News & Updates

Check out the latest from Sudan and our movement

Mark Hackett Mark Hackett

Summer 2019 Endowment Update

Every day, our staff works with a lingering thought in the back of our minds. What happens to the programs we support in Sudan if we can't afford to keep our doors open?

In 2016, Operation Broken Silence self-started an Endowment Fund as our long-term answer to this challenge. One day, this fund will be large enough to fund our annual overhead costs - costs that include office rent, staff salaries and benefits, and even the toner for our printer. 

Every day, our staff works with a lingering thought in the back of our minds. What happens to the programs we support in Sudan if we can't afford to keep our doors open?

In 2016, Operation Broken Silence self-started an Endowment Fund as our long-term answer to this challenge. One day, this fund will be large enough to fund our annual overhead costs - costs that include office rent, staff salaries and benefits, and even the toner for our printer. 

We know that this doesn't sound nearly as exciting as the schools we sponsor in Yida Refugee Camp, but our Endowment Fund is important to our long-term health as an organization. Like any startup, we need visionary individuals who believe in and support our staff and their needs, so we can stay focused on what matters most: our mission to empower the Sudanese people to end the crisis they face in our lifetime. 

Endowment Fund Update

This is the first public update for our Endowment Fund. Since the Endowment is not one of the Sudanese-led programs we support, updates work different. Instead of putting news out roughly once a quarter, we provide updates as the Endowment passes certain growth milestones. Right now, our pledge is to provide an update at $25,000 growth intervals. 

Yesterday, the Endowment Fund topped $25,000 in value for the first time. Here are the big numbers we keep an eye on:

Our Endowment Fund generally grows in three different ways:

1. DIRECT GIVING & FUNDRAISING

Let's say that you give $100 directly to the Endowment. Your gift is applied to the primary mutual fund we invest in so the Endowment grows faster. Our supporters have the option of fundraising for and giving directly to the Endowment, and we put 3% of all public dollars raised per month into the Fund. 

2. REINVESTING EARNED DIVIDENDS & INTEREST

Dividends and additional cash income are automatically reinvested into the primary mutual fund in our Endowment. Dividends are received quarterly, with the largest being at the end of the year. Interest from a minimal amount of cash we keep in our Endowment is reinvested monthly. By reinvesting dividends and interest instead of withdrawing it, the Endowment gets extra injections of cash to speed growth up.

3. BY THE FUND'S SHARES INCREASING IN PRICE

As long as we invest wisely and the market performs well, our mutual fund shares will grow in value as the market grows. Broadly speaking, mutual funds are heavily diversified investments that grow slower than individual stocks. This tends to mean that the value of our primary mutual fund shares grow slowly over time, but they are much less likely to lose a large amount of value unexpectedly. Slow and steady wins the race.

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Answers To Common Questions About Our Endowment

Is this really just a savings account?

No. Our Endowment Fund is not treated as a savings account or rainy day fund. The Fund's governing policy strictly prohibits using investments until it is large enough to remain sustainable and be used to support our team and their needs.

Who manages the Endowment?

Our Executive Director, Board Treasurer, and a certified financial advisor oversee our Endowment Fund. Our full Board of Directors is also updated on the Fund's performance quarterly. We keep a close eye on things.

How big does the Endowment Fund need to be?

This is a great question that is a little difficult to answer. Factors in deciding when our Endowment can be put into action include the size of our nonprofit, recent market and portfolio performance, our analysis of the situation in Sudan, and economic projections. It also requires our Board voting to update the Endowment's governing policy and our certified financial advisor giving us the green light.

Right now, our Endowment Fund would need to be around $5.8 million for dividends and interest to cover our annual overhead and to provide a cushion for market changes.

Wow, that's a lot of money. Will this ever actually happen?

We certainly have a long way to go before our Endowment can be used, but the answer is yes. As we've outlined above, the Fund is always growing in the background. We haven't had any major donors (individuals who can make a $25,000+ donation) give directly to the Endowment yet, but we have had a few individuals express interest in doing so. It may be years before we can use our Endowment Fund, but we're already used to doing what people have told us will be hard or impossible. It'll happen one day. 

