U.S. activist Eric Reeves worked with the ICC Prosecutor on the Bashir/Haroun/Kushayb indictments

This excellent commentary, authored by Ibrahim Adam in El Fasher, North Darfur, was posted on Tuesday, March 24th, 2009 at Alex de Waal's blog Making Sense of Darfur

INGOs Expelled from Darfur: Time to Acknowledge the Smoking and Loaded Gun

Yes, nobody wants to see Darfuris in the IDP camps and elsewhere suffer needlessly. And that “nobody” also includes, yes, the Sudanese government – as noted by LA Times journalist Ed Sanders in his recent piece about the government’s – thwarted - efforts to ward off a meningitis outbreak and water-pump fuel shortage in Kalma Camp.

Yet, the INGOs and their vociferous supporters in the US and other Western governments, media, and academicians and, indeed, humanitarians themselves have continued to ignore the key reason behind the Sudanese government’s expulsion of thirteen NGOs (mostly international aid operators) from Darfur. Instead, they have moved (ducked?) smoothly into a predictable chorus of cat calls and gnashing of teeth at the Sudanese authorities in an attempt to “browbeat” the Sudanese government into letting the INGOs back into Darfur and carry on with “business as usual” (i.e the day before the announcement).

That’s wrong by the expelled INGOs and their supporters on two main counts.

First, as repeatedly noted by the Sudanese authorities, there are legitimate concerns – as noted in this terrific post recently by Neha Erasmus to be raised, and questions to be answered, about the overall ownnership and thrust of the international humanitarian intervention in Darfur – some five years on from that overwhelmingly successful response.

Nobody – and that should include self-dubbed friends of Darfur – should want to see a repeat in Darfur of UN Operational Lifeline in southern Sudan: a $20 billion food, basics and personal initiative-sapping international aid programme, which lasted for a ridiculous ten-plus years – with similarly little/no advocacy from international aid groups for both sides to sit down and end a pointless war - and whose negative impact on southern Sudanese seizing ownership over their own destiny is still even today all too clear to see.

In other words, a return to “business as usual” for the expelled INGOs and other international aid organisations in Darfur is, actually, in nobody’s interest – and that includes displaced Darfuris just existing in the camps.

Secondly, the expelled INGOs and their supporters in US and other Western governments, media etc have purposefully skirted over — and, in my mind, disingenuously — avoided answering the government’s explicit charge of whether there are any grounds for its claim that the INGOs expelled from Darfur have strayed way beyond both their own claimed humanitarian mandates and individual bilateral agreements signed with their host (the Sudanese government).

There’s no smoke without fire. And in the case of claims of the politicisation of international humanitarian operations in Darfur, it’s a pretty big and, in fact, very visible fire.

ICC Prosecutor Ocampo, despite his public denial, is clearly involved in a hasty, belated, damage (read expelled INGOs’ reputations/brands) limitation exercise. Many international staffers here in Darfur and Khartoum admit (privately) that some activists had/have infiltrated some international aid organisations working in Darfur (stress on “some” in both cases - hence reason why all INGOs in Darfur, i.e. majority were not expelled), and provided informational and testimonial assistance to the ICC - either directly or through ‘back-channels’ to the ICC such as supplying information (most likely poor quality as they are untrained for such a technically difficult task) to the likes of Eric Reeves, who was openly working with the ICC Prosecutor on the Bashir/Haroun/Kushayb indictments.

In fact, see this link from journalist Rob Crilly on the case of New Jersey pediatrician Jerry Ehrlich who worked for MSF in one of the Darfur IDP camps - likely Kalma - as an example.

Other activists within some INGOs (i.e. those that have been expelled) provided material assistance and moral succor to the rebel groups in Darfur, and so selfishly undermined the strictly humanitarian slant (and thus reputation - not just in Sudan but globally) of the INGOs in question.

Indeed, it turns out that the politicisation of humanitarian assistance in Darfur is not - as has been short-sightedly claimed by the Western media etc - a figment of imiganation of the Sudanese authorities. It is a fact. Indeed, we in Sudan saw it before during the North-South civil war, notably when Norwegian People’s Aid was censured by the Norwegian parliament in the mid-90s for gun-running for the SPLA (it had crates of rifles and guns hidden under stacks of bibles.)

Moreover, the ODI, the UK’s leading development think-tank, identified succinctly the worrying politicisation of humanitarian assistance in Darfur in a 2006 report, which noted:

“The role of advocacy in humanitarian action has given rise to debate about the politicization of humanitarianism, and concerns that greater engagement in advocacy undermines humanitarian principles and threatens humanitarian space… For many humanitarian agencies [in Darfur], public advocacy is partly seen as a way of maintaining profile. Darfur has become a priority for the media and communications departments of most humanitarian actors, and many have used advocacy not just to effect policy change, but also to gain exposure, not least for fundraising purposes.”

Precisely.

Similarly, here’s another, more recent, flashback from the ODIwhich also noted succinctly the huge problems and contradictions surrounding the politicization of international humanitarian assistance in Darfur.

A particularly striking finding of the second ODI report on the matter is the ‘flat lining’ of public advocacy by INGOs in conflicts in the Dem. Rep. of Congo, and Somalia compared to Darfur - with the latter two evidently worse and more protracted “protection crises” than that in the west of Sudan (using the INGOs own labeling of the Darfur conflict).

Put simply, the report lends strong credence to the view that from the get-go, INGOs, by spuriously dubbing Darfur as the “world’s first protection crisis” and, in turn, invoking the R2P mantra, have been indulging in a politicised, shallow campaign against the Sudanese government; after all if it’s just about protecting civilians from the effects of war, why haven’t those same INGOs issued a flurry of stand alone press release condemning rebel atrocities on civilians in Darfur or, likewise, why haven’t their sister counterparts in the DRC or Somalia issued a raft of protection-related press releases or missives?

The Sudanese government therefore has merely raised the legitimate question to the INGOs in Darfur – and has yet to receive an answer – why their sister agencies located in other, more troublesome or longer-term conflict zones around the world (e.g. DRC, Sri Lanka, Somalia, Colombia, Kashmir, Iraq, Afghanistan) have not issued or publicized with great fanfare a slew of press releases or statements decrying international “diplomatic dithering” as, for example, Oxfam in Darfur did.

I believe in freedom; if anybody wants to be an activist on Darfur that’s their right. But use the correct silo for this: Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Justice Africa etc. But don’t contaminate INGOs and their brand by indulging in shallow, politicised objectives as the activists did - that’s just morally wrong.

I’m a huge fan of INGOs generally – and what they have done in Darfur to stop hunger and provide the basics has been little short of miraculous. But I also know deep down that the indignation of international and Sudanese staff of the expelled INGOs (and sections of the international community) to the Sudanese government, while expected, should instead be directed towards the activists – i.e. their former (and in some cases current) international staff colleagues.

It was, after all, they who made the wrong – and selfish – judgment call on the belief that they were on some ‘higher mission’.
Surely, the international staffers who chose to pursue an activist agenda about the Darfur conflict, as opposed to a humanitarian one, must have realized that they would only serve to inflict heavy damage on the reputation of the INGOs if their activist activities were discovered by the Sudanese authorities.? They evidently did not care a hoot.

Then again, given the evident ‘Darfur protection-bias’ of global INGO operations and advocacy, it’s no small wonder that activists who infiltrated the expelled INGOs felt that their organisations would provide an atmosphere of moral succor - even if activist ‘interventions’ on behalf of the ICC or Darfur rebel groups ran counter to the official line of local INGO managers or the humanitarian mandate of the NGOs.

Members of the INGO community in Darfur who have continued to deny all knowledge of such activities in Darfur by renegade staff members, and paint the expulsions as merely a transparent retaliation against the recent ICC verdict and, in turn, are trying to brow-beat/intimidate the Sudanese government into allowing the expelled INGOs back into Darfur and carry on as “business as usual”, are certainly doing themselves, the reputation of INGOs, their profession and Darfuris themselves – no favours at all.

Ibrahim Adam, El Fasher, North Darfur

Sudan: was al-Bashir indictment worth it?

From Channel 4 World News Blog
Sudan: was al-Bashir indictment worth it?
Author: Jonathan Miller
Posted: 7:09 pm on 24/03/09

Make preparations,” the second-in-command of al-Qaida said today, “for a long guerrilla war, because the modern-day Crusade has bared its fangs at you.”

Ayman al-Zawahiri was addressing President Omar al-Bashir of Sudan, indicted for war crimes and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court in The Hague three weeks ago.

I interviewed the ICC’s chief prosecutor last July on the day he announced his decision to press for an arrest warrant. Luis Moreno-Ocampo argued that impunity fuels conflict and that faced with what he called “the evidence,” he had no option.

“Bashir’s control is absolute,” he told me. “It is time to put an end to impunity for crimes committed in Darfur.”

The prosecutor dismissed arguments that the act of indicting al-Bashir would itself reignite conflict in Darfur and that those whom the ICC sought to defend - the two million displaced - would now be more vulnerable to attack. “You’ve been talking to Alex de Waal!” he joked.

Alex de Waal, a former mediator in AU-sponsored Darfur peace talks, is one of those who warned of likely backlash and retaliation and of the incompatibility of peace and justice.

I’ve just called him. “It’s beginning to go horribly wrong,” he began, while agreeing that it probably wasn’t appropriate for him to venture an “I told you so.”

