News & Updates
Check out the latest from Sudan and our movement
Operation Broken Silence & Facebook Integration
We are excited to announce that our supporters can multiply their impact by seamlessly integrating their Operation Broken Silence fundraising page to Facebook. This feature is now live across all of our campaigns and events.
Hello supporters,
We are excited to announce that you can multiply your impact by seamlessly integrating your Operation Broken Silence fundraising page to Facebook. This feature is now live across all of our campaigns and events.
With this new integration, you can create a fundraising page on our platform, then seamlessly push your page (complete with your name, photo, and headline) to Facebook to create a Facebook fundraiser as well.
This will allow you to raise donations through your OBS fundraising page and your Facebook fundraising page. Giving made on either platform will sync between the two. For example, if someone gives $20 to your Facebook fundraising page, that donation will also show up on your OBS fundraising page, and vice versa.
Our supporters have often had to weigh the benefits and downsides when they choose which platform to start a fundraising page on. This means many of their potential donors who may not be on Facebook or who can only be reached on Facebook have been left out. Our integration eliminates this problem once and for all.
We know this new feature will help our supporters easily reach more donors in their networks and remove some of the barriers to meeting their goals. We are excited to watch you use this new tool to grow and sustain the programs we support in Sudan.
After you have your OBS fundraising page, or if you already have one, here’s how to create a Facebook fundraising page that will sync:
SELECT MANAGE
Login to your OBS fundraising page and click or tap the Manage button at the top-right corner.
Select facebook
It’s the tab on the right side of your fundraising dashboard.
SELECT create
Hit the Create button. If you aren’t already signed in to Facebook, you’ll be prompted to do so. Once you’re signed in, your Facebook fundraising page will be created automatically.
You are now ready to accept donations on both platforms. You can also use our new guide to crush your fundraising goal. Cheers!
Onward,
Mark & Audrey
About Us
Operation Broken Silence is building a global movement to empower the Sudanese people through innovative programs as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We focus on empowering Sudanese change makers and their critical work. Learn more here.
Donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. Give today.
Rapid Support Forces Committing Ethnic Cleansing Campaign Near Kadugli
Since mid-May, over 4,000 Nuba families have been forcibly displaced from the immediate area surrounding Kadugli, the state capital of South Kordofan in Sudan.
Since mid-May, over 4,000 Nuba families have been forcibly displaced from the immediate area surrounding Kadugli, the state capital of South Kordofan in Sudan. These displacements are the direct result of repeated and targeted attacks by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a violent regime paramilitary outfit that Sudan’s transitional government refuses to disarm and demobilize.
The vast majority of these displaced families have fled into liberated areas underneath the control of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N). The SPLM-N is an armed opposition movement that controls large swaths of the Nuba Mountains in South Kordofan. The Sudanese military and their regime paramilitary allies have been waging a genocidal war against the Nuba people since 2011.
Background
In 2019, a peaceful revolution swept across Sudan and pushed the country into a period of transitional governance. While several regime officials are under arrest and new civilian leaders have made marginal reforms, top regime generals remain in positions of immense power. That includes the commander of the RSF Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, aka Hemeti.
The situation in the Nuba Mountains remains unchanged despite Sudan’s revolution. A ceasefire has been in place since 2016; however, regime forces routinely violate the agreement by targeting isolated Nuba communities near frontline areas. Such attacks are often spearheaded by RSF units.
It’s not uncommon for several dozen families to be displaced by regime forces every month in the Nuba Mountains. Seeing 4,000 Nuba families displaced in such a short time is an exponential escalation from the “normal” displacement numbers we have seen in the region over the last few years.
The Ethnic Cleansing of El Berdab
On May 12, violence broke out at a market in Kadugli and spread to other areas of the town. There were reportedly no security forces present when the conflict began. It appears that a dispute over the theft of livestock and the sale of a weapon escalated into inter-communal conflict. RSF fighters reportedly entered the fray and suffered casualties.