Thanks for reading! If you'd like to get involved, check out the options below.

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We don't  talk about our Endowment Fund often, but its long-term success is critical to our mission. One day, this fund will be large enough to fund our annual overhead costs - costs that include office rent, staff salaries and benefits, and even the toner for our printer. And that will free our team up to focus entirely on our mission. Here's how you can help:

1. Give Online, By Check, Or From Your Portfolio. Making a one-time donation is the perfect first step toward helping us grow our Endowment Fund:

  • GIVE ONLINE HERE »

  • Please make checks payable to Operation Broken Silence, write Endowment Fund in the memo line, and mail it to PO BOX 770900, Memphis, TN 38177-0900.

  • To donate stock or other investments, please download our Investment Giving Form and complete the simple, 2-step process. DOWNLOAD FORM HERE »

2. Give Monthly. Setting up an automatic monthly gift is the easiest way you can help us continue to grow the Endowment. Giving monthly also comes with perks, like exclusive updates from our staff, a membership pin, and free tickets to our events at $25+ a month.  GIVE MONTHLY »

2. Start Fundraising. You can start an online fundraising page for the Endowment Fund! Setting up your page only takes a minute, and then you can ask friends and family to donate. BECOME A FUNDRAISER »

Sign up for our email list to get occasional updates from us. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

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Mark Hackett Mark Hackett

Victory! U.S. Senate Passes Resolution 188

Yesterday, the United States Senate passed Senate Resolution 188: A resolution encouraging a swift transfer of power by the military to a civilian-led political authority in the Republic of the Sudan, and for other purposes. 

Yesterday, the United States Senate passed Senate Resolution 188: A resolution encouraging a swift transfer of power by the military to a civilian-led political authority in the Republic of the Sudan, and for other purposes. We would like to thank our Tennessee movement members who took the time to call and write Senators Lamar Alexander and Marsha Blackburn about S.Res 188.

While neither Senator became a cosponsor of this resolution, Senator Blackburn's office responded to several of our movement members thanking them for reaching out and letting them know she would keep their requests in mind if the Resolution came to the full Senate.

We received no reports that Senator Alexander's office responded to their constituents about S.Res 188, nor did we get a response on why the Senator's Nashville office hung up on Tennessee citizens when they called. 

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What The Resolution Does

Since 1989, Sudan's military regime has killed and displaced millions of people through multiple genocidal wars and a vast web oppression. The situation has been so horrific that the country's now former dictator Omar al-Bashir faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court. 

But despite the ousting of Bashir in April 2019 following continuous mass protests, these violent policies have continued. The Sudanese people's wish for democratic, civilian rule is being thwarted by the Transitional Military Council, a group of army officers, militia leaders, and security officials who previously served Bashir. Peaceful protests continue; however, the regime has responded by shooting and raping defenseless civilians. 

Senate Resolution 188 calls on a swift transfer of power by the military regime to a transitional civilian-led government. More immediately, it demands the allowance of humanitarian aid into regions that critically require food and medical supplies, a move that would save lives and prevent more deaths. The resolution calls for the officials and authorities who planned and carried out the atrocities of ethnic cleansing and other human rights abuses to be taken to justice for their crimes against humanity. With atrocities continuously committed, awareness must be raised and action taken. If you want all the nitty gritty details, you can see the full resolution here. 

All that is left to do with regards to S.Res 188 is to spread the word! You can share our social media posts to let your friends and family know:

The crisis in Sudan is far from over. If you would like to stay involved, we have three ways you can directly support the Sudanese people below. 

