News & Updates

Check out the latest from Sudan and our movement

Mark Hackett Mark Hackett

U..S. Must Suspend Normalization Talks With Sudan's Dictatorship

The rapidly changing situation in Sudan requires a nimble U.S. policy.

Since December 19, Sudanese citizens have taken to the streets in legitimate and peaceful protests calling for the end of the Bashir regime. Unarmed protesters have been met by violent government security forces who have unleashed live ammunition and tear gas into crowds, hospitals, and schools. Journalists and doctors have been targeted by the regime. Hundreds, if not thousands, of Sudanese citizens have been arbitrarily detained, brutally tortured, and even murdered. Government officials have once again tried to shift blame from themselves in a variety of unhelpful and dangerous ways, from using racist language about oppressed Darfuris to pushing wild conspiracies rooted in their hatred of Israel and much of the western world. 

Operation Broken Silence strongly condemns this deadly, government-orchestrated violence against unarmed Sudanese who are exercising their basic rights and supports the aspirations of the people of Sudan for positive, lasting change. 

Many Sudanese are standing up and protesting against the nearly thirty year legacy of the Bashir regime: endless genocidal wars in the oppressed periphery regions of the country, a spiraling economy, and mass institutional corruption that has decimated basic government services and the private sector. United States policy currently remains focused on normalizing ties with the Bashir regime despite the decades-long brutality of this dictatorship that has escalated even further in the last six weeks. 

U.S. Must Halt Normalization Talks With Bashir Regime

In response to yet another wave of Sudanese government violence targeted at its own citizens, the United States should immediately halt all talks of normalization with the Bashir regime. This should include any discussion of removing Sudan from the State Sponsors of Terrorism list.

Additionally, the U.S. government has a wide array of existing tools at its disposal to help erode the Bashir regime's ability to murder and torture its own citizens, including but not limited to:

  • Publicly condemning ongoing regime-led violence against civilians and calling for President Bashir's resignation via the State Department, White House, and Congressional offices,

  • Immediately withdrawing the visa belonging to Charge D’Affaires Mohamed Atta at Sudan's embassy in Washington, requiring his departure from U.S. soil, and investigating sanctioning him due to his long pattern of criminal and terrorist activity within the Bashir regime,

  • Creating and enforcing targeted financial sanctions on key regime officials and their networks of business collaborators,

  • Building global consensus and dedicating resources towards enforcing the International Criminal Court's arrest warrants on Sudanese government officials,

  • Ramping up intelligence collection on Sudanese government war crimes, human rights abuses, and ongoing ties to international terrorist networks

Historically, major changes in U.S. policy towards the Bashir regime of Sudan have been driven by bipartisan Congressional action. A higher level of organized Congressional engagement is needed once again to ensure that U.S. policy coming out of the Executive Branch reflects the aspirations of the Sudanese people, not the dictatorship. This could include hearings on the situation in Sudan in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and House Foreign Affairs Committees, bipartisan and individual member statements, and further calls for the State Department to clarify current U.S. policy towards the Bashir regime of Sudan. 

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Mark Hackett Mark Hackett

From The Ground: Protests In Sudan

An update on the situation in Sudan.

Widespread protests that erupted in Sudan on December 19 over the rising prices of bread and fuel have morphed into calls for the kleptocratic and murderous Bashir regime to be removed from power. Sudan's dictatorship has responded by unleashing its genocidal militias, "ghost troops," and heavily-armed police against unarmed protesters. The deadly use of live fire and tear gas by government forces against Sudanese citizens is now widespread and worsening. 

In an attempt to cover up its crimes against Sudanese demanding their basic rights and a better future, as well as prevent protesters from better organizing, the Bashir regime has attempted to block access to social media sites. Tech-savvy Sudanese citizens have responded by using VPNs to get both inspirational and horrifying video and photo evidence out into the world. 