On May 13, government army soldiers attacked a group of RSF paramilitaries near Kadugli. The reason for the attack remains unknown. Violence between the Sudanese army, RSF, and another regime paramilitary called the Popular Defense Forces (PDF) has been on the rise in the Nuba Mountains region this year, as various regime security forces jockey for power.
Following the attack, RSF commander Hemeti ominously claimed:
“Since change occurred in the country, the RSF have been facing many challenges, treachery, and have been targeted more than once, by hidden hands. These hands not only work to destroy the RSF, but also intend to destroy Sudan. We will expose them in the near future.”
As is often the case when the RSF faces a military defeat, the paramilitary group immediately began an offensive not against the attackers, but unarmed civilians.
RSF paramilitaries used the inter-communal violence and Sudanese army attack as a pretext to invade the nearby town of El Berdab on the same day. Survivors have reported that when RSF soldiers invaded El Berdab on May 13, they asked residents what their ethnicity was. Those identified as ethnically Nuba were systematically tortured or killed and their houses pillaged and burned to the ground.
A SPLM-N-held valley in the southern Nuba Mountains during the rainy season.
While the Kadugli area is not far from the frontlines of the Nuba Mountains, it is under the complete control of the Sudanese army and RSF. This means that RSF paramilitaries knew they would not encounter armed SPLM-N resistance when they entered El Berdab. The only targets were Nuba civilians.
Hours later, more than 2,000 people had fled El Berdab as a direct result of this targeted attack. It is estimated that over 200 homes were systematically burned to the ground so that Nuba residents could not return.
Since this attack, RSF units have continued to target Nuba civilians in the Kadugli vicinity, which has accelerated forced displacement. Most recently, RSF paramilitaries killed a police officer and tortured and executed a small group of unarmed farmers.
Many of the 4,000 displaced families from these attacks have fled into the Buram and Heiban localities of the Nuba Mountains, where the SPLM-N has the ability to repulse RSF incursions. One of our local contacts has reported that there are new humanitarian needs caused by the sudden influx of such a large number of people, and some families are considering going south to Yida Refugee Camp.
It is unlikely that these families will be able to return to their land near Kadugli anytime soon, if ever.
There is a high probability that the number of forcibly displaced families from this latest RSF ethnic cleansing campaign will continue to increase in the coming weeks.
Children living in the Nuba Mountains and nearby Yida Refugee Camp have grown up under the threat of violence by the Rapid Support Forces and government aerial bombing. Many Nuba schools have been destroyed since 2011. If these children do not attain a quality education, the next generation of leaders seeking to end this crisis will be lost.
Operation Broken Silence sponsors 24 Nuba teachers at two schools in Yida Refugee Camp. We’re the only organization in the world supporting teachers here. You can help us continue doing that by signing up to give monthly.
If you are not in a position to give monthly, could you start a fundraising campaign or make a one-time donation? In our line of our work, every penny counts.
About Us
Operation Broken Silence is building a global movement to empower the Sudanese people through innovative programs as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We focus on empowering Sudanese change makers and their critical work. Learn more here.
Donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. Give today.
June 2020 Yida Education Update
An update from the Nuba teachers you support in Yida Refugee Camp.
In 2015, Operation Broken Silence began funding 4 Nuba teachers in Yida Refugee Camp who were giving lessons underneath a tree. With your support, their small effort has blossomed into the Endure Primary and Renewal Secondary Schools. Today, you support 24 Nuba teachers who work in these schools. They run the show, not us, and they oversee 1,300 students every week.
Endure Primary has become one of the top performing schools in the region and a treasured possession of the Nuba community in Yida. More than 3,000 children have been served by the school to date. Renewal Secondary began a three-year phased opening in 2019 and has already shown great promise.
It has been incredible to watch these teachers use the funding you provide to create a more just situation for the children of Yida. One of the largest demographics here is children under the age of 14. The vision has always been to ensure that every single child in Yida has the opportunity to attain a quality education at no financial cost to them.
