur.   Speak to the media; talk to the UN missions in New York; encourage Sudanese authorities to stop distributing, recruiting, and opening Janjaweed training camps; urge the Security Council to get involved immediately and create a resolution for a UNAMID mandate to protect IDPs; implore NGOs on the ground to monitor the situation; send updates to others; tell your government to get involved; and tell everybody you know that she/he can do something.

With best wishes for Justice and Peace

Adeeb Yousif