“It’s high stakes,” he went on. “Two drunks in the road. There are no rules. We are just seeing the beginning. The nature of predicting doom is that you have to be very careful, but it’s not looking good.”

I told him about news of the Ayman al-Zawahiri video. He wasn’t surprised. He reminded me that Bashir’s security supremo, Salah Abdullah Mohamed Gosh – not so long ago, darling of the CIA for his cooperation in the War Against Terrorism – had recently threatened to “revert” to Islamist extremism.

Since al-Bashir’s indictment, Sudan has hosted officials from Hamas, Hezbollah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. The Islamist opposition leader, Hassan al-Turabi, was released from prison without explanation – but apparently at the request of the Muslim Brotherhood.

All this goes beyond the backlash that was predicted by doomsayers last July – but all of which is coming to pass too. I spoke just now to a contact in a leading international aid agency who said the humanitarian situation in Darfur is worsening dramatically.

Since President al-Bashir ordered 13 international relief agencies out of Darfur, the provision of food, water and medicine to more than a million displaced people has been jeopardised. In one of the biggest camps, Kalma, in South Darfur, all assistance has been suspended since the six big agencies running services were expelled.

“It’s having a huge impact,” my contact said, while recounting a surge in attacks on aid agency staff and UN peacekeepers. Three foreigners working for Medecins Sans Frontieres were kidnapped by a pro-government militia a couple of weeks ago. (They were later released). Gunmen killed a Sudanese worker for a Canadian aid group last night.

UN peacekeepers have twice been targeted by armed groups since al-Bashir’s indictment. One was shot dead in an ambush the day before the president himself went to Darfur last week.

Al-Bashir’s latest trip, and his first abroad since his indictment, took him to Eritrea yesterday. It was his latest ruse at sticking two fingers up at the ICC. He remains defiant; the ICC is meanwhile calling even on countries that haven’t signed up to its jurisprudence to arrest him if they have half a chance.

It’s just been announced that al-Bashir plans to fly to Cairo on Wednesday. He’s unlikely to face arrest there either, as Egypt is not one of the 108 members.

So was it worth the indictment? I asked my aid agency contact. “I don’t know,” he said, “I really don’t know.

“The truth is it really is the very poorest and most vulnerable who have suffered most by this decision.” And this, in a territory where in six years more than 300,000 have already died.

See Sudan Watch, Tuesday, 24 March 2009 - Bin Laden deputy calls for Sudan jihad (Update 10)

Qatari's prime minister ready to receive Sudanese president

Report from China View, Wednesday, 25 March 2009:
Qatari's prime minister ready to receive Sudanese president

KHARTOUM, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jasim stressed here on Tuesday his country's readiness for receiving Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir in case of the participation of the latter in an Arab summit meeting to be held in Doha this month.

"All the necessary preparations are ready according to our capabilities," the Qatari prime minister said at a press conference as answering a question on the possible participation of the Sudanese president in the Doha summit.

"Qatar has sent the invitation to the Sudanese president, it is an honor for Qatar that President al-Bashir attends the summit among his Arab brothers," Sheikh Hamad said.

"But It is up to the Sudanese government first and foremost to make this decision (on al-Bashir's participation)," he added.

The Qatari prime minister reiterated his country's support for Sudan, saying that "the State of Qatar, including the Emir, the government and the people, stands with Sudan, and we hope Sudan to successfully resolve the Darfur issue, achieve the peace, remain a united country supported and helped by other Arab brotherly countries."

This came following a meeting between the Qatari prime minister and the Sudanese president, during which a message was delivered to the Sudanese president from Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani.

The state-run SUNA news agency reported that the message dealt with the bilateral relations between the two countries, the peace process in the western Sudanese region of Darfur, the Arab summit meeting in Doha as well as the issue of the International Crime Court (ICC).

The Hague-based ICC issued on March 4 an arrest warrant against the Sudanese president, which is the first against an incumbent head of state since the court was established in July 2002.

The Doha summit will be the first important regional conference to be attended by the Sudanese president since the issuance of the ICC arrest warrant, but Sudanese officials have noted that the government had not taken the final decision on al-Bashir's attendance. Editor: Yan

Qatari PM denies withdrawal of Sudan's JEM from peace talks

Report from China View, Wednesday, 25 March 2009:
Qatari PM denies withdrawal of Sudan's JEM from peace talks

KHARTOUM, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jasim bin Jabir al-Thani denied on Tuesday a reported withdrawal of the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) from the peace negotiations with the Sudanese government which have been sponsored by Qatar.

He said at a press statement after the talks he held with Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir "There was a special envoy of the movement in Doha yesterday, and they will participate in the (peace) talks."

The Qatari prime minister disclosed that his government had conducted contacts with almost all the rebel groups in the western Sudanese region of Darfur in order to persuade them to participate in the next round of negotiations due to be held in the Qatari capital.

"We have spoken with almost all factions, and encouraged them to come to Doha," he said.

Under the joint mediation of the United Nations and the African Union, and also the sponsorship of Qatar, the Sudanese government and the rebel JEM signed in Doha last month a goodwill agreement to pave the way for a resumption of peace negotiations between them.

But the JEM reportedly announced last week that it had decided to suspend its participation in the Doha peace process in protest against a decision taken by the Sudanese government to expel 13 foreign nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) from Darfur.

On the same day that the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against Sudanese President Omer al-Bashir earlier this month, the Sudanese government announced a sudden decision of expelling the foreign NGOs, accusing them of passing "false and fabricated information to the ICC, a charge denied by the deported organizations.

Facing mounting pressure from the UN and western countries asking Khartoum to withdraw the expulsion decision, the Sudanese government insisted that the decision was "irreversible." Editor: Yan

Bin Laden deputy calls for Sudan jihad (Update 10)

Report from UK's ITN Tuesday, March 24 2009:
Bin Laden deputy calls for Sudan jihad

Al-Qaeda's second-in-command has urged the Sudanese to prepare for guerrilla war against the West.

It follows the war crimes indictment for Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir by the International Criminal Court.

According to a message posted on the internet, Ayman al-Zawahri says: "Make preparations by training, equipping, storing and organising for a long guerrilla war, because the modern-day Crusade has bared its fangs at you."

The 57-year-old Egyptian, who has a master's degree in surgery, is supposedly hiding in a remote location along the Afghan-Pakistani border near his boss Osama bin Laden.

In 1992, al-Zawahri joined bin Laden in Sudan, where both were under the protection of Sudanese opposition leader Hassan Abdallah al-Turabi. The pair were expelled from the country four years later and both headed to Afghanistan.

Mr Turabi was one of President al-Bashir's closest advisors after a coup in 1989 which brought him to power.

The pair fell out in 1999 when a state of emergency was declared after Mr al-Bashir refused to agree to the introduction of a bill which would have limited his powers.

- - -

Report from Bloomberg by Heba Aly Tuesday, 24 March 2009 13:41 EDT:
Al-Qaeda’s Al-Zawahiri Calls for Sudan Guerrilla War (Update1)

Al-Qaeda’s second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, urged the Sudanese people to prepare for a “long guerrilla war” following the International Criminal Court’s decision to charge President Umar al-Bashir with war crimes.

In a video released today, al-Zawahiri urged the Sudanese to defend their country against attempts to eliminate Islam, the Alexandria, Virginia-based IntelCenter said in an e-mailed statement. The new video, featuring a still photograph of al- Zawahiri and an audio message with English subtitles, was the fourth released by al-Zawahiri this year, IntelCenter said.

“The Sudanese regime is too weak to defend the Sudan, so you must do what was done by your brothers in Iraq and Somalia,” IntelCenter, an intelligence group that monitors terrorist Web sites, cited al-Zawahiri as saying. “So make preparations -- by training, equipping, storing and organizing for a long guerrilla war, for the contemporary Crusade has bared its fangs at you,” he added.

Al-Zawahiri used the tape to criticize Sudan for forcing al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden out of the country in 1996 following a period of safe haven. “The Bashir regime is reaping what it sowed,” al-Zawahiri said, referring to the ICC’s move to charge the Sudanese leader with seven counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity on March 4 for allegedly masterminding atrocities in the western region of Darfur.

‘Trail-Mates’

The government in Khartoum had tried to appease Western powers by ejecting bin Laden, al-Zawahiri said, and now al- Bashir’s “former trail-mates” had “revolted against him.”

Al-Zawahiri said the ICC’s decision was merely a justification for Western military intervention in Sudan.

“You are being targeted so Islam can be eliminated from the Sudan,” he said.

Fighting in Darfur intensified in 2003, when rebels attacked the government after complaining of marginalization and seeking a greater share of wealth and power.

The UN estimates as many as 300,000 people have died in the conflict, mainly of disease and starvation, and almost 3 million others have fled their homes. The government says the figures are exaggerated and puts the death toll at around 10,000.

To contact the reporter on this story: Heba Aly in Cairo, via the Johannesburg newsroom at haly@bloomberg.net.

- - -

Report from The Memri Blog, Tuesday, March 24, 2009:
New Al-Zawahiri Tape: The ICC Warrant against Al-Bashir Is a Plot to Destroy Islam in Sudan

On March 24, 2009, the Al-Qaeda media company Al-Sahab distributed to jihadi websites a 17-minute audio recording from Al-Qaeda deputy Ayman Al-Zawahiri on the topic of the ICC's arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir.