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The people of Sudan are overcoming two of the greatest challenges facing humanity today: war and genocide. Operation Broken Silence is accelerating their ability to generate lasting change by funding storytelling and movement-building, education and emergency response, and grassroots advocacy programs. Here are a few ways you can join us:

1. Give Monthly To The Education In Yida. The Renewal is our unstoppable family of monthly givers who never stop fighting for change. They give automatically each and every month to the two schools we sponsor in Yida Refugee Camp, providing consistent support to 24 teachers and nearly 1,100 students from the Nuba Mountains. Right now, the schools are short about $2,500 in monthly funding. LEARN MORE »

2. Become A Fundraiser. If you can’t give monthly right now, you can start an online fundraising page for the schools in Yida. BECOME A FUNDRAISER »

3. Live In Tennessee? We need your help! There is a companion resolution in the House of Representatives. We need you to call and email your Representative and ask them to cosponsor. TAKE ACTION »

Sign up for our email list to get updates from Sudan and our movement. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Mark Hackett Mark Hackett

Internet Is Back On In Sudan

Early on the morning of June 3, Sudan's ruling Transitional Military Council committed a massacre of unarmed protesters in Khartoum.

Early on the morning of June 3, Sudan's ruling Transitional Military Council committed a massacre of unarmed protesters in Khartoum. The killings, mass rape, and public torture continued over the next few days as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group that reports directly to the Military Council, put Khartoum under a brutal lockdown. RSF militiamen threw corpses into the Nile River, broke into homes to rape women and children, and openly stole private property across the capital. 

During the massacre, the Military Council shut off Sudan's internet to keep footage and photos of their crimes from reaching the world and to prevent protesters from remobilizing. Because of this, very few images of the massacre have reached the outside world. Now that the internet is coming back online in Sudan, Sudanese are beginning to upload images of the crimes they have been subjected to. We do warn you, the following information and images are extremely graphic and disturbing. 

What Happens Next

In the coming days and with internet service returning, we expect to see more images from the June 3 massacre and the immediate aftermath. 

While a tentative and fragile deal is underway between the Military Council and protesters, we do not expect the junta to abide by it. This regime has broken nearly every agreement it has signed over the last 30 years. The RSF remains deployed in the capital. When many protesters heard news of the agreement, it was met with a muted response. And there are early and worrying signs that the international community is going to begin letting the building pressure off of the junta. 

RSF commander Hemeti is still positioning himself to become Sudan's next dictator. Hemeti is technically second-in-command on the Transitional Military Council, but we remain immensely worried that he is the one pulling the strings or he is operating outside of Military Council authority. Hemeti has the backing of powerful Gulf states, and the RSF has its own relations with several international actors that goes beyond official Sudanese government foreign policy.

As for the Sudanese people, continuing to protest despite this fragile agreement and the immense dangers they face from the Military Council is the only option the regime has left them with. This junta has spent the last 30 years wrecking Sudan's economy, stealing from government coffers, shrinking public services, and committing unaffordable and pointless mass atrocity crimes in the name of a crazed, violent ideology that doesn't help anyone. Most Sudanese only have the breath in their lungs left to lose, especially now that the horrors of Sudan's war-torn edges have visited the capital. 

Sudan's revolution is far from over. If you would like to directly support the Sudanese people as they seek a better future, discover ways to do so below. 

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The people of Sudan are overcoming two of the greatest challenges facing humanity today: war and genocide. Operation Broken Silence is accelerating their ability to generate lasting change by funding storytelling and movement-building, education and emergency response, and grassroots advocacy programs. Here are a few ways you can join us:

1. Give Monthly To The Education In Yida. The Renewal is our unstoppable family of monthly givers who never stop fighting for change. They give automatically each and every month to the two schools we sponsor in Yida Refugee Camp, providing consistent support to 24 teachers and nearly 1,100 students from the Nuba Mountains. Right now, the schools are short about $2,500 in monthly funding. LEARN MORE »

2. Become A Fundraiser. If you can’t give monthly right now, you can start an online fundraising page for the schools in Yida. BECOME A FUNDRAISER »

3. Give Once. Not ready to commit with a monthly gift or fundraising yet? That’s okay, making a one-time gift is the best next step to get your feet wet! GIVE HERE »

Sign up for our email list to get updates from Sudan and our movement. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Mark Hackett Mark Hackett

Sudan's Military Has Hired A Lobbying Firm

"It's the same regime as the old regime" is one of several mantras concerning this moment in Sudan's history.