Below are some of these videos, photos, and stories that the Sudanese people are sharing. We do warn you that some of what follows is graphic and difficult to look at:

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Mark Hackett Mark Hackett

Organizational Letter To Top American Officials Concerning Protests In Sudan

We join 92 other organizations and experts in calling on the US government to support the Sudanese people.

Today, we join 92 other organizations and experts in calling on the U.S. government to support the Sudanese people and halt the normalization of bilateral relations. Right now, Sudan is being rocked by widespread protests against the murderous Bashir regime. With protesters being killed, arrested, and tortured, the U.S. government should immediately freeze its already disastrous engagement plan with Sudan's dictatorship, as well as begin speaking out more forcefully against the Bashir regime.

This public letter has been copy and pasted below:

Re: U.S. Policy on Sudan Must Pivot to Advance Freedom, Justice and Democracy

Dear Mr. President and Leaders of the Foreign Relations and Foreign Affairs Committees,

The people of Sudan are demanding freedom, justice and democracy; therefore, we, the 93 undersigned Sudanese, scholars, human rights organizations and leading activists, strongly urge the United States Government to support their aspirations, as well as greater regional stability, by calling for President Bashir to step down and by supporting democratic transformation in Sudan.

Throughout Sudan, thousands are peacefully protesting the Sudan regime, its massive crimes, including genocide and support of terrorist actors, and its gross mismanagement of the economy, which is exacerbated by widespread corruption at the highest levels at the same time as breadlines lengthen and access to basic necessities, including access to personal funds, becomes increasingly scarce.

Despite the right to peacefully assemble, a guarantee of Sudan’s Interim National Constitution, peaceful protesters have been fired upon by the Sudan regime and reports indicate that over 40 have been killed, well over 300 have been wounded, and more than 800 have been arrested. The news from Sudan is replete with reports of government forces deliberately shooting to kill peaceful demonstrators and other shocking violations of basic humanity. In spite of these terrifying circumstances, protests are growing and courageous Sudanese across all regions of Sudan are calling for an end to the Bashir regime.

The Government of Sudan is clearly failing the tests of the United States’ Phase II Engagement Plan, as evidenced by the violent crimes and egregious human rights violations committed by the regime since peaceful protests began on December 19, 2018. Any consideration of normalizing relations with the Sudan regime sends the wrong message, not only to the regime in Sudan, but also to bad actors worldwide, putting the United States and its allies at additional risk. U.S. policy must pivot to advance freedom, justice and democracy in Sudan. Please support the people of Sudan and their call for an end to Bashir’s genocidal regime.