The full text of this report is available to subscribers.
Please login or register to request subscription information from MEMRI.

- - -

Report from ennahar online, Tuesday, 24 March, 2009:
Zawahiri calls Bachir to repentance

The number two of Al Qaeda, Ayman El-Zawahiri, called on the Sudanese people to prepare for guerrilla and the Sudanese President Omar El-Bachir to repent, in a video aired Tuesday on the Internet.

In this message, reproduced by the Islamist sites monitoring centre SITE, Zawahiri believed that the Sudanese regime is reaping what it sowed, in reference to the international arrest warrant of the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Mr. Bachir for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.

So will the regime of Bachir take the path of Islam and jihad and give up his political manoeuvres, his diplomatic wiles, which will bring nothing but disaster and tragedy?, asked the right arm of Osama Ben Laden in his message of 17 minutes, according to SITE, a US-based. Having hosted the head of El Qaeda in 1990, Sudan expelled Osama Ben Laden who had sought refuge in Afghanistan.

He also calls on the Sudanese people to prepare for a long guerrilla because the contemporary crusade (the West) has released its fangs.

The Sudanese regime is too weak to defend the Sudan, so you have to do what was done by your brothers in Iraq and Somalia who defended their countries when the regimes in place were too weak, he continues.

Darfur is the scene of a civil war since 2003, which caused 300,000 deaths according to the UN, 10,000 according to Khartoum, and 2.7 million displaced.

After the decision of the ICC, Khartoum ordered the expulsion of 13 of the largest international humanitarian organizations operating in Darfur, accusing them of collaboration with the ICC and espionage.

- - -

Report from AFP, Tuesday, 24 March 2009:
Al-Qaeda deputy tells Sudan's Beshir to 'repent': SITE

DUBAI (AFP) — Al-Qaeda number two Ayman Zawahiri urged the people of Sudan to prepare for guerrilla war and for President Omar al-Beshir to "repent," in an Internet video message released on Tuesday.

Zawahiri said Beshir's regime is "reaping what it sowed," in reference to the International Criminal Court arrest warrant against the veteran Sudanese president this month on charges of war crimes over the conflict in Darfur.

"So will the Beshir regime take the path of Islam and jihad and abandon the political maneouvres, diplomatic ruses and international smooth-talking, which has not -- and will not -- bring anything other than disasters and tragedies?" Zawahiri said in the message, according to the US-based SITE Intelligence Group.

Beshir, the first sitting president to be hit with an ICC warrant, faces five counts of crimes against humanity and two of war crimes over the six-year conflict in Darfur.

The Egyptian-born Zawahiri called on the Sudanese people to "make preparations... for a long guerrilla war, for the contemporary crusade has bared its fangs at you."

"The Sudanese regime is too weak to defend the Sudan, so you must do what was done by your brothers in Iraq and Somalia, who defended their countries when the official regimes were powerless to do that."

The United Nations says 300,000 people have died and an estimated 2.7 million have fled their homes during the war between Darfur's ethnic minority rebels and the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum.

Sudan puts the death toll at 10,000.

- - -

Report from The Associated Press, Tuesday, 24 March 2009:
Al-Qaida says Sudan leader deserves arrest warrant

CAIRO (AP) — The Sudanese president's problems with the West are retribution for his expulsion of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden more then ten years ago, al-Qaida's No. 2 said in a message issued Tuesday.

Ayman al-Zawahri said even though President Omar al-Bashir tried to appease Western powers by expelling al-Qaida from Sudan in 1996, the West was still after him. The Hague-based International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for al-Bashir on March 4 on charges of war crimes in the Darfur region.

"The Bashir regime is reaping what it sowed. For many long years, it continued to back down and backtrack in front of American Crusader pressure," al-Zawahri said according to a transcript provided by the SITE Intelligence Group which monitors extremist Web sites.

"It expelled the mujahideen, who had taken refuge in the Sudan, foremost among them Sheik Osama bin Laden," he added in the message posted on militant Web sites.

Al-Zawahri said that no matter how much the regime "continued to pant for the American approval" it was never enough and had culminated in the international demand for al-Bashir's arrest.

Bin Laden and al-Qaida loyalists were given haven in Sudan from 1991-1996 until al-Bashir expelled them under U.S. pressure.

Al-Zawahri contrasted Sudan's behavior back then with Afghanistan's after 9/11, when the Taliban refused to turn over bin Laden despite U.S. demands.

The Egyptian-born al-Zawahri also addressed the Sudanese people, urging them to prepare for guerrilla war and the imminent invasion of the U.S. and its allies.

"You are being targeted so Islam can be eliminated from the Sudan," he said. "This is the fact which you must comprehend. And in order for Islam to be eliminated from the Sudan, a justification must be found for Western military intervention," he added, describing Darfur as that justification.

The only way for al-Bashir's regime to save itself is for it to abandon its "smooth-talking" and engage in jihad against the West.

Al-Bashir came to power in Sudan in 1989 together with Islamist ideologue Hassan al-Turabi. Before a falling out, the two in the 1990s turned the country into a headquarters for Islamist movements from around the world, including al-Qaida.

The ICC charged al-Bashir on March 4 of leading a counterinsurgency against Darfur rebels that involved rapes, killings and other atrocities against civilians. His government has been accused of unleashing Arab militiamen against Darfur civilians in a drive to put down a revolt by ethnic Africans in the region.

Up to 300,000 people have died and 2.7 million have been driven from their homes in the conflict since 2003, according to the U.N.

- - -

Report from Voice of America News, Tuesday, 24 March 2009:
Al-Qaida's Zawahiri Urges Sudanese to Prepare for War

Al-Qaida's second-in-command, Ayman Zawahiri, is urging the people of Sudan to prepare for a guerrilla war against the West.



Photo: This video frame grab image of Ayman al-Zawahiri provided by IntelCenter, and taken from a video released, 28 Nov 2008

In an Internet video message released Tuesday, Zawahiri said Sudanese should get ready for a long war because "the modern-day crusade has bared its fangs at you."

That is a likely reference to Western countries who have denounced Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for his actions in Darfur, and support the warrant for his arrest issued by the International Criminal Court.

The court has indicted Mr. Bashir for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity against Darfur's civilians.

This is the second time in a week al-Qaida has released a message directed at Africa.

Last week, an audio recording attributed to al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden denounced Somalia's new president, and urged Somalis to topple him.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.

- - -

Report from Al Jazeera, Tuesday, 24 March 2009:
Zawahri 'seeks Sudan guerrilla war'

An audio statement purportedly by al-Qaeda's deputy leader has called on the Sudanese to lead a guerrilla war against Western states in response to the indictment of the country's president for alleged war crimes.

The apparent statement by Ayman al-Zawahri on Tuesday comes days after Omar al-Bashir was charged by the International Criminal Court for abuses committed in his country's Darfur region.

"Make preparations by training, equipping, storing and organising for a long guerrilla war, because the modern-day Crusade [Westerners] has bared its fangs at you," the statement, posted on several websites, said.

"I tell our Muslim brothers in the Sudan: We are with you, and all mujahidin [fighters] and Muslims are with you, and we shall - with Allah's help - do all that is in our power to help you, despite our knowledge that the Sudanese regime lies in wait for any mujahid it might discover in the Sudan," he said.

While the 17-minute recording has not been fully authenticated as featuring the voice of al-Zawahri, it was posted by as-Sahab, al-Qaeda's media wing.

The voice is similar to that featured on previous authenticated statements.

Western 'plot'

The United Nations has estimated that at least 200,000 people have died in Darfur since 2003, when Arab fighters alleged to have links to the government in Khartoum began a series of attacks against black civilians.

Zawahri dismissed the ICC's decision to issue war crimes and crimes against humanity charges against al-Bashir, calling the move a Western plan to interfere in Sudan.

"I am not defending Omar al-Bashir or his regime, nor am I defending what it has done in Darfur and elsewhere," he said.

"The issue isn't one of Darfur and solving its problems. It is about finding an excuse for more foreign interference in the Muslim countries in the framework of the contemporary crusader-Zionist campaign," Zawahri said on the audio recording.

UN criticised

Al-Zawahri also criticised the United Nations for what he called its failure to protect Palestinians during Israel's recent 22-day war on Gaza, drawing comparisons with the world body's response to the situation in Darfur.

"Why hasn't the United Nations moved to protect the Palestinians in Gaza from Israeli barbarity and criminality, while it pretends to cry over the suffering of the people of Darfur?" he said.

"Why hasn't the United Nations and the international community intervened to lift the siege from Gaza, while it pretends to cry over the people of Darfur being deprived of relief and aid?"

The al-Qaeda deputy also demanded that Western leaders including George Bush, a former US president, and Vladimir Putin, Russia's prime minister, be put on trial.

- - -

Report from CNN Tuesday, 24 March 2009:
Al Qaeda No. 2: Sudan's president pandered to West

Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, facing an international arrest warrant, is paying the price for pandering to the West, al Qaeda's second-in-command said in an audio statement released Tuesday.

"I am not defending Omar al-Bashir or his regime, nor am I defending what it has done in Darfur and elsewhere," Ayman al-Zawahiri said in the statement released by al Qaeda's production company, as-Sahab Media.

