A Call to Action
 |
In an Internally Displaced Persons camp near Nyala, South Darfur, Sudan. © Evelyn Hockstein/Polaris |
The crisis in Darfur simmered for many years in the merciless landscape of western Sudan, overshadowed by the war between the Muslim north and the Christian south. In its July2003 report, Sudan: Looming Crisis in Darfur, Amnesty International documented an increasingly vicious pattern of attacks on sedentary groups by nomadic groups and a disturbing lack of response by the Sudanese government.
"The situation in Darfur must not be allowed to escalate into all-out war," AI warned.
Yet all-out war is precisely what happened. For more than three years government-backed militias known as Janjawid have rampaged against civilians, transforming an economic conflict between nomadic herders and sedentary farmers intoa scorched-earth campaign of murder, rape and destruction. Earlier this year the violence spilled across the western border into Chad, with Janjawid incursions into camps for Darfur refugees. Atrocities against civilians have also been committed by Sudanese Liberation Army and other rebel forces, in both Darfur and Chad.
Amnesty International has mobilized its membership throughout the conflict to pressure the Sudanese government to rein in the Janjawid, draw attention to violence against women and girls, and call for international support for humanitarian access and peacekeeping operations. It has sent missions to Sudan and neighboring Chad to report on the terrible suffering of millions of displaced people.
In June, AI elevated its work on Darfur to a "crisis response" and launched a worldwide human rights campaign, 100 Days of Action on Darfur. The following pages present opportunities to take action by calling upon U.S. leaders to ensure the safety and security of vulnerable civilians in Darfur and Chad.
Stop Arms Shipments to Darfur
 |
Sudanese Janjawid fighters in Darfur near the Chadian border. © AFP Photo/Espen Rasmussen |
The conflict in Darfur has been fueled by arms shipments arranged by international brokers overthe past decade and a half. Dealers in China, Russia and France are the largest perpetrators of these unscrupulous arms sales. But there are others. In late 2004 an Irish arms broker arranged the transfer of 50 T72 tanks from Ukraine to the Sudanese military.
In 1996 the United States adopted a tough law against international arms brokering that covers both U.S. and foreign persons operating in the United States or abroad. But the law will remain ineffective until other governments implement similar laws. In March 2005 the U.N. Security Council agreed to extend an existing arms embargo to the Sudanese government. Security Council Resolution 1591, which extends this embargo, also authorizes the creation of a monitoring committee, an important step forward.
Who Is Selling Arms to Sudan?
| Military aircraft andparts: | Tanks, military vehiclesand artillery: | Grenades, Guns andAmmunition: |
| China, Belarus,Lithuania | Belarus, Russia, Poland | China, France, Iran,Saudia Arabia |
"In this country with its diverse population, if you give guns to one group you're pitting brother against brother and that's volatile and it's not good."— Sultan of Dar Sila, Chad
"I used to think the Janjawid were greedy because they used to come and steal our cattle. But to reach the point where they're killing such large numbers of people is beyond our comprehension."— Displaced villager in Chad
A Hard Look at the Facts
| Amount the Sudanese government spent on weapons in 2003: | $18 million |
| Average number of guns per Janjawid militiaman: | 5-6 |
| Factor by which arms and ammunition exports to Sudan from China increased between 2000 and 2003: | 30 |
| U.N. Permanent Security Council members who are major suppliers of arms to Sudan: | 3 (China, Russia and France) |
| Estimated number of people in Darfur who have been killed or died as a result of the conflict: | 300,000 |
| Number of people in Darfur currently living in camps or makeshift settlements: | 1.8 million |
| Number of Sudanese who have fled to Chad because of continuing violence: | 215,000 |
| Number of Sudanese dependent on humanitarian aid for food, shelter and medicine: | 3.5 million |
| Number of Darfur refugees blocked from receiving humanitarian aid because of political infighting: | 250,000 |
| Number of Sudanese war criminals prosecuted since March 2005, when the International Criminal Court established a Sudanese war crimes tribunal: | 0 |
Protect the Rights of Displaced People
 |
Women carry water to their homes in the Kalma Internally Displaced Persons camp, near Nyala, South Darfur, Sudan. © Evelyn Hockstein/Polaris |
The violence in Darfur has displaced more than 2 million Sudanese fromtheir homes. They struggle for survival in temporary camps scattered across Darfur and the border region of eastern Chad. Their access to health care, education and shelter is limited or nonexistent.
The camps are dangerous for an already terrorized population because of roving Janjawid who attack the displaced. Armed groups have alsorecruited men and boys from unsecured camps in eastern Chad.
On May 5, 2006, the government of Sudan and one faction of the SLA signed the Darfur Peace Agreement, and on May 16 the U.N. Security Council unanimously passed Resolution 1679 on Darfur — advances that the international community hoped would bring the people of Darfur some relief.
But Darfur remains in crisis. Rebel fighting has killed hundreds recently, and the Janjawid are still armed and operational. Displaced people rely on constant humanitarian aid to survive, but international aid organizations have suspended some operations due to safety concerns and constant theft by all warring parties.
Janjawid attacks against civilians have also escalated in neighboring Chad, where there are currently some 215,000 Sudanese refugees. Yet the government of Chad has failed to secure the country's eastern border, sending troops to fight Chadian armed opposition groups rather than protect civilians in rural areas.
Some communities in Chad are seeking modern weapons in order to defend themselves, opening the prospect of widening violence. Others, effectively abandoned by the Chadian government, are fleeing into Sudan.
"All the faithful were kneeling down for prayer ... when the Janjawid entered by the two doors of the mosque. There were more than 50 of them, and as soon as they had got into the building, they started firing at people. My younger brother was hit right in front of me."— Man from Koloy, Chad
Demand InternationalJustice for War Criminals
 |
A farmer, who was a victim of alleged milita military violence in South Darfur, displays his shattered arm to the Amnesty team. © Evelyn Hockstein/Polaris |
Despite the international outrage over the crisis in Darfur, the Janjawid have not faced prosecution for war crimes or crimes against humanity.
Last year the U.N. Security Council passed a historic resolution calling for the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate war crimes in Darfur. The ICC will help establish a public record, deter future crimes, promote victim reparation, help catalyze reform in Sudan's courts, and assign individual — not group — responsibility for the crimes. These are critical components to reconciliation.
Sudanese authorities responded by establishing the Special Criminal Court on the Events in Darfur (SCCED). AI believes the Sudanese government created the SCCED to undercut the ICC's jurisdiction and create the perception that Sudan is handling cases domestically. Indeed, the SCCED has heard only 13 cases, all involving petty crimes or individual murders unrelated to larger attacks.
The Bush administration has a complicated relationship with the ICC,having withdrawn from the ICC treaty in 2002 and launched an international campaign to undermine the Court. But recently administration officials have stated that the United States stands ready to assist the ICC with its work in Darfur, signaling what could be a promising shift in policy toward the Court. Now is a critical time to let the Bush administration and Congress know you support the ICC in Darfur. 
 |
Women in the Bredjing Refugee Camp, set up in Chad to shelter refugees fleeing the conflict in Darfur, Sudan. © Jane Evelyn Atwood/AI |