Sincerely,

Act for Sudan, Eric Cohen, Co-Founder, USA
Abaunza Group, Bonnie Abaunza, Founder, Los Angeles, CA
Abdalmoniem, Member, Alhilal Club Association, Alexandria, VA
African Freedom Coalition, Al Sutton M.D., President, New York, NY
African Soul, American Heart, Debra Dawson, President, Fargo, ND
Aicha Elbasri, Former Spokesperson for the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur, Long Island City, NY
Akulia Foundation, Lita Muki, Chairperson, Juba, Jubek, South Sudan
Arab Coalition for Sudan (ACS), Wadah Tabir, General Coordinator, Egypt
Baroness Caroline Cox, House of Lords, Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust, London, UK
Beja Organization for Human Rights and Development, Ibrahim Ahmed, President, Fairfax, VA
Better Options for All South Sudanese, Dut-machine de Mabior, Moderator, Nairobi, Kenya
Brooklyn Coalition for Darfur & Marginalized Sudan, Laura Limuli, Coordinator, Brooklyn, NY
Chance to Advance, Ekhlas Ahmed, Educator, Portland, MA
Coalition Against Global Genocide, Linda Farb, Board Chair, Roz Duman, Founder/Executive Director, Westminster, CO
Coalition of Advocates for South Sudan, Bill Andress, Secretary, Lexington, SC
Collectif Urgence Darfour, Dr. Jacky Mamou, President, Paris, France
Concerned Citizens for Change, Gene Binder, Member Steering Committee, Bronx, NY
DAAM-UK (Pro-Democracy Activists Abroad), Ali Abdelatif M. Hussein, Co-ordinator, London, UK
Damanga Coalition for Freedom and Democracy, Daowd Salih, Co-Founder and Board President, Peapack, NJ
Darfur Action Group of South Carolina, Dr. Richard Sribnick, Chairman, Columbia, SC
Darfur and Beyond, Cory Williams, Co-Founder, Phoenix, AZ
Darfur Interfaith Network, Martha Boshnick, Co-Chair, Washington, DC
Darfur Victims Organization for Rehabilitation and Relief, Ishag Mekki, London, UK
Dear Sudan Love Marin, Gerri Miller, Founder and Coordinator, Tiburon, CA
Dr. Abdelmoneim Girshab, Eastbourne District General Hospital, Eastbourne, East Sussex, UK
Dr. Gregory H. Stanton, Founding President, Genocide Watch, McLean, VA
Dr. Samuel Totten, Professor Emeritus, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Fayetteville, AK
Dr. Robert K. Hitchcock, Adjunct Professor, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
Elhag Ali Warrag Sidahmed Warrag, Editor in Chief, Hurriyat
Ellen J. Kennedy, Ph.D., Executive Director, World Without Genocide, St. Paul, MN
Eltaghyeer (Change) Newspaper, Salih Amar, Deputy Editor in Chief, Sudan
Eltigani Ali, Herndon, VA
Empower One, Mike Congrove, CEO, Dallas, TX
Enough Project, Dr. Suliman Baldo and Omer G. Ismail, Special Advisors, Washington, DC
Eric Reeves, Senior Fellow, Harvard University’s François-Xavier Bagnoud Center for Health and Human Rights, Northampton, MA
Face Past for Future Foundation (FP4F), Abdelrahman Al Gasim, Kampala, Uganda
Faith J.H. McDonnell, Director, Church Alliance for a New Sudan, Washington, DC
Genocide No More – Save Darfur, Marv Steinberg, Coordinator, Redding, CA
Help Nuba, Rabbi David Kaufman
Human Rights and Development Organization Centre (HUDO), Bushra Gamar Hussein, Executive Director, Kampala, Uganda
Humanity United, Tim Isgitt, Managing Director, San Francisco, CA
Idaho Darfur Coalition, Marilyn Griep, Co-Founder, Boise, ID
Independent Movement Organization (IMO), Adil Salih, President, Fairfax, VA
Institute on Religion and Democracy, Washington, DC
Investors Against Genocide, Susan Morgan, Co-founder, San Francisco, CA
Ipswich Community Action, Lakshmi Linda Sirois, Co-Organizer, Ipswich, MA
Joining Our Voices, Slater Armstrong, Founder/Director, Baton Rouge, LA