But, he said, "the issue isn't one of Darfur and solving its problems; the issue is one of making excuses for more foreign interference in the Muslims' countries in the framework of the contemporary Zionist Crusade."

The warrant issued by the International Criminal Court earlier this month accuses al-Bashir of war crimes and crimes against humanity, charges he denies. In response, Sudan ordered 13 international aid groups to leave the country, groups that the United Nations says provide roughly half the assistance delivered in Darfur.

"The Bashir regime is reaping what it sowed," al-Zawahiri said. "For many long years, it continued to back down and backtrack in front of American Crusader pressure."

He further accused Sudan of expelling members of the mujahedeen who had sought refuge there, particularly Osama bin Laden, and declaring "in an audacious lie that they had left voluntarily, then attempting to beg payment for that from the Saudi regime and the Americans."

Al-Zawahiri asked, "Why hasn't the United Nations moved to protect the Palestinians in Gaza from Israeli barbarity and criminality, while it pretends to cry over the suffering of the people of Darfur? Why hasn't the United Nations and the international community intervened to lift the siege from Gaza, while it pretends to cry over the people of Darfur being deprived of relief and aid?"

"The Sudanese regime continued to pant for American approval, and it agreed to the division of the Sudan, paved the way for the imminent secession of the south, provided all the information it had on the emigrants and mujahedeen to the American government, and handed over some of them to the regimes of treason and criminality in their countries," al-Zawahiri said.

"But despite all that, the senior criminals weren't satisfied with it and continued to besiege it with demands and interference, even going so far as to demand the arrest of its leaders and prominent figures."

He said he wants to send a message to Muslims in Sudan, telling them they are being targeted so that Islam can be eliminated from the country. "And in order for Islam to be eliminated from the Sudan, a justification must be found for Western military intervention," he said.

The audio message is the fifth released this year by al-Zawahiri and the fourth in English, according to Virginia-based IntelCenter.

The center said on its Web site it focuses "on studying terrorist groups and other threat actors ... and disseminating that information in a timely manner to those who can act on it."



Photo: Ayman al-Zawahiri, seen here in 2007, said Tuesday the Sudanese president pandered to the West. (CNN)

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See previous news report at Sudan Watch, Tuesday, 24 March 2009 - Al Qaeda's Ayman al-Zawahri urges Sudanese to prepare for war against the West

Al Qaeda's Ayman al-Zawahri urges Sudanese to prepare for war against the West

Tue Mar 24, 2009 DUBAI (Reuters) -
Qaeda's Zawahri tells Sudanese to prepare for war

Al Qaeda's second-in-command urged the Sudanese to prepare for guerrilla war against the West after President Omar Hassan al-Bashir's war crimes indictment by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

In an Internet message posted on Tuesday, Ayman al-Zawahri said: "Make preparations by training, equipping, storing and organizing for a long guerrilla war, because the modern-day Crusade (Westerners) has bared its fangs at you."

The ICC issued the indictment this month against Bashir for war crimes in the Darfur region where, experts say, fighting has killed at least 200,000 people since 2003.

Zawahri said the ruling was a ploy by Western powers to interfere in Sudan, a Muslim country.

"I am not defending Omar al-Bashir or his regime, nor am I defending what it has done in Darfur and elsewhere..."

"The issue isn't one of Darfur and solving its problems. It is about finding an excuse for more foreign interference in the Muslim countries in the framework of the contemporary crusader-Zionist campaign," Zawahri said on the audio recording.

The authenticity of the 17-minute recording could not be verified but it was issued by al Qaeda's media arm As-Sahab and posted on main Islamist websites. The speaker sounded like in earlier recordings by Zawahri.

Zawahri said world leaders ranging from former U.S. President George W. Bush to Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and senior Israeli officials deserved to be put on trial.

"Indeed, why didn't they try (former U.S. President Harry S.) Truman, who ordered the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with the first atomic bombs in history?," the militant leader asked.

(Reporting by Firouz Sedarat)

See further reports at Sudan Watch, Tuesday, 24 March 2009 - Bin Laden deputy calls for Sudan jihad (Update 8)

UN Security Council webcasts 20 March 2009 re Sudan

Click here to view the following webcasts:

20 March 09
Media Stakeout: Informal comments to the Media by the Permanent Representative of the United States of America, H.E. Ms. Susan E. Rice, on the situation in Sudan.
[Webcast: Archived Video - 5 minutes ]

20 March 09
Media Stakeout: Informal comments to the Media by Mr. Luis Moreno-Ocampo, first Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on the situation in Sudan.
[Webcast: Archived Video - 3 minutes ]

20 March 09
Security Council: Reports of the Secretary-General on the Sudan.
[Webcast: Archived Video - English: 1 hour and 28 minutes ]

20 March 09
Media Stakeout: Press statement on Somalia and informal comments to the Media by the President of the Security Council and Permanent Representative of Libya, H.E. Mr. Abdurrahman Mohamed Shalgham, on the situation in Sudan and on other matters.
[Webcast: Archived Video - 6 minutes ]
- - -

News analysis from Inner City Press, 20 March 2009 -
At UN, Who Can Speak At Darfur Meeting, Sudan Asks, As Ocampo Arrives -- Ostensibly on Uganda, He Will Not Explain
By Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City Press at the UN:

UNITED NATIONS, March 20, updated -- In the wake of Sudan's expulsion of 13 non-governmental organizations from Darfur, a procedural fight broken on Friday in the UN Security Council, with Sudan saying it has a right to be heard at a public briefing by top UN humanitarian John Holmes scheduled for Friday afternoon. The UN Spokesperson's Office at 11:06 in the morning sent out an "urgent" update, while the Council met on the subject of Somalia. The update said that the "Council will hold consultations on the subject of Sudan immediate following the adjournment of the [Somalia] meeting currently in progress."

Inner City Press immediately inquired Friday morning with a range of diplomats and learned that while a public meeting on Darfur had been proposed for Friday afternoon, when Sudan asked to participate and speak, the proposal had to be changed. The plan then switched to a public "briefing," by John Holmes, after which no members would speak in public. To Sudan and its supporters -- and it has some -- this seemed like sleight of hand, a hit and run proceeding in which they would not be heard. Emergency consultations were then set, on no other topic than the format.

A Western diplomat scoffed that Sudan is using the Council's schedule -- a retreat with Ban Ki-moon is planned to begin on Friday -- to try to block even Holmes' briefing. He said that initially the idea was just to have Holmes briefing publicly, then to take off to the retreat. But if Sudan speaks, "everyone else will want to." He argued that Sudan "could just come and speak at the stakeout."

On Thursday the US Mission to the UN told the Press that they had pushed to get a Friday meeting on Darfur. They explained that some had initially demurred, saying it could be done next week. But with the expulsion of 13 NGOs just after the International Criminal Court indicted Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for war crimes, and President Bashir's more recent statements that he might expel diplomats and "security forces" from the country, the US pushed for the meeting, it said. But when a country is discussed in the Council, in a public meeting, it has some right to speak. Hence the standoff. Watch this site -- and note that at 11:38 a.m., ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo walked into the Council, then paced around outside clutching his cell phone.

Footnote (followed by updates) -- While the UK, and the U.S., are titularly in support of Austria's and Mexico's request for a second Council meeting on Sri Lanka, it appears they are putting substantially less political capital into the Sri Lanka request than for even interim briefings on Darfur. The above-quoted Western diplomat agreed that each country's political capital is limited, and consciously deployed, but added that the deployment is also based on the amount of push-back.

Does this mean that Sri Lanka has more or stronger supporters in the Council -- meaning, among China and Russia of the Permanent Five member -- than Sudan does? Or that this, added to the procedural point that Sudan is, and Sri Lanka is not, inscribed on an ongoing basis on the Council agenda makes the US and UK less likely to "waste" energy on overcoming objections to a Sri Lanka briefing now that the UN's knowledge of 2,683 civilian deaths from January 20 to March 7 is known?

Update of 12:44 p.m. -- on the mystery of Luis Moreno Ocampo's strutting presence in the Security Council as members fight about the format for their Darfur meeting, Ocampo refused to answer any questions. His spokesperson, more polite, explained that Ocampo was in Washington for talks, then came to New York to speak with representatives of Uganda about the Joseph Kony / Lord's Resistance Army case. The claim then is that his presence has nothing to do with the Sudan case -- despite Ocampo standing in front of the Council chatting with representatives of Missions to the UN of the United States and other countries. As Inner City Press conversed with a UN agency spokesman and Ocampo walked by, he was asked: are you really here only on Uganda? He smirked but said nothing. The agency spokesman said, you can't even call that a no comment...

It was explained -- not by Ocampo -- that when for example UN High Commissioner on Human Rights Navi Pillay says that war crimes may be being committed by both the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan government, the ICC Prosecutor's Office puts a notation in a data base. Since Sri Lanka is not a signatory of the ICC's Rome Statute, it is said, there is nothing they can do. It was noted that "the Tamils have not even tried to argue for jurisdiction, like the Palestinians have." Watch this site.

