News & Updates

Check out the latest from Sudan and our movement

Mark Hackett Mark Hackett

Staying The Course

This morning, Sudanese dictator and indicted war criminal Omar al-Bashir was informed by the heads of his own brutal security agencies that he was no longer the leader of Sudan.

This morning, Sudanese dictator and indicted war criminal Omar al-Bashir was informed by the heads of his own brutal security agencies that he was no longer the leader of Sudan. 

The coup that immediately followed witnessed a number of stunning moments that many Sudanese and outside observers thought would never be seen. Army soldiers began arresting regime officials, troops stormed the Islamic Movement's headquarters, and protesters rightfully began to celebrate that the dictator had finally fallen. 

And then the army announced that the protesters demands would not be met. The Sudanese people are once again being denied the transitional civilian government they demanded. Most regime officials remain in power. The coup has essentially moved one group of war criminals out of top regime leadership and replaced them with another batch.

Sudanese Defense Minister Ibn Auf, who is sanctioned by the United States over the Darfur genocide, stated that he would be taking power on behalf of the Supreme Security Committee. He is a powerful regime insider, not a reformer. Because of that reality, he has now also been pushed out of power as protests continue to mount. 

His successor Lt. Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan was the general inspector of the armed forces. He has also overseen the use of Darfuri child soldiers in Yemen and was an active particpant in the Darfur genocide that the Sudanese regime waged in western Sudan. Like nearly every other regime official, his hands are soaked in blood. 

The military's stated plan is for the junta, now chaired by al-Buhran, to run Sudan for two years as part of a transitional process. Considering that much of this bloodthirsty regime remains intact, that promise will most likely not pan out. I certainly hope I am wrong, but al-Buhran's track record and those of the rest of the junta are not promising. 

Where We Go From Here

We expect to see protests continue in the coming days and weeks. The palace coup was meant to relieve the tremendous, historic, and mounting public pressure on the regime, but so far the coup plotters have not achieved that goal. At all. Brave and peaceful protesters are refusing to stand down, and it is still unclear how far the regime's new top brass will go to retain their grip on power. 

And there are no signs that the recent leadership changes in the regime mean peace and justice will come to the most oppressed and violated regions of Sudan. That includes the Nuba Mountains, where much of our focus as an organization and movement is. 

Our commitment as a movement to our Sudanese partners is needed now more than ever before. Sudan is in uncharted territory. The students and teachers at the Endure Primary and Renewal High Schools in Yida Refugee Camp still need our support. Our mission remains as crystal clear as ever before: empower the Sudanese directly, and then get out of their way. 

That is where we go from here. Join me to that end: 

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Mark Hackett Mark Hackett

From The Ground: Sudan Uprising

See what protests in Sudan look like from the ground.

Widespread protests that erupted in Sudan on December 19 over worsening economic conditions 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, National Intelligence "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 widespread and worsening. 

Over the past few days, the situation in Khartoum has grown increasingly tense. Some army units have refused to obey orders and, in a few cases, forcibly stepped in to protect protesters from Bashir's brutal security forces. There are rumors that the regime has begun arresting some mid and lower-level army officers for refusing to attack unarmed protesters. Between the mass and relentless protests, widening fissures within the government and various security forces, and a floundering international response, the situation is now changing hourly with no clear end in sight. Since Saturday, 22 Sudanese have lost their lives due to government violence.

In an attempt to cover up its crimes against Sudanese demanding their basic rights, 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 their stories out into the world. Below are some of their videos, photos, and stories they have shared online. We warn you that some of the images are disturbing and difficult to look at:

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Mark Hackett Mark Hackett

7th Annual Gala Results

See what you accomplished at our annual Gala.

On March 23, 2019, 321 of our supporters gathered at The Memphis Grand Carousel  to celebrate and empower teachers and students at the high-performing Endure Primary and new Renewal High Schools in Yida Refugee Camp, South Sudan.

