News & Updates
Check out the latest from Sudan and our movement
Letter To Biden Administration Calling For Targeted Sanctions On Sudan Coup Leaders
Operation Broken Silence has joined 100+ NGOs, faith groups, and experts and scholars in calling on the Biden Administration to initiate targeted sanctions on coup leaders in Sudan.
With the security crisis in Sudan worsening, Operation Broken Silence is joining 100+ NGOs and experts in calling on the Biden Administration to impose targeted sanctions on the military leaders of the illegal coup.
On October 25, 2021, Sudanese Generals Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, aka Hemeti, overthrew Sudan’s fragile transitional government. Both men were holdovers from the brutal Bashir regime, which was swept from power during the country’s peaceful 2019 revolution.
These military figures are connected to previous and ongoing human rights abuses and war crimes, with forces under their command carrying out genocidal attacks in Darfur, the Nuba Mountains, and Blue Nile regions and targeting peaceful protesters in major cities. It was Hemeti’s Rapid Support Forces who carried out the brutal June 2019 massacre in Khartoum. Since their coup in October 2021, their armed forces have killed scores of peaceful protesters and attacked, tortured, and force disappeared countless more.
There are zero signs that such abuses will end, with diplomatic efforts and ongoing peaceful protests across the country failing to change the dark course these men have put Sudan on. Such realities demand a more robust international response, including a minimum of targeted sanctions against the primary individuals responsible.
Such sanctions should not be viewed as a tool in a vacuum. They should be connected to rapidly evolving events on the ground and a broader overall strategy to help restore the democratic transition in Sudan.
THE LETTER
Operation Broken Silence has joined 100+ NGOs and experts in calling on the Biden Administration to impose targeted sanctions on Sudan’s coup leaders.
Read the letter and see the full list of signatories.
Letters like these can make a difference. Shortly before the October 2021 coup in Khartoum, Operation Broken Silence joined another letter calling on the Biden Administration to nominate an ambassador or appoint a special envoy to Sudan. At that point, more than two years after Sudan’s peaceful revolution swept core elements of the Bashir regime from power, the United States still had no consistent senior-level engagement in Sudan.
President Biden responded in January 2022 by nominating John Godfrey, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, to become Ambassador to Sudan. He has yet to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
Get Involved
Operation Broken Silence is the only nonprofit in the world funding community-led education in Yida Refugee Camp, right outside of Sudan. Without the Endure Primary and Renewal Secondary Schools, the entire education system would collapse.
When we all do our small part, teachers like Chana are able to create the conditions for students to thrive.
OTHER WAYS TO HELP
Start a fundraising campaign and ask friends and family to donate
Make checks payable to Operation Broken Silence and mail to P.O. Box 770900 Memphis, TN, 38177-0900
Donate from your DAF, gift stock, and discover other ways to give
Not ready to give yet? Sign up for our email list. It’s free!
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.
College Education Program Update - March 2022
Get the latest news from our education program benefiting the Nuba people of Sudan.
Over the past few years, Operation Broken Silence has sponsored Jargi Joseph Aloga as he pursued his college education. Jargi fled the war in the Nuba Mountains of Sudan in 2014. His story was featured in our 2015 documentary film Lost Generation of Sudan.
There is no quality university in the oppressed Nuba Mountains for students like Jargi. Due to the devastation of war, most students do not have the financial ability to travel abroad and pay school fees.
Jargi has been pursuing a degree in Public Administration and Management in Uganda. In February, Jargi completed his final coursework and graduated near the top of his class! He is now preparing to return to the Nuba Mountains. To his knowledge, Jargi is the first person from his community to achieve a higher education. He writes:
I want to extend my sincere appreciation and endless thanks to Operation Broken Silence and all of your supporters. I have seen many in my generation who were not able to achieve their academic goals because of the war. You never gave up on me. Your efforts will never go unacknowledged in my life. You did more than my family could, and I lack the golden words to show my full appreciation.
If it was not for Operation Broken Silence, I can't tell what my future would be. I am the only one in my entire sub-county holding these degrees. I can now use my knowledge to embark for positive changes in our society, alongside pragmatic values embedded in our marginalized peoples. I can now fight injustices without fear of limitations. I am committed to build the humanity of my people, which has been in despondency for too long.