Justice Center for Advocacy and Legal Consultation (JCALC), Mohaned Elnour, Director, Khartoum, Sudan
Mahdi Ibrahim Saeed, University of Limpopo., Polokwane, South Africa
Mariam Abdalgadir, San Lorenzo, CA
Massachusetts Coalition to Save Darfur, William Rosenfeld, Director, Boston, MA
Mohamed Y. Khalifa, Instructor, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Mona Suliman, Teacher, SANC, Hayward, CA,
Ms. Amani Khateeb, Centreville, VA
Muawia Suleiman, Sudanese Community, London, UK
Mustafa Sharif, PhD., College Station, TX
Nassir Mansour, Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery, SUNY Downstate Medical College, Brooklyn, NY
Never Again Coalition, Lauren Fortgang, Policy Director, Portland, OR
New York Coalition for Sudan, Eileen Weiss, Co-Director, New York, NY
Nuba Christian Family Mission, James Spencer Flournoy, Director, Englewood, CO
Nubia Project, Nuraddin Abdulmannan, President, Washington, DC
Operation Broken Silence, Mark C. Hackett, Executive Director, Memphis, TN
Oregon Coalition for Humanity, Kathy Cordell, Member, Portland, OR
Pittsburgh Darfur Emergency Coalition, David Rosenberg, Coordinator, Pittsburgh, PA
Philip Tutu, Activist, Kansas City, MO
Professor Elihu D. Richter MD MPH, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Hebrew University-Hadassah School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel
Professor Paul Slovic, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
Rev. Dr. Julian Austin Watson, United Methodist Church, Hendersonville, NC
Rev. Heidi McGinness, Minister, Unflinching Hope International, Omaha, NE
Right for Peace, Osman Naway Habila, Director, Kansas City, MO
Seifeldin Kudi, Human Rights Defender, Boston, MA
Shine A Ray of Hope, Carmen Paolercio, Coordinator, New Rochelle, NY
Skills for Nuba Mountains, Lazim Suleiman Elbasha, Executive Director, Kauda, South Kordofan/Nuba Mountains, Sudan
South Sudan Civil Society Alliance (SSCSA), Keluel Agok Kuch, Secretary General, Juba, South Sudan
Stop Genocide Now, Katie-Jay Scott, Redondo, CA
Sudan Democracy First Group, Anwar Elhaj, Executive Director, Kampala, Uganda
Sudan of the Future, Nancy and Rudwan Dawod, Activist/First Vice President, Eugene, OR, Khartoum, Sudan,
Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Agency, Ishraga Ahmed Khamis, Director, Blue Nile, Sudan
Sudan Sunrise, Tom Prichard, Executive Director, Reston, VA
Sudan Unlimited, Esther Sprague, Founder and Director, San Francisco, CA
Sudanese Community Association of Illinois, Peter Magai Bul, Board Chairman, Chicago, IL
Sudanese Community Church, The Episcopal Church in Colorado, The Rev Ayyoubawaga B. Gafour, Ph.D., Vicar, Denver, CO
The Combat Genocide Association – A Jewish and Universal Organization, Tal Rotem, Director, Israel
The Elsa-Gopa Trust, Nell Okie, Director, Madison, CT
The MagkaSama Project, Max Dana, Founder, Paris, France
The North Carolina African Services Coalition, Omer Omer, Area Director, Greensboro, NC
The Regional Centre for Training and Development of Civil Society (RCDCS), Abdel Mutaal Girshab, Director General, Khartoum, Sudan
The Reverend Ronald D. Culmer, St. Clare’s Episcopal Church, Pleasanton, CA
Unite for Darfur Organization, Bahar Arabie, CEO, Gaithersburg, MD
Use Your Voice to Stop Genocide RI, Sandra Hammel, Director, Portsmouth, RI
Victoria Sanford, PhD, Professor of Anthropology, Director Center for Human Rights and Peace Studies, Lehman College, Bronx, NY, USA
W.O.W.! World Outside Westford, Donna Hackley, Westford, MA
Waging Peace, Rebecca Tinsley, Founder, London, UK