This marked the 7th year for our annual Good People Good Beer Gala, and you showed up looking great in our Masquerade theme. Here's what you accomplished in 3 hours:

This year marked our biggest yet. You showed up with friends and family to celebrate the teachers and students at Endure Primary and Renewal High Schools in Yida Refugee Camp, South Sudan. You drank, ate, gave, and danced the night away. Simply put, you brought the magic. You were a part of something bigger than yourself for a few hours.

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Here are a few of our favorites from the evening:

We served 5 tasting brews that ranged from a hoppy lager brewed in the Appalachian Mountains to a bright blonde brewed in sunny California . This year's kegs were provided by local favorite Wiseacre, with the food coming from Pontotoc Lounge, Gray Canary, Restaurant Iris, The Arcade, Ciao Bella, and Blue Nile. 

And your votes are in! This year's favorite brew was Golden Road Brewing's Hollywood Blondie.

This year we also added in two themed cocktails inspired by our friends in Sudan and crafted with ingredients from the region. A special shoutout to our title sponsors Bar 409 and and Pontotoc Lounge for making incredible drinks!

This year's Gala was chaired by the wonderful Kellee Stokesberry! Thank you to this year's talented Gala Committee members: Megan Barlowe, Sara James, Jacob Merryman, Samantha Stack, Kindle Vickers, Jordan Vrbas, and Ed Waugh.

Thank you to our wonderful volunteers who made the evening possible! Hannah Anderson, Caroline Borron, Renna Cavness, Gracie Coke, Sarah Conte, Lynda Flowers, Olivia Frantz, Jacob Geyer, Sarah Greenspon, Hope Gribble, Stephen Hackett, Chad Irwin, Erika Kinzer, Christina Kyriakopoulou, Alexis Lynn, Shreya Makwana, Kristin Marshall, Charlie McCarthy, Laura Megan, Leslie O’Barr, Lauren Reed, Aminah Ricard, Rhett Rogers, Emilie Rogers, Michael Seebeck, Jessica Seebeck, Susan Seebeck, Shawn Sigler, Brianna Sigler, Ryan Strain, Marta Tetzeli, John Tetzeli, Gabriel Tetzeli, Marci Vrbas, and Jordan Vrbas.

And a special shoutout to this year's sponsors! Without your generous support, this event would not have been as magical as it was:

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Mark Hackett Mark Hackett

April 2019 Endure Primary School Update

An update from the Endure Primary School in Yida Refugee Camp.

In 2015, Operation Broken Silence launched the Endure Campaign, a fundraising movement focused on sponsoring the Endure Primary School in Yida Refugee Camp, South Sudan. This is an update on how your fundraising and giving is leading to real results at this special school. 

Background

People in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan have been living in emergency conditions since June of 2011, when the government of Sudan launched another genocidal war against their communities. The Bashir regime has officially banned all aid and media organizations from the Nuba Mountains in an attempt to cover up their war crimes. 

A fragile ceasefire is barely holding together in the Nuba Mountains. There are recent reports of targeted government attacks in a few frontline areas, as well as an uptick in government warplanes flying overhead and troop buildups in government-controlled areas. While no actual aerial bombing has occurred, these bomber flights do disrupt daily life at farms, schools, and markets since people do not know if the area they are in is about to be targeted or not.

Just south of the Nuba Mountains is Yida Refugee Camp, which sits a few miles inside of South Sudan's northern border. Yida is one the primary places displaced and persecuted Nuba civilians have fled to over the past several years. Current estimates place Yida's annual population, which can fluctuate quite a bit, between 50,000-60,000 people.

One of the largest demographics in Yida is children under the age of 14. Despite this reality, there are only a handful of schools in Yida that receive little to no outside assistance. This has sparked a deepening education crisis that is threatening the next generation of Nuba leaders and their futures. 

Building and supporting classrooms, paying teacher salaries, and ensuring that children have access to a free education is one of our organization's top priorities. You can watch the campaign video for The Endure Primary School to see what this actually looks like on the ground:

Beginning in 2015 with the launch of the Endure Campaign, Operation Broken Silence began supporting four small classrooms in Yida Refugee Camp that were on the verge of closing. Since then and entirely because of your fundraising and giving, this school now has ten classrooms led by twelve Nuba teachers, a principal, and two support staff. Every week they teach more than 800 students who have fled from the Nuba Mountains. Some of these children have lost their parents or been separated from them due to the Sudanese government's war, so the school is the only structured place in their lives. 