Today, this vision is in jeopardy. The joy we have seen for years in the faces of teachers and students at Endure Primary and Renewal Secondary is at risk. And it comes at a time when education needs across Yida are skyrocketing.
Right now, Primary 8 and Secondary 4 classes are in early preparations for their national exams. These are the final grades in both schools before graduation. Endure Primary has achieved a 90%+ graduation rate over the last few years due to high testing scores, and this will be the first round of national exams for Renewal Secondary. In the coming months, testing preparation will only intensify as the teachers take on a more direct role in coaching their students.
In mid-May, the pressure on these 24 teachers mounted even more. Yida is home to several other schools that are not officially connected to our Nuba education partner. These schools have historically been poorly funded and receive essentially zero outside support today. Because Endure Primary and Renewal Secondary make up the backbone of the education system in Yida, the Nuba government formally requested that our education partner help support Primary 8 and Secondary 4 students from these other schools as they prepare for exams as well. Today, an additional 500+ students from schools across Yida are receiving testing support from our teachers at Endure Primary and Renewal Secondary.
Refugees from across Yida begin gathering for an end-of-semester ceremony at our schools in December 2019.
Testing is tentatively scheduled for primary students in November and secondary students in December. Students that fail these tests are required to start another year of studies before testing again. Those who pass get the great joy of moving forward in a ceremony that usually brings in thousands of refugees from across Yida.
This should be a time of focus, enthusiasm, and pride. We should be pouring more resources into the 24 teachers we support than ever before, because they are working harder than ever before to support more students than ever before.
Sadly, that is not happening.
Since March, 60% of the donations that these teachers rely on have been wiped out in the economic fallout of coronavirus pandemic. At a time when our teachers are being asked to do more for their community, they are receiving less support to get the job done. This means lower salaries, less school supplies, and a moratorium on building needed new classrooms. The momentum that has been building in the Endure Primary and Renewal Secondary these past few years is being blunted, and it is the world’s most vulnerable children who will pay the price for it.
Ismail* is one such student preparing for his national exam. He says:
“I am very nervous. If I pass, I will be the first person in my family to complete primary school. My father is still fighting in the war across the border in the mountains. The last time I saw him was 2 years ago. He told me he was fighting so that I could get the education he was not allowed to have. I hope I can make him proud by graduating.”
HOW YOU CAN HELP
If 150 people who are reading this start giving at least $10 a month, it will be just enough to sustain these teachers and students through the pandemic.
In March, Operation Broken Silence set out to recruit 200 new supporters who give at least $10 a month to meet these needs. We are now at 25% of our goal. This is progress, but it’s not nearly enough. Giving monthly is the best way to help. Please sign up right now. The futures of so many students just like Ismail depend on it.
If you are not in a position to give monthly, could you start a fundraising campaign or make a one-time donation? We cannot emphasize enough that every penny counts right.
*Name has been changed for safety reasons.
COVID-19 Update
There are no reported coronavirus cases in Yida Refugee Camp right now; however, the disease is spreading rapidly in Sudan and South Sudan.
While Yida is an isolated place, the likelihood of the pandemic reaching the area is growing. As the pandemic bears down on Yida, it is important that our teachers are not anxious about how they will support their families.
ABOUT NUBA
The Nuba Mountains are home to roughly 100 African tribal groups who have lived there for over 2,000 years.
The one million Christian, Muslim, and traditionalist Nuba people live in harmony together.
Sadly, the Nuba way of life has been in danger for decades. Sudan’s military and extremist regime officials have long viewed the Nuba people as a threat to their iron-fisted rule. The military and their extremist paramilitary allies have committed two genocides in the region since the 1990s.
Sudanese dictator Omar al-Bashir was overthrown in a military coup in April 2019. Sudan now has a fledgling transitional government that is supposed to be moving the country toward civilian, democratic rule. This new government has not lifted the humanitarian blockade on the Nuba Mountains, nor has a permanent peace been achieved. A fragile ceasefire is in place right now, but war clouds still loom over the Nuba Mountains.