Update of 4:09 p.m. -- the outcome of the consultations was a public meeting, with "everyone" speaking, including Sudan and others. The UK Ambassador John Sawers referred to Abyei; Susan Rice intoned and inveighed against president Bashir. Russia's Vitaly Churkin, on the other hand, called the proceedings "symptomatic," hastily convened and politically motivated. Luis Moreno-Ocampo, long after his meeting with the Ugandan mission, is still hanging around the Security Council in the afternoon, now without the Uganda fig leaf. The Ambassador of Liechtenstein, too, is around, the head of the state parties to the ICC's Rome Statute. One would expect Ocampo to answer some press questions while here. But so far, not.

UNAMID report on Security Situation in Darfur - UNMIS and UNAMID Force Commander visit South Darfur

Security Situation in Darfur, Monday, 23 March 2009 -
Daily Media Brief by UNAMID, El Fasher, Darfur, Sudan via APO:

The security situation in Darfur remains calm; however banditry activities were reported.

Government of Sudan (GoS) police informed that there were reports of renewed fighting between the Fallata and Habbaniya tribesmen south of Buram on 20 March. This resulted in thirty people killed in a skirmish over a disputed water point.

On 21 March, a UNAMID patrol received information from the Government of Sudan (GoS) Commander that GoS forces had attacked a Sudan Liberation Army/Abdul Wahid (SLA/AW) position in Kaura area, 45km from Kabkabiya, in North Darfur.

Armed men entered into an International Non-Governmental Organization (INGO) warehouse in Al Salaam Internally Displaced Persons Camp in North Darfur on 21 March. Humanitarian Aid Commission and Government of Sudan (GoS) Police are investigating the incident.

UNAMID military forces conducted 25 confidence building patrols, 14 escort patrols, 9 night patrols and 2 Investigation patrols covering 59 villages/IDP camps. Similarly, UNAMID Police conducted 105 patrols in and around the villages and IDP Camps.

Meanwhile, UNAMID police continues to conduct courses designed for GoS officials throughout Darfur as part of its capacity building.

A five-day training course was organized in Gender-based violence, Human Rights and Child Protection and Community Policing; the courses were attended by GoS Police force and held yesterday in El Fasher and Kabkabiya, in North Darfur.

On the same day, a five-day course was also organized in Criminal Investigation, designed for GoS police and held in Nyala, South Darfur.

In addition, another course in crime scene management began on 22 March in El Geneina, West Darfur. The course was attended by GoS communication and Liaison officers as well as training officers.

UNAMID Medal Parade

A medal parade was organized at UNAMID Headquarters in El Fasher today to decorate military personnel who have served a minimum of ninety-days in the Mission. The ceremony was attended by UNAMID Principal Deputy Joint Special Representative, Mr. Henry Anyidoho; Force Commander General Martin Luther Agwai; and other senior officials and UNAMID staff. The ceremony was also attended by the Deputy-Wali (Governor) of North Darfur, Mr. Idris Abdullah Hassan and the Government of Sudan Liaison Officer, Major General Mohi El-Din Abed.

Medals were presented to Military staff officers and troops of the Rwandan Battallion based in El Fasher.

UNMIS and UNAMID Force Commander visit South Darfur

United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS) Force Commander, Major General Pagan Jung Thapa paid a one-day to UNAMID Headquarters yesterday. Upon arrival, Major General Thapa had a meeting with UNAMID Joint Special Representative, Mr. Rodolphe Adada and UNAMID Force Commander, General Martin Luther Agwai. They discussed issues of intermissions cooperation and collaboration.

Following the meeting, Major General Thapa and General Martin Luther Agwai, travelled to Nyala where they were received by UNAMID military senior officials. Upon arrival, they were briefed on UNAMID military operational situation, highlighting the achievements made and challenges and constraints. They were also briefed on the security situation in the region.

During the visit, the delegation inspected the Pakistani Level III Hospital, Nepal Formed Police Unit and Chinese Engineering Company.

INTERVIEW: Sudanese Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs Ahmad Harun

Sudanese Minister Ahmad Harun Talks to Asharq Al-Awsat
March 24, 2009 Cairo, Asharq Al-Awsat
Interview by Khalid Muhammad

Sudanese Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs Ahmad Harun, accused by the ICC of committing war crimes in Darfur, charged humanitarian and relief agencies in Sudan with involvement in suspect espionage activities for a number of international and Western intelligence organs.

Harun said in a telephone interview with Asharq Al-Awsat from Khartoum that these organizations engage in scant humanitarian work and much of what he described as intelligence activities that undermine Sudan's national security.

Harun said that the Sudanese regard him as a national hero, despite the attempts by ICC Prosecutor Louis Moreno Ocampo to prove that his hands are stained with the blood of the victims of Darfur.

He described himself as "a living martyr" in Sudan, pointing out that he had numerous past encounters with death that led to the development of familiarity between them.

Harun said that he was leading his life in a normal way, walking around in markets, and mixing with the ordinary Sudanese. He said there were no restrictions on his travels abroad.

[Asharq Al-Awsat] How do you feel, being a man who fills the world with noise and life?

[Harun] We in Sudan have a saying that hard times soon go away. I believe that we shall transform this crisis, with our national will, into a super national event. We as leaders are now at the peak of mental glow and peace with ourselves. We are confident we shall cross the present crisis successfully, and with Allah's permission we shall emerge from it stronger than the world imagines.

[Asharq Al-Awsat] Why did you agree first to the entry of the international organizations and why did you deal with them? What are your observations about them?

[Harun] Of course they presented themselves to Sudanese authorities as humanitarian relief agencies. You must respond to those who advocate humanitarian slogans. But they demonstrated that they engaged in scant humanitarian relief and much intelligence activity that undermines Sudan's national security.

[Asharq Al-Awsat] On whose behalf do they spy?

[Harun] On behalf of their countries. Do not forget that they are American, British, and French organizations.

[Asharq Al-Awsat] You want to say indirectly that the French, American, and British intelligences are involved in the activities of these organizations?

[Harun] Precisely.

[Asharq Al-Awsat] Forgive me, but I understood from Arab League Secretary-General Amr Musa that President Al-Bashir informed him recently that you are not going to expel more of these agencies?

[Harun] I have no knowledge of what transpired between the President and Amr Musa. But what I know for sure is that the expulsion and deportation is not something arbitrary and that we resort to it due to specific reasons and under certain conditions. When such conditions and reasons exist, we shall do it. The principal guarantee for the continuation of the rest of the organizations in their work in Sudan is their commitment to their humanitarian mandate and that they refrain from involvement in activities that undermine Sudan's national security.

[Asharq Al-Awsat] How do they engage in their activities? What do they do specifically?

[Harun] An array of activities. I mention as examples that are by no means exhaustive the writing of fabricated reports about conditions in Sudan, creating evidence and data that are non-existent, and supplying them to the ICC, in addition to fracturing the social constituents of the Darfur society, and also military, information, and logistics supplies to the armed rebel movements in the province.

[Asharq Al-Awsat] Do you feel pride or do you have personal fears because you are the only citizen in the world whose case prompted his head of state to swear publicly that he would not extradite him?

[Harun] Absolutely not. For us Sudanese in general, fear can find no way into our hearts. I personally always classify myself as a player in injury time, as they say in soccer.

[Asharq Al-Awsat] What do you mean?

[Harun] I was involved in a plane accident in which I could have lost my life. So I have experiences with death. Familiarity develops between death and those who have experiences with death.

[Asharq Al-Awsat] You are the living martyr then?

[Harun] Exactly.

[Asharq Al-Awsat] This does not worry you at all?

[Harun] No, it does not worry me at all. This is why I always remember the Arab poem which says "I sleep soundly without a worry while 'Ocampo' remains sleepless and anxious".

[Asharq Al-Awsat] But the entire regime is on the line, don't you think?

[Harun] It is not so. This is a frivolous issue and a frivolous scene on an absurd international theatre. Inevitably the audience will get bored and leave early before the show is over.

[Asharq Al-Awsat] Do you feel assured that Al-Bashir will keep his word?

[Harun] I feel assured. Let me tell you something important. We agreed on an idea and a major intellectual blueprint before the State was established. This is why treachery and killing have no place in the glossary of our dealings.

[Asharq Al-Awsat] Do I understand from this that you are not afraid the regime will betray you or resort to liquidating you?

[Harun] No, this is not possible. It is not our thinking and it is not our conduct. It is not in the link that keeps us together.

[Asharq Al-Awsat] What then is the solution for coming out of this crisis?

[Harun] The solution is for the international community to take its hand off Sudan and leave us Sudanese to our affairs. We shall negotiate and engage in dialogue, and inevitably we shall reach a solution to ensure the safety of our country and the aspirations of all the sons of our people.

[Asharq Al-Awsat] Has the indictment and the controversy surrounding you affected you personally and socially?

[Harun] Yes, but in a positive manner.

[Asharq Al-Awsat] How?

[Harun] Through expressions of solidarity, encouragement, and support. All this gives me an extra push to make me exert more effort to serve my people and my nation.

[Asharq Al-Awsat] Has this led to increased security around you?

[Harun] Absolutely not. I proceed with my life normally.

[Asharq Al-Awsat] What is your normal life?

[Harun] It follows the same program it has followed for years and it stays the same today.

[Asharq Al-Awsat] You mean there is no increase in guards or additional security procedures?

[Harun] None at all.

[Asharq Al-Awsat] Can you go to the markets and shop?

[Harun] Yes I go to the markets and I eat, and I share with the people both their festive and sad occasions. No change.

[Asharq Al-Awsat] How do you see yourself in the eyes of your people?