"It's the same regime as the old regime" is one of several mantras concerning this moment in Sudan's history. Since arresting their own leader Omar al-Bashir in April, the country's ruling Military Council has continued violent Bashir-era policies without skipping a beat. Humanitarian blockades are still violently enforced, the specter of war looms over Sudan's oppressed periphery regions, and protesters are being locked up and tortured. 

In today's world, governance by brutality comes with negative press for the oppressor. Authoritarian regimes have been increasingly creative over the past several years with how they deal with looking bad for, well, being bad. Hiring an international lobbying firm is a go-to method nowadays, which is exactly what the junta in Sudan has done. Buckle up though: this case is especially crazy. 

Quick Background

The self-declared name of Sudan's current regime is the Transitional Military Council. To be clear, there is nothing transitionalabout this junta. The group is made up entirely of army and security officers who have participated in war crimes, genocide, and terrorism for many years. Sudan's former dictator Omar al-Bashir was the powerful figurehead of this junta for just shy of three decades; however, after months of massive protests across Sudan, he was peacefully arrested in April by several members of the Council. 

On June 3, a powerful militia that reports directly to the Military Council, the Rapid Support Forces, began massacring unarmed and peaceful protesters in Khartoum. Regime crimes that had long been committed in the oppressed hinterlands of Sudan, crimes like mass rape, mass murder, and torching and theft of civilian property, had finally come to Sudan's all-powerful capital. The massacre was immediately met by an outraged international community, and what little hope remained that the junta could be negotiated with evaporated.  

Oddly, the contract between lobbying firm Dickens & Madson Canada Inc. and the Military Council was signed well before the June 3 massacre, on May 7. It's still unclear when the junta or core junta elements decided to slaughter protesters in Khartoum, but the hiring of a lobbying firm only weeks before the killings were committed raises eyebrows. The contract also bears the signature of Rapid Support Forces commander Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemeti, whose forces committed the bulk of the Khartoum killings. 

As is always the case with this regime though, the truly terrifying devils are in the details. This deal between a genocidal government and a lobbying firm is disgusting, but it also gets strangely specific at certain points. 

The Highlights Of The Deal

You can read the full deal between the Military Council and Dickens & Madson Canada Inc. in this U.S. Justice Department document here, but we'll summarize the main points below with some brief analysis that is italicized.

According to this contract, Dickens & Madson will lobby basically anyone anywhere on behalf of the Military Council to try to benefit the junta and prevent international policy that would hurt the regime. The document specifically mentions lobbying the United States and Russia, but also includes a number of very concerning, specific entities and actions:

  • Asking a redacted person to visit Sudan by the end of May. The redacted name comes right before trying to setup a "public" meeting between President Donald Trump and the regime, so we assume this is another American official. It's likely that this individual is former Representative Jim Moran, who was recently in Sudan slavering praise on Rapid Support Forces commander Hemeti. Yea, really. 

  • Pushing international and Sudanese media to "correct" unfavorable media coverage of the Military Council and create favorable coverage. Yikes.

  • Seeking financial assistance for the Military Council from countries around the world, and specifically the United States in a joint Sudan-South Sudan oil project. The company name(s) or certain industry types that could be useful in oil and gas deals have been redacted. It comes right on the heels of seeking American funding, so it is possible these are American companies or industries. Um, no. Heck no. 

  • Seeking funding from the Eastern Libyan Military Command in exchange for military assistance to the Libyan National Army. Due to the Rapid Support Forces operating as guns for hire in the Saudi-led war in Yemen, we assume this means Rapid Support Forces troopers and child soldiers will be traded in Libya for money. The UN also has an arms embargo on Libya right now, so such a move would most likely be illegal. Disgusting.  