Operation Broken Silence focuses on the Nuba Mountains and nearby Yida Refugee Camp. We are the only organization in the world providing assistance to refugee teachers here. Your generous support is essential for teachers to get the resources they need. Learn more about our mission here.
World Refugee Day: Sudan
Refugees from the Nuba Mountains region of Sudan, like Yusif, have been living in Yida Refugee Camp for more than 8 years now.
Today is World Refugee Day. The United Nations has announced that over 1.8 million Sudanese are displaced inside of Sudan, while another 734,900 Sudanese are refugees abroad. This means that over 8% of all Sudanese have been forced to leave their homes.
The updated statistics are part of a larger report by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Alarmingly, 79.5 million people were displaced worldwide at the end of 2019. Sudan remains in the top 10 countries with the highest levels of internal displacement. It is likely that Sudan’s displaced numbers are even slightly higher today, as recent rounds of violence orchestrated by regime paramilitaries has risen throughout 2020.
UNHCR also notes that being forcibly displaced from your home is simply no longer a short-term and temporary phenomenon.
Operation Broken Silence has seen this reality in our work. Some refugees from the Nuba Mountains region of Sudan have been living in Yida Refugee Camp for more than 8 years now. There are no signs that they will be able to return home anytime soon, despite recent changes in Sudan’s government. Yusif* knows this reality better than most.
“I came to Yida because there was a lot of bombing in the Nuba Mountains. The enemy (regime forces) was everywhere.
There is not much food here, but we’ve been able to adapt. At least here it is safe.”
I met Yusif when he was building a new house out of the traditional mud bricks that are common across Yida. It was his way of coming to terms with the reality that this was going to be his home for a long time, even if the ceasefire that is now in place came to be.
Despite Sudan’s peaceful revolution last year, not much has changed in the Nuba Mountains. A fragile ceasefire that began in the final years of the Bashir regime still has not translated into a peace agreement. Regime paramilitary forces and the Sudanese army remain deployed in the region. They routinely breach the ceasefire and launch attacks on one another. Thankfully the Sudanese military has not resumed aerial bombing of Nuba communities.
The current situation in Sudan has been made more complicated by the coronavirus pandemic, which is spreading faster there than most other places around the world.
It’s not hard to understand why Sudanese like Yusif can’t return home when conditions are this unstable. Helping them to continue make progress in Yida is the right thing to do.
Sudan’s next generation of leaders is at risk. Children living in the Nuba Mountains and nearby Yida Refugee Camp have grown up only knowing war. Most do not have access to a quality classroom.
Operation Broken Silence sponsors 24 Nuba teachers in Yida Refugee Camp. We’re the only organization in the world supporting refugee teachers here. Due to the devastating coronavirus pandemic, 60% of our donations have evaporated. We need your help sustaining these refugee teachers during this time of uncertainty.
* Name has been changed for safety reasons.
About Us
Operation Broken Silence is building a global movement to empower the Sudanese people through innovative programs as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We focus on empowering Sudanese change makers and their critical work. Learn more here.
Donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. Give today.
About Mark
Mark Hackett is the Executive Director of Operation Broken Silence. He works with our Sudanese partners and oversees our daily operations.
Mark is one of only a few Americans to have been on the frontlines in the Nuba Mountains during the war.
Countdown To Soirée For Sudan
Here you can find the latest updates for Soirée For Sudan from September 10-12, 2020.
Hello supporters!
Here you can find the latest updates about Soirée For Sudan, our annual gala that benefits 24 Sudanese teachers and 1,300 students in Yida Refugee Camp. If you have not registered or made a donation yet, you can also knock that out right here, right now:
If you have questions, please reach out to us at concierge@operationbrokensilence.org
Gratefully,
Sara James, Ragaa Kunda, Faith Pool, Sarah Roberts, Emilie Rogers, Samantha Stack, and Ed Waugh
June 16, 2020
This is our first update since March, and it’s a BIG one!