[Harun] They regard me as a national hero who embodies all the targeting of the new international order.

[Asharq Al-Awsat] Do you actually feel that you are such a hero?

[Harun] Allah increases the stature of those who are modest.

[Asharq Al-Awsat] Meaning?

[Harun] I leave this to the intelligence of the good reader.

[Asharq Al-Awsat] Are you allowed to travel abroad?

[Harun] There are no restrictions on my traveling abroad and I have traveled many times, without there being any attempt to arrest me, contrary to what they claimed.

[Asharq Al-Awsat] Are you going to be among Sudan's delegation at the projected Arab summit in Doha?

[Harun] I have no knowledge. The official composition of the delegation that will travel with his Excellency the President has not been announced until now.

[Asharq Al-Awsat] Do you think the President himself will go?

[Harun] I see nothing to prevent him from doing so.

[Asharq Al-Awsat] What do your children at home tell you?

[Harun] This issue incidentally does not elicit the slightest attention, not from me personally or from my family, and not even in the country, not as much as the attention shown by some brothers outside the country. We remember it only when a journalist contacts us or when there is some related occasion.

[Asharq Al-Awsat] Do you have a message to address to the people?

[Harun] My generous brother, this is a very good question from you. Our battle now is the battle of all the Arabs, Africans, and the Third World countries. It is true that I realize that our Arab media is noted for professionalism, but we hope it will be an open-eyed professionalism that contributes to bolstering the pan-Arab position on the whole. I believe you are aware of this role and doing everything that is required in this direction.

UNAMID has supplied 495,000 litres of water to Zam Zam camp in Darfur, W. Sudan

UNAMID continues to provide water to Zam Zam IDP Camp. UNAMID peacekeepers on a mission of public awareness distributed booklets with rules of engagements with unidentified objects to new arrivals at the camp after an unexploded ordnance went off in a shack last Friday injuring three newly displaced children.



Photo: Sudanese refugees line up for water while an UNAMID truck, unseen, which is carrying water donated to the camp, unloads at the Zamzam refugee camp, outside the Darfur town of al-Fasher, Sudan Thursday, March 19, 2009. Tens of thousands newly displaced Sudanese arrived at the overcrowded refugee camp of Zamzam in the last several weeks. (AP/Nasser Nasser)

UNAMID continues to provide water to Zam Zam IDP Camp

From Daily Briefing by United Nations - African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) Monday, March 23, 2009 via APO:

UNAMID distributed 52,000 litres of water to the new arrivals at Zam Zam Internally Displaced Persons Camp yesterday as part of efforts to assist the new arrivals.

UNAMID has supplied a total of 495,000 litres of water to Zam Zam IDP Camp. Water distribution began on 11 March 2009, to support the Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in the area assisting the new arrivals at the camp. So far, UNAMID has been providing a total of 45,000 litres of water per day and intend to continue until a long term solution is found.

UNICEF, through its implementing partner Water and Environmental Sanitation Project (WES) and in support of Government of Sudan officials, has already dug nine shallow wells and drilled three boreholes as sources of water for the IDP Camp. It is planned to dig ten more wells, equipped with hand pumps, in and around the camp.

Unexploded ordnance went off in a shack, injuring 3 children



Photo: A displaced Sudanese woman selling vegetables, holds a booklet being distributed by UNAMID peacekeepers at Zamzam refugee camp, out side the Darfur town of al-Fasher, Sudan, Monday, March 23, 2009. UNAMID peacekeepers on a mission of public awareness distributed booklets with rules of engagements with unidentified objects to new arrivals at
the camp after an unexploded ordnance went off in a shack last Friday injuring three newly displaced children. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)



Photo: Newly-arrived displaced Sudanese girls, who are selling bread, look at a booklet that was distributed by UNAMID peacekeepers at Zamzam refugee camp, outside the Darfur town of al-Fasher, Sudan, Monday, March 23, 2009. Every day, a peacekeeper truck pulls into this teeming camp carrying loads of water, and is greeted by long lines of refugees. It's not the troops' job — but after the expulsion of many aid groups in Darfur, everyone is scrambling to fill the gaps in the safety net that keeps millions of refugees alive. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)



Photo: A worker explains a booklet for new arrivals of displaced Sudanese children, that is distributed by UNAMID peacekeepers at Zamzam refugee camp, out side the Darfur town of al-Fasher, Sudan, Monday, March 23, 2009. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)



Photo: A Sudanese guard walks by rolled up straw roofs, intended for distribution to new refugees to help build shelters, at the compound of the expelled American aid group CHF International at the Zamzam refugee camp, outside the Darfur town of al-Fasher, Sudan Thursday, March 19, 2009. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

Expulsion of major NGOs and Darfur rebel leaders' call to refuse Sudan gov't aid prompt food and health fears

Expulsion of major aid agencies and rebel leaders' call to refuse Sudan government aid prompt food and health fears.

Britain and Ireland slam Sudan's "retaliation" aid ban.   Oxfam and Save the Children said they would appeal against the decision to withdraw their licences for operations in Sudan.

The World Food Programme is distributing a two-month ration to 1.1 million displaced people who were served by Care, Solidarites, Action Against Hunger and Save the Children, which have all been expelled.

In Kalma camp in south Darfur, home to 90,000 people, camp leaders have refused to accept government fuel to run the borehole generators, and are trying to raise money to buy their own diesel.

Sources: the following three reports from Guardian, M&C, Sudan Tribune.

Report from Guardian.co.uk by Xan Rice in Nairobi, Tuesday, 24 March 2009 -
Warning as humanitarian crisis deepens in Darfur:

The humanitarian situation in Darfur is growing more precarious by the day following the expulsion of major aid agencies and a call from the main rebel group for displaced people to refuse any government assistance, NGO officials warned today.

The results of the joint UN-government mission to assess the gap in aid provision has not yet been published, but humanitarian workers say the supply of medicine, clean water and food has already been significantly affected, and could worsen in coming weeks.

Some 13 foreign agencies and six local organisations were kicked out of Darfur three weeks ago when the international criminal court issued an arrest warrant for President Omar al-Bashir.

Numerous hospitals and clinics remain closed, while others are being run by local staff at a basic level. One agency today expressed concern at reports that "non-health professionals" in displaced persons' camps were using the medical equipment it was forced to leave behind.

The World Food Programme is distributing a two-month ration to 1.1 million displaced people who were served by Care, Solidarites, Action Against Hunger and Save the Children, which have all been expelled. But Rachid Jafaar, a WFP official, said this was "unsustainable" and that it could not guarantee all the affected people, at 140 different sites, would receive food.

The situation has been exacerbated by a surge in attacks on aid workers, which have severely restricted the activities of some of the agencies left on the ground. Three foreign Médecins Sans Frontières workers were kidnapped for several days by a militia supportive of Bashir two week ago, causing the agency to temporarily withdraw all its international staff from Darfur. A local employee of a Canadian aid agency was shot dead on Monday night.

Despite pleas from the international community, Sudan's government has refused to reconsider the decision to expel the aid groups, which it accuses of collaborating with the ICC. It insists that local relief agencies, assisted by Khartoum, can fill the gap.

Even if this were possible, the mistrust in Darfur means that much of the government aid will not reach the intended recipients. In Kalma camp in south Darfur, home to 90,000 people, camp leaders have refused to accept government fuel to run the borehole generators, and are trying to raise money to buy their own diesel.

"More people are now relying on hand pumps, but the water is not enough," said Alun McDonald, a spokesman for Oxfam, which helped manage the water supply in Kalma before it was expelled. "Things are getting very tense."

The refusal to allow the government to work in Kalma is based on a widespread suspicion within the camp that the government wants to shut it down. Other camps are also refusing government aid, a move backed by the Justice and Equality Movement, the most effective of Darfur's rebel groups, which said it was taking a "political stance" against the expulsion of the aid agencies.

"Our position is that our people should not accept any food, medicine or other assistance from government agencies," said Ahmed Hussein Adam, a JEM spokesman, speaking by telephone from Darfur.

"How do we know what they will put inside the food or drugs? Bashir cannot be both the oppresser and the helper."

The expelled agencies, which were responsible for more than half the total humanitarian effort in Darfur, where 4.7 million people receive aid, say fear among the remaining groups of being expelled has made gathering information extremely difficult. There are reports that the Sudanese health ministry has deployed in some locations where clinics have been closed, though the extent of the work remains unclear. An emergency meningitis vaccination campaign in Kalma, where several people have died of the disease, has yet to begin.

The International Rescue Committee said that some of its clinics have reopened, although at "drastically reduced hours", while water supply had nearly halved in one camp where it used to operate. Kurt Tjossem, the IRC's regional director, said the sanitation work it carried out had stopped altogether, heightening the risk of disease.

"If such services aren't replaced, this is going to create a huge health hazard, fast. The scale of the humanitarian need in Darfur is simply immense and this has to be recognised."

Photo: Sudanese refugees pass by the site of the looted compound of the expelled British aid group, Oxfam at Al Salam refugee camp, outside the Darfur town of al-Fasher, Sudan Saturday, March 21, 2009. Al Salam refugee camp leaders in Darfur say a dozen men broke into the warehouse of an expelled British aid group, Oxfam, stealing all its contents. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

Report from M&C, March 05, 2009 London -
Britain, Ireland slam Sudan's "retaliation" aid ban

The British government Thursday criticised Sudan for retaliating against international aid workers following the arrest warrant issued against President Omar al-Bashir.

