News & Updates
Check out the latest from Sudan and our movement
Letter To Biden Administration Calling For Senior Level Engagement In Sudan
Operation Broken Silence has joined 120+ NGOs, faith groups, and experts and scholars in calling on the Biden Administration to appointment an ambassador or special envoy to Sudan.
With the security and political situation in Sudan changing daily, now is the time for President Biden to appoint an ambassador or special envoy to Sudan.
In 2019, elements of Sudan’s genocidal security forces joined protesters in overthrowing former President Omar al-Bashir and his National Congress Party. While this was a joyous moment, this uneasy alliance was always destined to be short-lived. The first warning shot of this reality came on June 6, 2019 —not even two months after Bashir was toppled— when the regime’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) massacred their way through the streets of Khartoum.
Despite those horrific atrocities, the protest movement reclaimed the streets and secured a partial victory with a transitional power arrangement between their civilian leaders and the begrudging heads of the security agencies.
Since then, Sudan’s attempted transition away from genocidal dictatorship to a fledgling democracy has ground to a near standstill. It has become clear just how much the agendas of the two sides differ. As civilian leaders seek serious, systemic change in how Sudan is governed, the security forces are determined not to lose their coveted power and the predatory economic systems that permit their survival.
To complicate the current situation, fractures exist in both the civilian and security coalitions, with the escalating tensions between the Sudanese army and paramilitary groups such as the RSF foreshadowing a civil war between the security agencies. And in Sudan’s still-oppressed hinterlands, armed opposition movements from the Bashir days remain deeply distrustful of Khartoum.
Recent events in Sudan are cause for even greater alarm. On September 21, the transitional government announced that it had suppressed a coup attempt. As military and civilian leaders traded accusations about why the coup attempt happened, the security forces suspended scheduled meetings with civilian leaders and withdrew security guards from civilian ministerial roles.
THE LETTER
Operation Broken Silence has joined 120+ NGOs, experts, and scholars in calling on the Biden Administration to appointment an ambassador or special envoy to Sudan.
Read the letter and see the full list of signatories.
Today, more than two years after Sudan’s peaceful revolution swept core elements of the Bashir regime from power, the United States still has no ambassador to Sudan.
This means that the United States is missing critical opportunities to support civilian officials, grassroots activists, and community and religious leaders who are pursuing a genuine transition to democracy. Without an ambassador or special envoy, the United States also stands to miss out on business development and comprehensive reform efforts that can help bring stability and peace to Sudan.
While we retain our belief that it is ultimately up to the Sudanese people to move their country forward, the United States can play an important supportive role. Greater U.S. diplomatic engagement now can help secure important progress tomorrow. We urge President Biden to take action by appointing an experienced diplomat to the role of ambassador or special envoy now.
Get Involved
Operation Broken Silence is the only nonprofit in the world funding community-led education efforts in Yida Refugee Camp. Without Endure Primary and Renewal Secondary Schools that we support there, the entire education system serving Sudanese refugees here would collapse.
Our 12th annual Eden’s Run 5K is coming up on November 12-14! We’re raising $20,000 for the 24 teachers and 1,400 students at these two special schools in Yida. With the support of compassionate runners and walkers, school supplies are being delivered, teachers are receiving paychecks, and more students are gaining access to the education they need to build a better Sudan. You can sign up from wherever you are!
Additional ways to support:
Make checks payable to Operation Broken Silence, write 5K in the memo line, and mail to P.O. Box 770900 Memphis, TN, 38177-0900
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.
Donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. Give here.
Operation Broken Silence Named a “Best in Classy” Nonprofit
Today, we are excited to announce that Operation Broken Silence has been named a top nonprofit for achieving one of the best donor experiences.
Today, we are excited to announce that Operation Broken Silence has been named a Best in Classy nonprofit, celebrated for achieving one of the best donor experiences on the Classy giving platform.
Best in Classy recognizes fundraising excellence within the Classy nonprofit community, which includes over 6,000 of the world’s top nonprofits. This recognition showcases how we create supporter-centric campaigns that get our movement involved with our mission in Sudan.
Best Donor Experience
Operation Broken Silence was named a top nonprofit in the Best Donor Experience category for providing each supporter with the simplest and most fulfilling path to give.
Determined by a proprietary formula created by Classy’s data team, who measured key factors proven to lead to a positive donor experience, and with the insight of Classy’s internal experts, we were recognized as a top nonprofit leading the way in the Classy community.
Over the past decade, our team has believed that people around the world would help change makers in Sudan, but only if they were given the opportunity to do so. A key part of our mission has been to provide that opportunity in a compelling way. This recognition from Classy is another sign that our approach is working.
Additionally, our top-notch giving experiences help our supporters stay connected with our cause. Classy provides us the tools to make this happen on every campaign we present to our movement. Explore the Best in Classy list for more information.