Since we announced our decision to reschedule Soirée for Sudan, we’ve been monitoring updates about the pandemic and re-opening procedures. We always strive to put on a beautiful, dynamic gala that connects our supporters and raises funds for our education program in Yida, and to have an event that is accessible and welcoming to all.
Because large events are still not recommended by health department guidelines, and since we always want to have a gala that is welcoming to all our supporters, we’ve made the decision that Soirée for Sudan will be a virtual event this year.
This was a tough call, but under these circumstances, we know it’s the right one. We also believe that we can rise to the occasion and still deliver a wonderful event to you from the comfort of your own home!
Thank you for understanding and supporting our decision. Mark your calendars for September 10-12 and get read to join us for 3 days of virtual fun including….
Daily live streamed virtual events to keep you entertained and inspired at home, including virtual demos and performances. Attend them all or choose the ones you’re most interested in!
Opportunities to get involved and help further our mission.
3 days of virtual silent auction items
Live raffles for the wine stash of your safer-at-home dreams
Our best dressed contest (yes, there will be prizes!)
And more!
We’ll have more details and a schedule in the next several weeks. We’re also excited to share that we have a generous matching donor who is doubling the next $5,000 in donations that are made! Many of you have already donated in honor of this opportunity or are fundraising to get your family and friends involved.
We’re blown away by your generosity! Thank you for standing with us and helping to make the most out of this event. Without you, the Endure Primary and Renewal High Schools would have to close their doors to 1,300 students and 24 teachers. With no other robust schools in their community, they would lose a life-changing resource they value so much.
If you have any questions or want to fundraise (and earn an extra ticket to give to a friend!) email us at concierge@operationbrokensilence.org
March 16, 2020
Due to the spread of the coronavirus and recent recommendations from the CDC, we have decided to reschedule Soirée For Sudan for Saturday, August 29. Please watch this video from our Executive Director Mark Hackett to learn more:
We understand that some international crises transcend missions, borders, and societies. We are in one of those times right now. As a nonprofit that exists for the public good, we know that this decision is the right one, even though it negatively impacts our work in the short term.
If you can help our schools in Yida Refugee Camp get through this difficult moment, please consider taking one of these two actions:
March 2, 2020
Soirée For Sudan is all about improving education in Yida Refugee Camp. Teachers are the central part of that.
Being an educator is hard, wherever you are in the world. From the teachers in Yida to some of our top supporters here in Memphis, we know a lot of teachers and school administrators. Many of you work endless hours, are underpaid, and are under-resourced. Yet you show up in your classrooms everyday anyways. Because you know what you do is important.
If you work in the education field and want to attend Soirée For Sudan on March 28, we’re offering you 20% off your tickets! It’s our little way of saying thank you for everything you do.
Send us a quick email at concierge@operationbrokensilence.org letting us know the school you work at. We’ll send you a 20% off promo code :)
February 20, 2020
It's decoration time! All major planning for Soirée For Sudan is now complete, just the little details remain. We're stocking up on lights, streamers, balloons, and greenery. Our event storage room is probably going to explode soon with all the colorful stuff that brings the evening to life!
Two more dinner sponsors have arrived: Home Place Pastures and Sweet Cheeks BBQ! Home Place Pastures is committed to the ethical treatment of animals, the stewardship of their land, and the health of their community. Sweet Cheeks BBQ is an incredible competition team. We can't wait to see what they'll be bringing to Soirée For Sudan :)
And a big welcome to Elizabeth Looney Scott and Brooke Ballard! They will be helping us promote our big night online. Be sure to follow both of them on Instagram. They may or may not be giving away a pair of free tickets to Soirée For Sudan in the near future. Just sayin'.
Finally, another ticketing deadline is coming up! Both discounted Pre-Sale Admissions end on February 28, then the price goes up. Go ahead and register now before you miss the deadline!
February 7, 2020
It’s time to welcome this year’s title sponsor and mixologist! Bar 409 is returning to provide our themed cocktail! It will only be served at Soirée For Sudan, then never again. We can’t wait to see what they come up with!
