The new policy relies heavily on offering incentives to the Bashir regime to improve the situation on the ground. PHR urged the Administration and international community to build strong multilateral pressure on the regime and give a higher priority to the accountability for genocide and atrocities.
As an independent medical organization which has documented, from 2004 to 2009, the Sudan government’s mass killing and rape, pillage, forced displacement and destruction of all means of survival for hundreds of thousands of Darfuri civilians, PHR has repeatedly called for an end to impunity for this genocidal campaign.
An immediate goal for US policy which is not explicitly addressed in the new comprehensive approach is an end to the gender-based violence occurring inside and outside camps in Chad and Darfur and an end to impunity for the crime of rape.
In line with US Strategic Objective #1, “a definitive end to conflict, gross human rights abuses and genocide in Darfur,” UNAMID and all UN agencies must be tasked with specific reporting on the problem of gender-based violence and must be free to report without obstruction by local authorities. The current system, which discourages women from reporting rape and seeking justice, must be reformed and existing rape laws must be strengthened.
The US and UN must also immediately demand a commitment from the Government of Sudan to cease impeding support programs for victims of gender-based violence and remove any obstacles to gender-based violence programming in technical agreements between the government and humanitarian NGOs. It is essential that the US monitor the ongoing situation on the ground in Darfur and not allow Omar al-Bashir’s government the opportunity to further deceive the international community over human rights abuses. The Government of Sudan must accept an independent fact-finding mission to assess the human rights situation in Darfur, and the State Department should immediately encourage a high-level congressional delegation to perform this role.
As the US engages with the Government of Sudan and international partners to attempt to reinvigorate the peace process, US policy must remain committed to safely return refugees in Chad and displaced in Darfur to their homes and rebuilding of their villages and livelihoods. This goal should not be lost in efforts to achieve short-term forward progress in the peace process and immediate improvements in humanitarian assistance to the millions of displaced Darfuris.
The renewed commitment by the Obama Administration to end the conflict in Darfur and move forward with implementation of the North-South Comprehensive Peace Agreement must not deter the US from supporting the UN Security Council and the ICC in pursuit of justice by enforcing the arrest warrant for President Bashir.
More soon: PHR briefing on rape and sexual violence in Sudan/Chad in DC this Wednesday (Oct 28)!
Remember the calamitous end to Sri Lanka’s 26-year-long civil war back in May? Some 16,700 non-combatants were wounded and several thousand more were killed during the final onslaught. Fighting between the 150,000-strong Sri Lankan Army (SLA) and the 7,000-strong Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) armed forces resulted in 300,000 displaced minority Tamils.
Although both sides committed mass atrocities, recent video footage of apparent executions (warning: this video contains graphic images) of 9 Tamil POWs supports widespread allegations of war crimes by the SLA.
But the international community, most notably the UN Security Council, remains idle while it should be launching a commission of inquiry.
Artists Joan Ryan, Lin Piwowarczyk, MD, and Elizabeth Hathaway at the show opening, Atlantic Works Gallery, East Boston (Sarah Kalloch/PHR)
The “Make Believe” exhibit is totally amazing. I urge all PHR supporters, and their friends and family, to visit the Atlantic Works Gallery in East Boston on September 17 for their “Third Thursday event” so you can see what all the buzz is about.
“Make Believe” opened this past Saturday with a wine and cheese reception. More than a hundred people — artists, activists, doctors, public health professionals, teachers, couples on dates, even Sam Yoon (candidate for Mayor of Boston) milled about the gallery. Everyone was there to check out the works of artists Elizabeth Hathaway and Joan Ryan, and photographs from Sudan and Chad taken during PHR investigations by Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Michael Wadleigh and PHR’s own Lin Piwowarczyk — an amazing activist/artist/doc who came to the opening to discuss her work.
"Make Believe Exhibit" visitors view the artists' works (Sarah Kalloch/PHR)
The art is intense and moving. The best thing about “Make Believe”: the artists are generously donating 30% of the profits from any works sold to PHR, while helping us raise awarenss of sexual violence in Darfur, detainee abuse by US forces and human rights in Afghanistan — all themes of art work in the show.
The Gallery, located at 80 Border Street in East Boston, is open every Friday and Saturday from 2 pm-6pm if you want to visit then (the show ends September 30th). The special “Third Thursday” reception starts at 6 pm on September 17; PHR staff will be there, and we’d love to see you!