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Mark Hackett Mark Hackett

Elie Wiesel Act Is Now U.S. Law

The long fight is finally over. We won. Together.

The Elie Wiesel Genocide and Atrocities Prevention Act is now federal law! For the first time, the prevention of atrocities is now legally considered to be in the U.S. national interest.

Yesterday, The Elie Wiesel Act was signed into federal law by the President of the United States. This is a moment our organization and 600+ of our supporters in Tennessee helped make possible. Last update, we mentioned that because of your advocacy the bill passed out of Congress with widespread and bipartisan support and was sent to the President.

What The Bill Does

S. 1158 is new federal legislation that helps ensure the U.S. government has the tools, training, and funding needed to save lives and promote peace when it becomes apparent that serious mass atrocity threats are emerging on foreign soil. Specifically, this legislation:

  • Affirms that atrocity prevention is in the U.S. national interest;

  • Calls on the government to pursue a government-wide strategy to: strengthen U.S. diplomatic, risk analysis/monitoring, early warning, and response capacities around atrocity crimes; improve the use of U.S. foreign assistance to address the root causes of violent conflict; strengthen support to transitional justice mechanisms and local civil society groups in countries at risk of or experiencing mass atrocities; support and strengthen local civil society, including human rights defenders and others working to help prevent and respond to atrocities; promote financial transparency and enhance anti-corruption initiatives as part of addressing causes of conditions that may lead to atrocities; and prioritize preventative diplomacy through unilateral, bilateral, and multilateral mechanisms;

  • Requires specialized training for Foreign Service Officers who will be deployed to a country experiencing or at risk of mass atrocities; and

  • Mandates annual reporting to Congress of the Executive Branch's efforts to prevent and respond to mass atrocities, provide an assessment of countries and regions at risk of such violence, and provide a report on Foreign Service Officer training.

Additional information about the bill and the full text can be found here. 

We would like to thank all of you for raising up your voices around this bill. A special thank you to now retired Senator Corker for his leadership in seeing the Elie Wiesel Act moved through his committee and into the Senate. We would also like to thank Congressmen David Kustoff (R-TN) and Steve Cohen (D-TN) for cosponsoring the House version of this bill that passed that chamber in July, as well as for their yay votes on S.1158 in 2018. 

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Mark Hackett Mark Hackett

The Protests In Sudan

An update on new protests that are spreading across Sudan.

Widespread protests that erupted in Sudan on December 19 over the rising prices of bread and fuel have morphed into calls for the kleptocratic and murderous Bashir regime to be removed from power. As expected, government security forces have unleashed live ammunition and tear gas into unarmed crowds. Amnesty International is reporting that at least 37 people have already been killed, but the death toll is now likely much higher.

Sudanese dictator and indicted war criminal Omar al-Bashir is pushing wild conspiracy theories that the protests are actually being driven by "traitors" and "foreign agents" and are not the result of his regime's reckless and devastating economic and security policies. He is now also blaming U.S. sanctions, ignoring the fact that they were lifted over a year ago. Other government officials who have long track records of being anti-semitic are blaming Israel. All three of these excuses are commonly used by the Sudanese government to try to whip up support when just about anything does not go their way. 

In the following, we'll provide some background on why these protests are happening and why they are so important. And at the bottom of this post are a few ways you can get involved with empowering the Sudanese people.

Background

Since 1989, Sudan has been oppressed by one of the most violent, racist, and paranoid dictatorships in history. From launching devastating wars and genocides in the periphery regions of the country to supporting terrorist groups to oppressing civil society, the Bashir regime has spent the past 29 years enriching itself and a small elite while isolating the country from much of the international community. BRIEF OVERVIEW »

This latest round of protests in Sudan were triggered by rising bread prices, but they have roots that go back to the beginning of the Bashir regime. Since seizing power in 1989, the dictatorship has severely mismanaged the economy, even as it has fought costly and deadly genocidal wars in Darfur, the Nuba Mountains, Blue Nile, and what is now South Sudan. It is estimated that roughly 70% of government spending goes to the military and the oppressive security services. Oil revenue kept the economy largely afloat throughout the 1990s and early 2000s despite senseless spending, mass corruption, and US sanctions due to the government's support of international terrorists and their war crimes. When South Sudan became independent in 2011, the oil crutch largely left with it. 

Sudan's economy has been in trouble ever since, but the past few years it has entered into a free-fall. Inflation has soared to almost 70%. Prices on basic commodities keep rising, even as government services continue to decrease. ATMs and banks in major cities often times cannot provide cash. And fragile ceasefires in the periphery regions of the country are barely holding together.