We’re welcoming West Memorials back as a sponsor! This marks their 4th year supporting our education program in Yida Refugee Camp through this event. Be sure to check them out!
Our first two dinner sponsors are here as well! The Arcade Restaurant and Ciao Bella Italian Grill and Bar are joining us again. We can’t wait for their yummy food!
And finally, welcome to MEMPopS! The first 60 guests to arrive will get one of their rare boozy pops at the door. It’s worth showing up at 7PM on the dot for that! Yum.
January 15, 2020
Time to welcome two more sponsors! Meet Snapdragon Floral and Glo Medical Aesthetics & Hair Spa. Be sure to check them both out! Huge thanks for helping to make this year's event possible.
January 13, 2020
Welcome to 2020! Here's the latest news about March 28:
We have a new team member! Ragaa Kunda joins the Soirée For Sudan committee as our 9th member. She's super smart, crazy talented, and from Sudan. We're so glad you are part of our team Ragaa!
The core components of March 28 are planned out. Now it's all about the nitty gritty details and implementing our plans. Right now, we're locking down more event sponsors and exploring event decor. We have a lot of work ahead, but this is shaping up to be our best year yet.
Silent Disco is coming back due to popular demand! You'll be able to dance the night away in a more private area this year. We'll have some extra headsets and extra space for you as well!
We mentioned in November that there will be more ways to learn about Sudan and our work there. One way will be a virtual reality film screening! You'll be able to strap on a headset and get a sense of what life is like in one of Sudan's war zones for a few minutes. If you've never experienced VR before, this is a great chance to take it for a test run and learn about Sudan.
Finally, the first ticketing deadline has passed. The good news is that there are still two early registration levels left! Right now, you can register as an individual for $40 or as a couple for $70. Ticket prices will go up again when 40 of these tickets are purchased or at the end of January. Reading these updates also has perks. If you haven't registered yet, use promo code IREADSTUFFfor an extra 10% off :)
A big shoutout to the 49 of you who have already registered for Soirée For Sudan! Our supporters are registering 40% faster than last year. That means more support sooner for the 24 teachers and nearly 1,200 students at the Endure Primary and Renewal High Schools in Yida Refuge Camp!
December 1, 2019
Our first sponsors have arrived! Shoutout to Silent Events, Vera Bradley, Gold and Diamond International, Pettigrew Adventures, Pavo Salon, and Whitney Winkler Art for helping to make the evening possible.
November 4, 2019
There are a few big changes coming to the 2020 event! All of these come from feedback from our 2019 guests:
Cocktails are replacing beer tasters.
We introduced themed cocktails in 2019. Interest in beer tasting plummeted as a result. Fewer than half of all attendees even accepted a tasting glass at the door. Hence our evening's name change. We'll still have kegs for the beer lovers though!
New layout.
2019 was our first year in the Memphis Grand Carousel. We learned a lot, and you gave us great feedback on how we can improve the layout and flow of the entire space. Giving and fundraising booths will all be in the same area and two mobile bars are being added to cut down on wait times at the main bar. There will be slightly less table seating so everyone can move around more easily. We're also adding giant checkers to the list of games available!
More Sudan!
Throughout the evening, you'll have more opportunities than ever before to learn about Sudan and our mission there. We're exploring the possibility of doing a VR film instead of a traditional film screening and there will be more information throughout the space about why we do what we do.
October 7, 2019
As requested by guests from the 2019 event, we have improved ticket prices for 2020! There will be multiple and extended earlybird options leading up to general registration, ticket prices are roughly 50% less than last year, and a VIP section has been added:
Now - December 31, 2019
$28 Announcement Tickets
Free Entry via $100 Fundraising Page
January 1 - February 29, 2020
$40 Pre-Sale Registration
$70 Discounted Couples Pre-Sale Registration
Free Entry via $100 Fundraising Page
March 1 - March 21, 2020
$50 Earlybird Registration
$90 Discounted Couples Earlybird Registration
Free Entry via $100 Fundraising Page
March 22 - March 27, 2020
$65 General Registration
$120 Discounted Couples General Registration
March 28, 2020
If any tickets are available at the door, they will be $80 per person.