Aid organizations have warned that millions of lives would be put at risk by al-Bashir's decision to expel 10 humanitarian groups from the Darfur region, including Oxfam, Save the Children, Care International and Doctors Without Frontiers.

Deputy Labour Party leader Harriet Harman, standing in for Prime Minister Gordon Brown, told parliament that it was important that Sudan should not 'retaliate' against the agencies and refrain from 'escalating' the situation.

In Ireland, Foreign Affairs Minister Michael Martin urged the Sudanese government to reverse its decision which amounted to using 'extremely vulnerable people as pawns.'

Al-Bashir Wednesday became the first sitting head of state to be served with an arrest warrant for war crimes by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, a move that has sparked anger, protests, and rallies of suppport in Sudan.

Oxfam and Save the Children said they would appeal against the decision to withdraw their licences for operations in Sudan.

Penny Lawrence, Oxfam's International Director, said the withdrawal of its registration would affect more than 600,000 people who were being given 'vital humanitarian and development aid, including clean water and sanitation on a daily basis.'

Of those, 400,000 were affected by the ongoing conflict in Darfur where people continued to flee from violence and the humanitarian needs remained 'enormous.'

Oxfam GB has operated in northern Sudan since 1983 and currently has 450 staff there, 90 per cent of whom are Sudanese.

Photo: A Sudanese refugee carrying a child walks over strewn documents at the site of the looted compound of the expelled British aid group, Oxfam at Al Salam refugee camp, Saturday, March 21, 2009. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)



Photo: Sudanese refugee children play with strewn documents at the site of the looted compound of the expelled British aid group, Oxfam at Al Salam refugee camp, Saturday, March 21, 2009. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)



Photo: Sudanese workers are seen at a feeding center of the expelled aid group, Action Contre La Faim, at Al Salam refugee camp, Saturday, March 21, 2009. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

Article from Sudan Tribune Tuesday, 24 March 2009 by Wasil Ali - Darfur JEM say 4 IDP children die from malnutrition, criticize Qatar - excerpt:

March 23, 2009 (WASHINGTON) — The Darfur Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), warned today that Khartoum’s expulsion of humanitarian groups is taking a toll on the vulnerable population within the IDP camps in the war ravaged region. [...]

Aid groups say that it will be nearly impossible for the United Nations and the remaining aid groups to fill the void left by the evacuating workers.

JEM spokesperson Ahmed Hussein told Sudan Tribune that four children have died at the Shangil Tobaya camp in North Darfur over the last couple of days He disclosed their names as Esam Babiker Yacoub (3 years); Munir Mohamed Ibrahim (9 months); Maitha” Ahmed Musa (7 months); Abdel-Latif Hassan Gar El-Nabi (7 months).

“They died because of the severe shortage in food levels caused by departure of aid groups. There is also an alarming drop in water supplies which will increase the likelihood of mass disease outbreaks” Hussein said via satellite phone from an undisclosed location in Darfur.

The JEM official said that the foreign aid organizations that covered the camp were all evicted per Khartoum’s orders. He accused the government security agents of standing behind last week’s looting of a warehouse in Al-Salam camp owned by the expelled British Oxfam group in North Darfur.

Hussein said that the warehouse guard and another woman were killed during the armed attack.

“The government detained four camp leaders who notified UNAMID of the incident. All of them need to be released immediately and unconditionally” he said.

The JEM spokesperson warned that residents of IDP camps around EL-Geneina in South Darfur may soon be forced to cross borders into Chad in search for food.

“We will hold president Bashir personally responsible for the current situation and any deaths among our people that result from his decision” Hussein said angrily.

Asked about Darfur camp rejecting Sudanese aid groups from offering help, Hussein said that the IDP’s “made the right choice” saying that these are “undercover security agents

“A couple of those organizations are owned or administered by Bashir’s wives and relatives. The head of the Commission for Humanitarian Affairs Hasabu Abdel-Rahman is a security officer working on dismantling those IDP camps” Hussein claimed.

He also criticized the “complicity” of the UN Security Council (UNSC) in its response to expulsion of aid groups.

“The UNSC must intervene under a Chapter VII resolution to avert the imminent humanitarian disaster. Even if China and Russia block it the US and European Union (EU) must act unilaterally” the JEM official said.

“A No-Fly zone must be established over Darfur and we are prepared to secure the ground and provide safe corridors for humanitarian groups through which they can enter” he said.

But a US state department official told Sudan Tribune last week that there is nothing in the works with regard to a No-Fly Zone.

Hussein blasted the Arab League and African Union (AU) saying their positions on the aid group expulsion is “shameful”.

“They would not even utter a single word to condemn the decision by Sudan. How can they remain silent before an intentional campaign to starve the people of Darfur?” he questioned.

He reiterated JEM’s position on suspension of the Qatar hosted peace talks until Sudan rescinds its expulsion order.

“Make no mistake about it. There will be no return to the negotiating table until aid groups are allowed back. The expulsion decision in itself constitutes a violation of the agreement Khartoum signed with us in Doha which provides for facilitation of humanitarian flow” Hussein said.

“If Qatar wants to assert itself as an impartial peace broker they must publicly demand that Khartoum revokes their decision” he added.

Yesterday Qatar urged JEM to continue the peace talks it started last month with Khartoum despite the move against relief groups.

“They [Qataris] asked us to convey a message to the movement saying that we can protest the decision without halting the entire peace process” the head of JEM’s general congress Abu-Bakr Al-Gadi told Agence France press (AFP) yesterday.

Last month JEM and Khartoum signed a goodwill agreement in the Qatari capital, pledging to negotiate a peaceful settlement to the six-year conflict in the western Sudan region of Darfur but a date for the full blown talks has not been fixed yet.

Copy of Comment on this article...
7 Comments

by Namaa
The death of Sudanese children is a grave and disturbing matter, and the issue needs to be addressed before more Sudanese children are lost to malnutrition, which is so easily cureable, specially when the Government of Khartoum’s food banks are full of grains and bursting with several seasons worth of harvest.

What is even more disturbing, is when JEM use this grave matter as a weapon of war, 4 children have died from lack of food, but how many have you killed by your guns...who launched the offensive onslaught in Darfur, who chose to take up weapons to ask for basic services, when you could have taken on the government through peacful channels, JEM did, JEM started the fire on the people of Darfur, JEM used propoganada war tacticts, JEM is refusing to sign any peace agreement and JEM is responsible for escalating the crisis in Darfur.....
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by Saif El Hag
Namaa,You are looking at the elephan but keep spearing its shedow. JEM and the rest of arm struggle groups in Darfour are fighting for their rightful cause, which Khartoum has been denying them ever since.

What JEM and the rest armed groups are doing is a honourable stand against a tyranny of NCP. People like you have no sympathy for who are starving and will starve to death by the Khartoum action. If you are really a person who has a heart and concious you will be siding with the people of Darfour and you will shout down El Bahire and his regime as you did to Israel when the bombed Gaza.

But I think you belong to those groups in Sudan who call themselves ARABS, so let me tell you all loud and clear.. Arabs are the Worst and the most RACIST human species in the face of the world, this is a clear cristal fact,and all their stands and countinous support to their Arab cousins in Sudan.  

Saif El Hag

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by Samani
!!! 4 IDP children died !!
Can JEM get any lower than this ?? Now the repeat like stupid parrots what the british an americans say ’al bashir will be responsible for every death in darfur’ !! Do they wait for these people to tell them what to say.

Ocampo keeps blabbering on about 5000 people death every month in darfur now. So now its 5004?? Oh what a crisis !! quick get the UN and US and ICC involved !! Its all lies lies lies .. those who believe this bull are either ignorant or have a clear agenda against sudan and its people.

Its becoming clear to everyone that JEM have no real agenda or intention of peace. They are working for the french, british and americans trying to make as much trouble in darfur until all of sudan collapses or the government is toppled. Traitors !! Who only want power for themselves.

Al Nur sits in his hotel room in france getting fat and telling everyone when i am president i will do this and that. The JEM look for any excuse to get out of signing a peace treaty. The other sad groups in darfur are headed by greedy people that want power and to be recognized ! I feel sorry for the people of darfur if they expect these people to give them security, peace and prosperity.
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by Logic
Sammani, I think you’re being extremly unfair here! the rebel groups might be taken advatage of by the West but that is no reason to deny the marginlization of the Darfur people by Khartoum elitists.

The Darfuris have a just cause, for too long the Khartoum government has denied many of its sons and daughters their due recognition in society especially after they fought along side their muslim brothers against the South for the sake of religion but now they relize they were simply tools being used by the khartoum elites.

I am not a fan of Khalil Ibrahim or Abdel Wahid but their people deserve better than what they have received.
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by tayeb M. Alhassan
Namaa, We have talked too much about Darfur crises suggesting solutions but these people either never read or never understand. Time is running taking more lives of innocent people in the refugee camps but they don’t care or rather they exploit the disaster to market for their own objectives servicing further agenda imposed on them.

Request for No-Fly-Zone, Petrol for food and other disgusting Iraqi war terms already expired and unusable in Sudan for the administration inverted those terms already gone and the new administration in the White House not interested and much wiser to turn history on reverse mode.