Simply put, oppressive and catastrophic governance has led to some really bad results. And the chickens are coming home to roost. Al Jazeera's Inside Story has a great piece that is worth a watch if you would like a deeper dive into why these protests are happening. Watch it here:

Where Protests Currently Stand

This is not the first time Sudanese citizens have protested the Bashir regime. 2011-2013 saw several protest movements of various sizes emerge. In September of 2013, government forces began killing protestors on a larger scale to repress open challenges to the dictatorship. 

But current protests definitely look and feel very different than past ones. For starters, crowds are much larger and more widespread across the country. Protestors are not backing down in the face of the regime's use of live ammunition, tear gas, arrests, and torture. The protests really took off on December 19 when protestors torched the ruling regime's offices in Atbara. The few, vague promises Bashir has made about addressing the legitimate concerns being voiced by citizens have not calmed anyone down.

On December 25, thousands of Sudanese attempted to march on the presidential palace and demand a new government, but a massive deployment of troops, police, and government militia turned them back after unloading tear gas and targeted live ammunition into crowds. The demonstrators were chanting, "Peaceful, peaceful against the thieves" and "The people want to bring down the regime" before police opened fire.

Credible reports are beginning to emerge that government snipers are being deployed and have been given shoot to kill orders. Newspapers are being heavily censored or shut down, and the regime is blocking internet access to keep many Sudanese from uploading photos and videos so the outside world can get a clearer picture of what is happening at the street level. International journalists are being blocked from covering the protests. And, as is often the case when Sudanese protest the government, the regime's brutal National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) is arresting journalists and other civil society leaders.

Where The Regime Currently Stands

The inner workings of Bashir's National Congress Party and the security services (military, police, NISS, Rapid Support Forces militia) have always been pretty opaque. Senior members of the dictatorship publicly and regularly voice their support for Bashir; however, Bashir has found himself in an increasingly weakened position the past several years. Between the International Criminal Court arrest warrants, self-inflicted collapsing economy, never-ending genocidal wars, grand corruption, and general out-of-touchness with the population, it is not that hard to understand why Bashir is so unpopular and reviled. 

It has long been rumored that political divisions exist within the regime, but the nature of such distrust is largely unknown. It is well known that many senior army officers are guilty of participating in the Darfur genocide and hope to avoid prosecution for their crimes, which is a primary reason they have remained loyal to Bashir. Further down the command-and-control structure is a much different story, as many junior officers have long been sick of fighting the regime's senseless wars. It is possible that if army units are ordered to attack protestors on a larger scale, some of them may mutiny or refuse to obey orders.

Another wildcard is commander "Hemeti" of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the regime's genocidal paramilitary force. He is a murderous, narcissistic, and power-hungry opportunist who is loyal only to himself. You can get a good look at who he is here in one of our previous weekly e-newsletters. On December 25 and clearly not thinking things through, Hemeti declared to a group of RSF fighters stationed just outside of Khartoum that he and the RSF would soon be the new power to reckon with in Sudan. Later that day, he attempted to backpedal his comments and relink himself to Bashir regime and army. Regardless, Hemeti has already made it clear that he is willing to turn the RSF against the government for his own gain. 

Because these protests are so different and there are early signs that some of the regime's security forces may be willing to turn against him, it is not a stretch to question how Bashir survives much longer as Sudan's dictator. But while Bashir’s fall from power would deal a significant blow to this brutal regime as it is currently structured, it would not guarantee the immediate end to the governance and economic catastrophe plaguing Sudan. Other dangerous and kleptocratic individuals within this paranoid dictatorship will never embrace their responsibility to protect the Sudanese people and, at least at the moment, it is largely those individuals who are lined up to seize power after Bashir goes. 

How The International Community Is Responding

As has often been the case the past few years when it comes to international policy towards Sudan, the response to current protests and conditions in Sudan is far from good.

The Troika countries (Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States) and the European Union have expressed only mild concern about the regime's targeting of protestors and other civic institutions in Sudan.