September 28, 2019
Big changes are underway for our biggest event of the year, including the evening's name. Say farewell to Good People Good Beer. Say hello to Soirée For Sudan! And the first 28 tickets are only $28!
About Us
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 through storytelling and movement-building, education and emergency relief, and grassroots advocacy programs.
We're a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Your donation is tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. DONATE HERE »
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Sudanese war criminal Ali Kushayb is now in custody
The International Criminal Court (ICC) announced today that a prominent Sudanese regime militia leader has surrendered to authorities in the Central African Republic. Ali Kushayb is now in the court’s custody.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) announced today that a prominent Sudanese regime militia leader has surrendered to authorities in the Central African Republic. Ali Muhammad Ali Abd–Al-Rahman, aka Ali Kushayb, is now in the court’s custody.
Prosecutors say Ali Kushayb was a key commander of the pro-regime Popular Defense Forces and Janjaweed militias that led attacks on Darfuri towns and villages between 2003-2004. The crisis in Darfur has seen hundreds of thousands of people killed and driven more than two million from their homes. From the ICC:
Mr. Kushayb is perceived to be the mediator between the leaders of the Janjaweed militia in Wadi Salih and the Government of Sudan. He is also alleged to have enlisted fighters, armed, funded and provided food and other supplies to the Janjaweed militia under his command, thereby intentionally contributing to the above-mentioned crimes. Ali Kushayb is alleged to have personally participated in some of the attacks against civilians namely in the towns of Kodoom, Bindist, Mukjar and Arawala between August 2003 and March 2004, where the killing of civilians, rape, torture and other cruel treatments occurred, therefore he allegedly committed, jointly with others, the above-mentioned crimes.
The warrant of arrest delivered on 27 April 2007 against Ali Kushayb lists 50 counts on the basis of his individual criminal responsibility including:
- Twenty-two counts of crimes against humanity (murder; deportation or forcible transfer of population; imprisonment or other severe deprivation of physical liberty in violation of fundamental rules of international law; torture ; persecution; rape; inhumane acts of inflicting serious bodily injury and suffering );
- Twenty-eight counts of war crimes (murder, violence to life and person; outrage upon personal dignity in particular humiliating and degrading treatment; intentionally directing an attack against a civilian population; pillaging; rape; destroying or seizing the property).
In February, Ali Kushayb and several of his bodyguards were spotted fleeing toward the remote border area of Sudan and Central African Republic. He was last seen in Um Dafuq, an isolated area that Sudanese regime forces smuggle weapons, people, and illicit goods through. There was a fear that Ali Kushayb was going to use his extensive local and regional contacts to disappear into the vast Sahel.
According to a CAR government official, Ali Kushayb was arrested in the northern town of Birao this morning and was put on a plane bound for The Hague. The ICC is now preparing to enter a pre-trial phase.
Sudan’s new transitional government has failed to turn over other Sudanese war criminals who have been indicted by the ICC to the court. The ICC has issued arrest warrants for overthrown dictator Omar al-Bashir, former minister Ahmed Haroun, and former defense minister Abdel Raheem Muhammad Hussein. All three are in custody of the transitional government.
In the background of everything you just read is Sudan’s next generation of leaders. Children living in the Nuba Mountains and nearby Yida Refugee Camp have grown up only knowing war. Most do not have access to a quality classroom. Their education will be what helps carry Sudan’s revolution forwards in the decades ahead.
Operation Broken Silence sponsors 24 Nuba teachers in Yida Refugee Camp. We’re the only organization in the world supporting teachers here. If you want to sustain these Sudanese changemakers during this time of uncertainty, I encourage you to join our campaign. If you can’t do that, help us spread the word.
About Us
Operation Broken Silence is building a global movement to empower the Sudanese people through innovative programs as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We focus on empowering Sudanese change makers and their critical work. Learn more here.
Donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. Give today.