If they really don’t act as ((puppets)) to prolong Darforeans suffering in service of others they have to opt for negotiations whether in Qatar or any place they suggest however they have to put behind any personal interests and act with self-denial, goodwill and determination to reach crises solutions for the wefare of the real agonized people in Darfur.
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by Logic
Tayeb!  You make it sound like it is only the responsibility of JEM and SLM to prevent further deaths in Darfur but in fact the bigger responsibility falls on the government.

There is so much more they could do as well, if they always had the capabilities to feed the hungry, why in God’s name have they not helped the situation before? and why are they not speeding up the repatriation of IDPs to their homelands? etc etc etc....
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by Logic
I don’t have any sympathy for the rebel leaders nor the NCP because they are all equally responsible for the deaths in Darfur but for JEM to encourage the IDPs to refuse food from Khartoum aid agncies because they’re spies sounds to me like irony.

As the main reason cited for the expulsion of the aid agncies was because the NCP accusses them of being western spies. However, if you’re hungry? does it really matter who feeds you or would you be more concerned with being fed!! I would’ve thought...

So JEM is guilty of starving IDPs as much as the NCP is guilty of playig the power game.

If you want peace, you negotiate not attach conditions before you negotiate. You can attach your conditions to a final settlement not for having a conversation about how to stop the deaths.

Gunmen demanding Thuraya satellite phone kill Darfur aid worker

From Reuters Khartoum Tuesday, 24 March 2009:
Gunmen demanding phone kill Darfur aid worker

Gunmen demanding a satellite phone have shot dead a Sudanese aid worker at his home in the Darfur region where he worked for a Canadian charity, the man's employer said on Tuesday.

"He was ambushed two days ago by men demanding a satellite phone. They beat him because he couldn't provide them with a Thuraya (phone)," said Mark Simmons, Sudan country director for the Fellowship for African Relief (FAR).

"They came to his house at 9 p.m. on Monday and when they didn't find a phone there they shot him," he added.

(Reporting by Andrew Heavens; Writing by Cynthia Johnston)

From BBC News Tuesday, 24 March 2009 - excerpts:
Relief worker shot dead in Darfur

A Sudanese worker with a Canadian aid agency has been shot dead in the Darfur region of Sudan.

The man was killed by gunmen who called at his home demanding his satellite phone, the Fellowship for African Relief told Reuters news agency.

"They came to his house at 9pm on Monday and when they didn't find a phone there they shot him," said Mark Simmons, of the charity.

"He was ambushed by men demanding a satellite phone. They beat him because he couldn't provide them with a Thuraya [phone]," Mr Simmons also told Reuters. [...]

Earlier this month, a Canadian woman was among three foreign aid workers kidnapped at gunpoint in Darfur and later freed by a gang calling themselves "Bashir's Eagles". [...]

Tribute to UNAMID peacekeeper - Memorial services for Lance Corporal Ahmed will be held in Nigeria and Darfur

In Memoriam: Lance Corporal John Ahmed
Source: African Union - United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID)
23 March 2009

On the last day of his life John Ahmed could be found where his colleagues always knew to look for him: hard at work, ensuring the smooth passage of mail, messages and other information between his battalion and the rest of UNAMID.

The Nigerian Lance Corporal, who had only served with the Mission since last November, had in those four months swiftly acquired a reputation among his peers in Darfur as the most diligent of clerical officers. He was fast, he was thorough and he was someone who could be relied on to ensure the safe transmission of confidential information, a critical aptitude in such a position.

Lieutenant Colonel Johnson Irefin, Lance Corporal Ahmed’s commanding officer, says the peacekeeper – who served in West Darfur for three months before recently transferring to South Darfur – was among his best soldiers.

“His attitude was excellent and his approach to work was very encouraging. He was very dedicated,” Lieutenant-Colonel Irefin says, noting that Lance Corporal Ahmed was always prepared to go the extra mile to assist a colleague.

The 35-year-old was on his way back to the battalion’s headquarters at the “Super Camp” outside Nyala on 17 March when both his vehicle and another were ambushed by unknown gunmen. Lance Corporal Ahmed was shot in the ensuing firefight and later died on his way to El Fasher for medical treatment.

Warrant Officer Anthony Ekoja says he speaks for all of his colleagues when he describes his grief at Lance Corporal Ahmed’s death. Many are wearing black armbands in honour. “We all feel really sad and shocked. His death was so sudden,” he says simply.

Part of the reason for that grief is the sense of absence in so many lives now that Lance Corporal Ahmed has passed away. Quiet and serious thinking, he was a husband, a father to four children, a committed Christian and an apparently self-confessed “football addict”.

The Manchester United fan (his favourite player was Cristiano Ronaldo) suffered when his beloved team was thrashed by rivals Liverpool recently, and was a frequent contributor to inter-battalion games as an attacking midfielder.

But it was his faith that sustained him, both before and during his time in Darfur. Lance Corporal Ahmed attended church regularly and could often be found reading a religious book or involved in church activities, Warrant Officer Ekoja recalls.

Memorial services for Lance Corporal Ahmed will be held in both Nigeria and Darfur.

The blue helmet was the fourteenth UNAMID casualty as a result of hostile actions since the Mission took over operations from the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS) at the start of 2008.

+ + + Rest In Peace + + +



Photo: Flowers in El-Fashir, northern Darfur, western Sudan (Photo by Andrew Heavens/Sudan Watch archives 2006)

[UNAMID link with thanks to Andrew Heavens' tweet from Khartoum]

SaveDarfur.org needs $150,000 by March 31 to fund their "work"

Email received today from SaveDarfur.org:

NEW VIDEO: We must act for Darfur now

Starvation and disease threaten millions in Darfur.

What we do RIGHT NOW will determine their fate.

There isn't a moment to lose! Watch and donate today.

Dear friend,

We've entered a new phase of destruction in Darfur. Millions of people in refugee camps depend on food and medicine from aid groups the government of Sudan recently expelled from the county. Thousands could die.

It's going to take relentless pressure in the next few weeks to ensure world leaders act to restore aid to Darfur—and bring a lasting peace to Sudan.

We wanted to share a video that we put together to express the dire urgency of this moment—and we've set a goal of raising $150,000 by March 31 to fund our work. Can you help us meet it?

Watch this video and rush your urgent $50 gift to us today. What we do right now will determine the fate of innocents in Darfur.

The International Criminal Court's recent decision to issue an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has sent out a ripple of hope. And last week, President Obama appointed General J. Scott Gration as his special envoy to Sudan. But these positive steps forward are just the beginning.

President Obama must lead the effort to protect Darfuri civilians by spearheading an urgent and sustained diplomatic push to establish humanitarian access in Darfur and lasting peace for all Sudan.

What will compel him to act? The same thing that has gotten us this far—a constituency of conscience, a grassroots movement of towering strength and unyielding passion for justice.

We will work around the world and around the clock to end the genocide—pressuring governments, organizing community activists, introducing Darfuris and their stories to the media and key policymakers. But we can't do it without your support.

We don't have a moment to lose—watch the video and donate $50 now.

Thank you so much for everything you've done. I know we can count on you now, when the people of Darfur need us most.

Sincerely,

Suzie Armstrong
Save Darfur Coalition

The Save Darfur Coalition is an alliance of over 180 faith-based, advocacy and human rights organizations whose mission is to raise public awareness about the ongoing genocide in Darfur and to mobilize a unified response to the atrocities that threaten the lives of more than two million people in the Darfur region. To learn more, please visit http://www.SaveDarfur.org.


Not a moment to lose—give today!

With new hope for peace in Darfur comes renewed danger for the Darfuri people.

In coming weeks, we will relentlessly pressure President Obama and other world leaders to take bold action to isolate Bashir and end the crisis in Sudan. But we can't do it alone.

We've committed to raising $150,000 by March 31 to ensure this moment doesn't slip away. Please help by filling out the fields below and making your gift today.

Please select a donation amount:
$2,500
$1,000
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Note, Sudan Watch March 23, 2009: Save Darfur movement spends its annual budget of $15 million not on assisting victims but on spreading the message

U.S. students collect shoes to illustrate Darfur 'genocide'

You couldn't make this stuff up if you tried.

From wtop.com March 23, 2009
Students collect shoes to illustrate genocide

Photo: The shoes will be donated to people in homeless shelters.

ASHBURN, Va. - In an effort to raise awareness about the number of people killed in Darfur, students at Briar Woods High School are collecting shoes -- 400,000 pairs of them.

The plan is to put the shoes on display on the National Mall April 26.

"Our hope is that the image will be hard to ignore. Our hope is the impact will last in people's minds and in their hearts," says a Web site set up to promote the Shoes on the Mall effort.

After they're displayed, the shoes will be donated to homeless shelters.

The students are getting donations from as far away as New Zealand.

The school is getting help from dozens of elementary schools, high schools, retirement centers and universities, including Virginia Tech and the College of William & Mary.

Of course, they're looking for more. Here's where you can send your donations:

Briar Woods High School
c/o Logan Williams
22525 Belmont Ridge
Ashburn, Virginia 20148
If you want more information about the project, contact Logan Williams at logan.williams@loudoun.k12.va.us.

See Sudan Watch March 23, 2009: Save Darfur movement spends its annual budget of $15 million not on assisting victims but on spreading the message