  • Obtaining urgent meetings with "Middle Eastern Governments" to resolve outstanding issues. This is probably the Military Council trying to get more money from Saudi Arabia and the UAE, who represent two of the three biggest international enablers of the junta. 

  • Working to get all remaining U.S. sanctions lifted and the American State Sponsor of Terrorism designation on Sudan dropped. Hopefully the State Department sticks to its words and does neither, especially since the bilateral normalization process was frozen a while ago. There is also a global effort underway to see the U.S. government declare the Rapid Support Forces a terrorist organization and sanction them, which it easily meets the criteria for.

  • Working to "assist" integrating South Sudan to Sudan in a way that is similar to the European Union. Some in the junta and other Sudanese power structures are still bitter that South Sudan was allowed to declare independence in 2011. At the very least, this is going to raise eyebrows in Juba. At its worst, this is a sign that some in Sudanese power circles are laying the groundwork for reinserting northern control over South Sudan. This is a huge red flag either way.

The Bottom Line

Following the June 3 massacre in Khartoum, ongoing regime intransigence with regards to moving Sudan toward a real civilian government, and the recent hiring and firing of government officials, reading this contract shows the true intentions of the Transitional Military Council. The junta has no plans to hand decision-making authority over to civilians. 

On top of all of this is an insane reality: Sudan's economy has crumbled due to regime-instigated wars, vast government corruption, and the outright incompetence of top junta officials. When protests began in December, they were directly linked to Sudan's free-falling economy. The fact that the Military Council is dropping $6,000,000 on a lobbying firm to try to clean up their image when millions of Sudanese don't know where their next meal is coming from is outrageous. 

Our advice to public servants, reporters, and we guess the whole world? If Dickens & Madson Canada Inc. comes knocking, send them packing. 

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The people of Sudan are overcoming two of the greatest challenges facing humanity today: war and genocide. Operation Broken Silence is accelerating their ability to generate lasting change by funding storytelling and movement-building, education and emergency response, and grassroots advocacy programs. Here are a few ways you can join us:

1. Give Monthly To The Education In Yida. The Renewal is our unstoppable family of monthly givers who never stop fighting for change. They give automatically each and every month to the two schools we sponsor in Yida Refugee Camp, providing consistent support to 24 teachers and nearly 1,100 students from the Nuba Mountains. Right now, the schools are short about $2,500 in monthly funding. LEARN MORE »

2. Become A Fundraiser. If you can’t give monthly right now, you can start an online fundraising page for the schools in Yida. BECOME A FUNDRAISER »

3. Give Once. Not ready to commit with a monthly gift or fundraising yet? That’s okay, making a one-time gift is the best next step to get your feet wet! GIVE HERE »

Sign up for our email list to get updates from Sudan and our movement. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Mark Hackett Mark Hackett

Watch Sudan On June 30

June 30 will mark a pivotal and grim milestone in Sudan's history: 30 years of disastrous militarized, Islamic rule that has seen millions of Sudanese murdered and displaced, an economy in free fall, and a seething civil society that is just over all of it.

June 30 will mark a pivotal and grim milestone in Sudan's history: 30 years of disastrous militarized, Islamic rule that has seen millions of Sudanese murdered and displaced, an economy in free fall, and a seething civil society that is just over all of it. This June has also marked 8 years of the regime's genocidal violence and humanitarian blockade in the southern Nuba Mountains region, where the majority of of our work is focused.

Earlier this week, Ismail al-Tag, a spokesman for the venerable Sudanese Professionals' Association, called for mass marches on June 30 to demand that the Military Council hand over power to civilians. This comes only weeks after the Military Council massacred and raped protesters in Khartoum, an atrocity that claimed over 100 lives, led to hundreds more Sudanese missing, and plunged the country into an internet blackout. And it comes on the heels of the junta rage rejecting yet another proposal to hand over power to civilians. 