The U.S. State Department, which commonly speaks on behalf of the U.S. government concerning situations like the one right now in Sudan, has been mute outside of the Troika statement. Current actions by the Bashir regime represent many flagrant violations of the poorly structured U.S.-Sudan sanctions-lifting agreement and even more confusing next steps of improving the bilateral relationship as laid out by the Trump Administration. There are no signs that the current crisis in Sudan is even on the U.S. government's radar in any serious way.

Most disturbingly though, the European Union has directly funded the Rapid Support Forces for years as part of its efforts to curb migration into Europe. There are no signs that such support has stopped, which means the EU may now be funding RSF units that are currently shooting and beating unarmed protestors. 

While it is true that it is ultimately up to the Sudanese people to decide the future of their country, the lack of smart and engaged public support from the international community to the protestors is deeply concerning. In the past, the Bashir regime has read such a lack of real engagement as license to increase its own brutality. 

Where The Situation Is Heading

It is still too early to tell where these protests will take Sudan. It is increasingly difficult to imagine Bashir surviving this moment; however, he has spent the last several years avoiding arrest and trial at the International Criminal Court, staying ahead of possible coup attempts, and surviving past protests. He may be getting backed into a corner now, but that does not mean he is finished. 

And if Bashir does fall, it is still unclear exactly who would take the reins of power in Khartoum, or if anyone would be able to at all. 

What is clear is that this seems to be a breaking point for Sudan. The regime, specifically Bashir himself, has everything to lose by being forced out of power. More and more Sudanese have less and less to lose by demanding and fighting for real progress. This could all end with the beginnings of positive and lasting change in how Sudan is governed, or it could lead to even more bloodshed as a desperate and paranoid dictatorship clings to its last vestiges of power.

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Mark Hackett Mark Hackett

Elie Wiesel Act Passes Out of U.S. Congress

The bill now heads to the White House.

Yesterday, The Elie Wiesel Act was passed out of the United States Congress following a landslide House vote. This is a moment our organization and 600+ of our supporters in Tennessee helped make possible. Last update, we mentioned that because of your advocacy the bill was amended and passed out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and United States Senate.

Late Friday afternoon, the House voted 367-4 to send The Elie Wiesel Act to the President so it could be signed into law. 

What The Bill Does

S. 1158 is new federal legislation that helps ensure the U.S. government has the tools, training, and funding needed to save lives and promote peace when it becomes apparent that serious mass atrocity threats are emerging on foreign soil. Specifically, this legislation:

  • Affirms that atrocity prevention is in the U.S. national interest;

  • Calls on the government to pursue a government-wide strategy to: strengthen U.S. diplomatic, risk analysis/monitoring, early warning, and response capacities around atrocity crimes; improve the use of U.S. foreign assistance to address the root causes of violent conflict; strengthen support to transitional justice mechanisms and local civil society groups in countries at risk of or experiencing mass atrocities; support and strengthen local civil society, including human rights defenders and others working to help prevent and respond to atrocities; promote financial transparency and enhance anti-corruption initiatives as part of addressing causes of conditions that may lead to atrocities; and prioritize preventative diplomacy through unilateral, bilateral, and multilateral mechanisms;

  • Requires specialized training for Foreign Service Officers who will be deployed to a country experiencing or at risk of mass atrocities; and

  • Mandates annual reporting to Congress of the Executive Branch's efforts to prevent and respond to mass atrocities, provide an assessment of countries and regions at risk of such violence, and provide a report on Foreign Service Officer training.

Additional information about the bill and the full text can be found here. 

We would like to thank all of you for raising up your voices around this bill. A special thank you to Senator Corker for his leadership in seeing the Elie Wiesel Act moved through his committee and into the Senate. We would also like to thank Congressmen David Kustoff (R-TN) and Steve Cohen (D-TN) for cosponsoring the House version of this bill that passed that chamber in July, as well as for their yay votes on S.1158 yesterday 

S.1158 is now sitting on the President's desk for his signature or veto. 

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