Operations at the school continue to go well! A few weeks ago, 97% of P8 students passed a required exam, which means the school remains one of the top-performing in the area. 

The school's new, small sports program that includes male and female soccer teams and male and female volleyball teams continues to run well. Games regularly draw in small crowds from the surrounding community in Yida. And the small student choir at the school continues to tour around Yida from time to time singing traditional Nuba songs. Here are a few recent photos from the school:  

We've been talking quite a bit about the new high school that our education partner has soft-opened in Yida with our support; however, there are still some needs that are unmet at Endure Primary. This includes new chalkboards to replace aging ones in roughly half of all classrooms. More tarps are needed as well to help prevent weather damage during the rainy season. The security fence that started getting added in earlier this year is still incomplete and requires extra funding.

While Endure Primary is one of the top performing in the area, textbooks remain a huge need at the school, and every other school in Yida for that matter. A curriculum change that occurred a while back transitioned the primary teaching and learning language to English for schools in Yida, which means Arabic will have to be reintroduced back in as a seperate series of classes at some point. And newer teachers are in need of some additional training so they can better serve their students.

Progress rarely occurs in Sudan overnight; however, becuase of your fundraising and giving the past several years, the Endure Primary School is in a much better place today than it was when we first met our Nuba education partner. The teachers and students have taken your support seriously and made it what it is today. On behalf of them, our Nuba education partner, and our small staff, thank you for joining us on this journey.

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Mark Hackett Mark Hackett

Movement Spotlight: Megan Barlowe

A recent story from our movement.

Operation Broken Silence has a small staff, but with the help of our awesome movement, we’re able to make big waves to empower the people of Sudan. Some of the most involved, enthusiastic members of our movement are our event committee members based in Memphis, TN!

We recently had one of our Gala Committee members, Megan Barlowe, go above and beyond on her personal fundraising goal for our education program by organizing and hosting a benefit concert at Growlers.

“What first inspired me to host an event like this was my passion for the organization. I was moved to tears when I saw a photo exhibition showing the turmoil the Sudanese people in Yida Refugee Camp are facing. That's what made me want to figure out a way to help! Once I became a member of the gala committee, I had a fundraising page, and I began reaching out to people I knew to donate to the page. Throwing a benefit concert was an idea that came to fruition because I wanted to do something unique to me. As a music business student at the University of Memphis, I'm surrounded by talented musicians with experience performing. The original idea was to have a house show, but then I thought we could make it bigger than that, especially with the supportive local venues Memphis has to offer.”

Megan reached out to the network closest to her- her friends- and they generously gave their time and talents to the cause! Andrew Myle, Ally and the Walrus, Phillip Bond, Jordan Occasionally, Compton McMurry, Dylan Amoré, Estes, and Good Company all came to perform, showcasing a diverse variety of music genres and styles. Each one of them brought something different to the stage, and the audience received and reflected that-- you could see everyone dancing, listening, mingling, and having a blast all night long!

Together, they all used Facebook and social media to promote the event. Megan also reached out to Stacy McIntyre for professional help and Will Calvert from Tennessee Industrial Printing created a poster for them with the photos of all the artists!

When asked what she learned from this experience, Megan said:

“I learned that it can be affordable to book venues! Also, people are more generous than I ever imagined, and if they get to do what they love to benefit a cause like OBS, they'll do it without hesitation. Something I already knew that was intensified by hosting this event is that it's incredibly fulfilling to help those in need. All of the money we raised is going to support the education of children in the Yida Refugee Camp, which is gratifying.”

The benefit concert had an incredible turn out and raised over $1,400 for the Endure Primary and Renewal High Schools in Yida! Thank you to Megan and all the artists involved for using your talents and community to empower Sudanese students and teachers!

If you have an awesome group of friends or colleagues who would also like to host an event, like a benefit concert, documentary screening, dinner party, or game night, you can email me at atetzeli@operationbrokensilence.org and I can help you with the best fundraising and planning practices!