The call for renewed mass protests seems to be working. Over the past several days, small night protests in cities across Sudan have reemerged, are growing in size, and are spreading into daylight hours. Activists are finding creative ways to organize around the internet blackout. And protesters know exactly who they are up against and what the Military Council is capable of.

With June 30 only a few days away, the faltering diplomatic effort to intervene in Sudan needs to ramp up and finally meet the reality of the situation. There is a real threat that the Military Council will unleash its Rapid Support Forces attack dog once again on unarmed and peaceful protesters demanding their basic rights. American diplomats need to make it clear that any additional violence will lead to the United States going after Military Council leaders in a very personal way. That should include declaring the Rapid Support Forces a terrorist organization, travel bans, international asset seizures, targeted sanctions, and more. It is past time for the U.S. government to move from platitudes about supporting protesters to firm action to help protect Sudan's besieged pro-democracy and peace movement. 

Sudan's revolution is far from over. On June 30, we will learn just how far recent junta crimes have set back Sudan's massive peaceful protest movement. If you would like to directly support the Sudanese people as they seek a better future, discover ways to do so below. 

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The people of Sudan are overcoming two of the greatest challenges facing humanity today: war and genocide. Operation Broken Silence is accelerating their ability to generate lasting change by funding storytelling and movement-building, education and emergency response, and grassroots advocacy programs. Here are a few ways you can join us:

1. Give Monthly To The Education In Yida. The Renewal is our unstoppable family of monthly givers who never stop fighting for change. They give automatically each and every month to the two schools we sponsor in Yida Refugee Camp, providing consistent support to 24 teachers and nearly 1,100 students from the Nuba Mountains. Right now, the schools are short about $2,500 in monthly funding. LEARN MORE »

2. Become A Fundraiser. If you can’t give monthly right now, you can start an online fundraising page for the schools in Yida. BECOME A FUNDRAISER »

3. Give Once. Not ready to commit with a monthly gift or fundraising yet? That’s okay, making a one-time gift is the best next step to get your feet wet! GIVE HERE »

Sign up for our email list to get updates from Sudan and our movement. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Mark Hackett Mark Hackett

Reporting From The Heart of Sudan's Revolution

In a beautiful segment for Sky News, three reporters look back on their time in Khartoum before the June 3 massacre.

Before the June 3 massacre in Khartoum, a number of international reporters were able to share stories from Sudan in a way that had been impossible only a few months earlier. Many of them provided a rare glimpse of what Sudan's future could be as a new generation rises up: more secular, westward-looking, and peaceful. 

In a beautiful segment for Sky News, three reporters look back on their time in Khartoum before the massacre. They talk about their experiences with the Sudanese people through the ups and downs and how much of the international analysis around Sudan's current moment is incorrect. Sudan's current revolution is not an extension of the Arab Spring; on the contrary, it is a political and social experience that could only happen in Sudan.

The above segment is also a great review of what has happened in Sudan since protests began in December 2018.

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The people of Sudan are overcoming two of the greatest challenges facing humanity today: war and genocide. Operation Broken Silence is accelerating their ability to generate lasting change by funding storytelling and movement-building, education and emergency response, and grassroots advocacy programs. Here are a few ways you can join us:

1. Give Monthly To The Education In Yida. The Renewal is our unstoppable family of monthly givers who never stop fighting for change. They give automatically each and every month to the two schools we sponsor in Yida Refugee Camp, providing consistent support to 24 teachers and nearly 1,100 students from the Nuba Mountains. Right now, the schools are short about $2,500 in monthly funding. LEARN MORE »

2. Become A Fundraiser. If you can’t give monthly right now, you can start an online fundraising page for the schools in Yida. BECOME A FUNDRAISER »

3. Give Once. Not ready to commit with a monthly gift or fundraising yet? That’s okay, making a one-time gift is the best next step to get your feet wet! GIVE HERE »

Sign up for our email list to get updates from Sudan and our movement. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Read More