COVID-19 has now been reported in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan. Mother of Mercy Hospital has two small isolation wards. There is no consistent supply of personal protection equipment, hand sanitizer, or simple soap. There are no ICU beds. The staff have made masks out spare cloth.
With the support of compassionate fundraisers and donors like you, supplies are being delivered, local nurses and midwives are being trained, and more people are receiving the healthcare they need.
Additional ways to support:
Make checks payable to Operation Broken Silence, write Hospital in the memo line, and mail to P.O. Box 770900 Memphis, TN, 38177-0900
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.
Donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. Give here.
Eden's Run 5K: 2021 Toolkit
Everything you need to know and do before race day!
The 12th annual Eden's Run 5K is from November 12-14, 2021! This year's event is virtual again due to the pandemic. You can run from wherever you call home!
If you haven’t registered yet, let’s go ahead and knock that out right now.
Crush Your Goal
Every runner has to reach their $75 fundraising goal by November 14.
Let’s blow your fundraising goal out of the water in 15 minutes!
Download Your Runner Guide
We have a tailor-made guide just for you! Download the one you need below.
You started a team when you registered and need to recruit some runners!
You joined a team when you registered and need to be an awesome follower!
You registered on your own and are running solo on race weekend!
Social Tools
Get powerful social media resources to help you raise more money and recruit more runners to Eden’s Run 5K!
*If you use Venmo to accept donations, you are responsible for sending them to the OBS Venmo account. We’re @OperationBrokenSilence. We’ll manually credit to your fundraising page the Venmo donations you send us!
Merch Store
Because this year’s entrance fee and fundraising minimums are so low, we have a separate online store for those who want shirts, hoodies, leggings, and more!
Questions
Don’t hesitate to reach out! We’re here to help you succeed.
Onward,
Mark C. Hackett
Executive Director
Operation Broken Silence
Matching Gift Update
Give right now and your donation will be doubled!
COVID-19 did severe damage to our mission in 2020, particularly against our fundraising infrastructure and efforts.
Thankfully, we had our Endowment Fund to lean on during the most difficult season we’ve ever faced. This special fund prevented Operation Broken Silence from having to shutter any of our programs or permanently close our doors.
As I’ve mentioned in previous updates to you, this year is one of rebuilding. We expect this work will continue well into 2022, as we push to restore full funding to our Sudanese partners and discover new ways to grow our movement in an uncertain environment.
Part of our rebuilding effort is growing our Endowment Fund, increasing our resilience in the face of whatever crisis comes next. Earlier this year, a generous private donor saw the tremendous value of our decision to have an Endowment and subsequently offered to match all donations made to it, up to a total of $25,000.
Thanks to your giving, over half of this generous match has been claimed! $11,768 in matched donations remain. If you haven’t given yet, now is a great time to help us continue making progress.
Our Endowment, Explained
We started this special fund in 2016. It is made up of a series of strategic investments including mutual funds, cash savings, and cryptocurrencies. Earned dividends and interests are used to support the organization and our mission. The Endowment Fund is overseen by our Board Treasurer, Executive Director, and financial advisor.
Why is this fund important?
The Endowment Fund is our answer to a simple question: how do we ensure our doors are always open to the Sudanese people, no matter what?
This isn't a hypothetical. When COVID-19 careened into our mission in 2020, giving ground to a halt. Our Endowment gave us space to adapt, launch new fundraising efforts, and help our Sudanese partners continue their work.
Simply put, our Endowment Fund has already proven to be incredibly useful. And the faster it grows, the more sustainable our mission becomes.
How is my gift used?
Your generosity is deposited into a savings account and immediately starts generating interest. Once a certain amount of cash donations hit our account, a majority of those gifts are invested in a mutual fund. Your gift begins generating a higher level of dividends, effortlessly multiplying your impact as the months and years go by.
If you donate an investment such as a stock or cryptocurrency, we will evaluate the long-term quality of your gift. It may be kept as is or reinvested elsewhere to meet our needs. There are four primary ways to make a matched donation to our Endowment Fund.
Checks can be made payable to Operation Broken Silence with Endowment written in the memo line and mailed to PO Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900.
While there’s no deadline for securing the rest of this matching gift, we need to wrap this campaign up sooner rather than later. Doing so will narrow the scope of our rebuilding agenda, freeing up valuable staff time we can use to determine the future of our events and grow The Renewal recurring giving family.
I remain cautiously optimistic about the future of our mission. There is still much work to be done amid many unknowns; but we’re slowly and steadily making good progress. Your gift to our Endowment Fund is another small step in that direction. Thank you, and take care.
Onward,
Mark C. Hackett
Executive Director
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.
Donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. Give here.
New Cryptocurrencies Accepted As Donations
Discover the new tokens that can now be donated to our mission in Sudan.