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Mark Hackett Mark Hackett

March 2019 Renewal High School Update

A recent update from our newest program.

In 2018, Operation Broken Silence began fundraising for a new high school in Yida Refugee Camp, South Sudan. This is an update on how your fundraising and giving is leading to real results on the ground. 

Background

People in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan have been living in emergency conditions since June of 2011, when the government of Sudan launched another genocidal war against their communities. The Bashir regime has officially banned all aid and media organizations from the Nuba Mountains in an attempt to cover up their war crimes. 

A fragile ceasefire is barely holding together in the Nuba Mountains. There are recent reports of targeted government attacks in a few frontline areas, as well as an uptick in government warplanes flying overhead and troop buildups in government-controlled areas. While no actual aerial bombing has occurred, these bomber flights do disrupt daily life at farms, schools, and markets since people do not know if the area they are in is about to be targeted or not.

Just south of the Nuba Mountains is Yida Refugee Camp, which sits a few miles inside of South Sudan's northern border. Yida is one the primary places displaced and persecuted Nuba civilians have fled to over the past several years. Current estimates place Yida's annual population, which can fluctuate quite a bit, between 50,000-60,000 people.

One of the largest demographics in Yida is children under the age of 14. Despite this reality, there are only a handful of schools in Yida that receive little to no outside assistance. This has sparked a deepening education crisis that is threatening the next generation of Nuba leaders and their futures. 

Building and supporting classrooms, paying teacher salaries, and ensuring that children have access to a free education is one of our organization's top priorities. You can watch the campaign video for The Renewal High School to see what this actually looks like on the ground:

The first classes at Renewal High School soft-opened on February 1, 2019. Since then, the school has continued to add more classes and now includes English, mathematics, chemistry, physics, biology, business, geography, history, agriculture, sports, music, and art classes.

Classroom construction and starting supply needs at the school have cost $4,587 so far. Similar to the Endure Primary School that we sponsor in Yida, the 6 classrooms and single teacher office were built largely from local materials to help keep costs down. Flying building materials into Yida is incredibly expensive, so using sun-dried bricks and locally-sourced wood keeps costs down. It's nothing glamorous, but it gets the job done.

As far as next steps go with regards to construction, the school still needs another 2 classrooms, a science lab, and what will be Yida's first library built as soon as possible. Estimated budgets for these additional facilities are being compiled now. Additionally, our Nuba education partner needs to build a lecture hall in 2020 that can be used for teacher and community training. 

Renewal High School is staffed by a principal, secretary, and 12 teachers. Currently there are 120 students who have enrolled at the school as part of the soft-opening. Attendance will continue to rise throughout the year as additional resources arrive. In keeping with our mission of empowering the Nuba people directly, the school's entire staff and all of the students are from the Nuba Mountains. 

Additional students not enrolled in the school are showing up every day in hopes of being able to get in. All but one of the other schools in Yida are primary schools, so the Renewal High School is one of the only secondary educational institutions available to Nuba students in the refugee camp. 

While the school has soft-opened, there are still quite a few material needs that need to be met as soon as possible, including:

  • A small laser printer

  • More chalkboards

  • Musical instruments 

  • Sports equipment (specifically soccer and volleyball related items)

  • Basic resources like pencils, paper, etc. 

Lab equipment, books, and other supply needs will appear further down the road. Right now though, our focus is getting the school the basic items it needs that can be used in core classes.

Since we announced that our Nuba education partner was preparing to open a new high school in Yida, 93 fundraisers, 260 donors, and 12 monthly recurring givers have worked together to fund the startup costs of The Renewal High School. 

We need to raise $3,550 a month to keep the current staff employed at the school. Ideally, this funding really needs to be provided by monthly givers so that the teachers have sustainable support and can focus 100% on serving their students.

Renewal members are currently giving $710 a month to support the staff. We need 82 more individuals to give $35 a month for the team at Renewal High to be fully supported. 

Amazing work so far movement members! Below are some specific ways you can join our efforts to ensure that the Renewal High School becomes as successful as Endure Primary now is. 

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