Operation Broken Silence started accepting cryptocurrency donations in 2020. Since then, we have steadily expanded tokens that can be given to our mission in Sudan. As of today, you can donate:
Our supporters have already donated $3,390 in crypto out of our $20,210 goal for this year. With the addition of these ten new tokens, there are more ways to donate cryptocurrency than ever.
Operation Broken Silence sells most of the crypto you donate, using the cash proceeds to fuel the programs we support in Sudan. We HODL to a small portion of what you give as part of a rainy day fund and to keep a little skin in the game.
We are partnered with The Giving Block to accept cryptocurrency donations. And giving crypto has never been easier:
The IRS classifies cryptocurrency as property for tax purposes. You receive a deduction for the fair market value of the crypto when you donate to Operation Broken Silence, avoiding capital gains tax you would incur if you had sold crypto and donated cash.
That means you’re able to donate more, as well as deduct more on your taxes. Consult your financial advisor to learn more.
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.
Donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. Give here.
Sudan to hand former dictator to International Criminal Court
The 77-year-old war criminal may now face an uphill legal battle that he never anticipated.
The transitional government of Sudan will surrender former dictator Omar al-Bashir and other indicted war criminals to the International Criminal Court for trial. “The cabinet decided to hand over wanted officials to the ICC," Foreign Minister Mariam al-Mahdi said on Wednesday.
In 2009, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a global arrest warrant for Bashir related to war crimes and crimes against humanity being committed by regime forces in Darfur. The ICC issued a second arrest warrant for Bashir the following year for the crime of genocide. The official charges stem from the 2003-2008 period:
Five counts of crimes against humanity including murder, extermination, forcible transfer, torture, and rape.
Two counts of war crimes: intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population as such or against individual civilians not taking part in hostilities, and pillaging.
Three counts of genocide: by killing, by causing serious bodily or mental harm, and by deliberately inflicting on each target group conditions of life calculated to bring about the group's physical destruction.
The decision to hand Bashir over to the ICC came during a visit to Sudan by the international court’s chief prosecutor Karim Khan.
A changing Sudan puts Bashir on his heels
Bashir, who is now 77 years old, may face an uphill legal battle that he never anticipated. His regime refused to allow ICC investigators into Darfur while in power, restraining the court’s ability to build a more robust case against his government.
Photo: REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah
But after Bashir and some of his henchmen were ousted by the military in 2019 following months of nationwide protests, the new transitional government has steadily became more open to the ICC. Sudan’s attorney general Mubarak Mahmoud said on Tuesday that his office will cooperate with the ICC on cases concerning Darfur in order to bring justice to victims.
Human rights investigators have long been denied access to Darfur, where millions of Sudanese remain oppressed. The transitional government’s new promises of support to the ICC could be the leverage that international prosecutors have long needed.
Getting into Darfur may still prove difficult though. The region remains under the iron fist of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a powerful Bashir-era paramilitary outfit that has so far survived Sudan’s revolution. The commander of the RSF, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (aka Hemeti), has also been accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity, although he has not been indicted by any court to date. Hemeti is also one of the key leaders in Sudan’s transitional government.
But this reality doesn’t mean that progress is impossible. Last year, Sudanese war criminal Ali Muhammad Ali Abd–Al-Rahman, aka Ali Kushayb, was forced to flee his stronghold in Darfur when forces under the command of the transitional government flipped on him. A few months later, he was captured in the Central African Republic and promptly turned over to the ICC.
Although it appears a handful of Sudan’s war criminals will soon face justice for their crimes, the damage they have left in their wake will take decades to repair.
The Bashir regime launched a second genocidal war against the southern Nuba Mountains region in 2011. Mass regime war crimes quickly gave way to a humanitarian crisis. Even though a ceasefire is in effect today, hundreds of thousands of the Nuba people still lack access to education, healthcare, and other basic services.
Operation Broken Silence is still the only nonprofit in the world funding community-led education efforts in Yida Refugee Camp, where many of the Nuba people now live. Without Endure Primary and Renewal Secondary Schools that we support there, the entire education system would collapse.
As we mentioned in our last update, we need your help to raise an immediate $5,525 for the following special projects at the schools:
$3,900 for classroom repairs, including replacement roofing from severe storm damage and some other minor upkeep.
$1,625 for textbook printing. After years of unfulfilled promises to deliver textbooks from the national education ministry, our education partner has secured a printer and binder and is moving forward with making their own.
There are three ways you can help. You can start a campaign and ask friends and family to give, setup a small monthly recurring donation, or make a generous one-time gift.
Additional ways to support:
Make checks payable to Operation Broken Silence, write Education in the memo line, and mail to P.O. Box 770900 Memphis, TN, 38177-0900
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.
Donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. Give here.