Get Involved
Operation Broken Silence is one of the only organizations in the world bringing education to the Nuba people. The heart of our education efforts are the community-led Endure Primary and Renewal Secondary Schools in Yida Refugee Camp, right outside of Sudan.
24 Sudanese teachers oversee roughly 1,400 students a day at both of these incredible schools. You can help raise up the next generation of leaders here by joining our mission.
Make checks payable to Operation Broken Silence, write Education in the memo line, and mail to P.O. Box 770900 Memphis, TN, 38177-0900
Donate from your DAF, gift stock, and discover other ways to give.
About Nuba
The Nuba Mountains are home to roughly 100 African tribal groups who have lived here for over 2,000 years. The 1.3 million Christian, Muslim, and traditional Nuba people live mostly in harmony.
Extremist regime officials have long viewed the tolerant Nuba people as a threat to their iron-fisted rule. The Sudanese military and their paramilitary allies have committed two genocides in the region since the 1990s.
Dictator Omar al-Bashir was overthrown in a military coup in April 2019. A fledgling transitional government replaced him with the goal of moving the country toward civilian, democratic rule. Another military coup in November 2021 disrupted this progress. A fragile ceasefire is currently in place in the Nuba Mountains. Operation Broken Silence is one of the only nonprofits in the world working here. Learn more about our mission.
President Biden To Nominate Ambassador To Sudan
The pending nomination could not come at a better time, with a recent coup in Sudan derailing the country’s fragile transition to democracy.
Earlier today, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate John Godfrey as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Sudan. The pending nomination could not come at a better time, with a recent coup in Sudan derailing the country’s fragile transition to democracy.
If nominated and confirmed, Mr. Godfrey will have a full plate at the U.S. embassy in Khartoum, which has not been led by an ambassador since 1997. Since the embassy reopened in 2002, a number of Chargé d'Affaires ad interim have overseen basic operations, with specially appointed presidential envoys shuttling around the region for higher-level engagement.
Here is a summary of Mr. Godfrey’s experience provided by the White House Press Office:
John T. Godfrey, a career member of the Senior Foreign Service, class of Minister-Counselor, is currently the Acting Counterterrorism Coordinator and the Acting Special Envoy to the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS in the Counterterrorism Bureau at the U.S. Department of State. Previously, he was the Principal Deputy Coordinator in the Counterterrorism Bureau and before that, the Bureau’s Deputy Coordinator for Regional and Multilateral Affairs. Godfrey has served as Acting Deputy Chief of Mission and Political Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and as Chief of Staff to the Deputy Secretary of State.
Godfrey’s other assignments include serving as Arms Control Counselor to the U.S. Mission to the International Organizations in Vienna, as Deputy Political Counselor (Northern Affairs) at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, and as Political and Economic Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Tripoli, Libya. Earlier in his career, he served as Political and Economic Counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan and as a Political/Consular Officer at the U.S. Embassy in Damascus, Syria. Godfrey earned a Bachelor’s Degree at the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Master’s Degree in Middle East Studies at the University of Michigan. He speaks Arabic.
Operation Broken Silence is the only nonprofit in the world funding community-led education in Yida Refugee Camp, right outside of Sudan. Without the Endure Primary and Renewal Secondary Schools, the entire education system would collapse.
When we all do our small part, teachers in Yida like Chana are able to create the conditions for future leaders to thrive. Here are a few ways to support them:
OTHER WAYS TO HELP
Start a fundraising campaign and ask friends and family to donate
Make checks payable to Operation Broken Silence, write Education in the memo line, and mail to P.O. Box 770900 Memphis, TN, 38177-0900
Donate from your DAF, gift stock, and discover other ways to give.
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.
Cryptocurrency Funds Three Teachers In Yida Refugee Camp In 2022
Learn how our entrance into cryptocurrency fundraising is already having an impact in Sudan.
In December 2020, Operation Broken Silence began expanding our movement building efforts into cryptocurrency philanthropy. Since then and thanks to the generosity of our crypto donors, over $15,000 worth of Bitcoin, Ethereum, and other tokens have been donated to our education program in Yida Refugee Camp, right outside of Sudan.
“Throughout 2021, we had many opportunities to talk to new and potential crypto donors” said Mark Hackett, Executive Director, Operation Broken Silence. “Several people were really generous with their time and helped us learn more about this unique, vibrant space.
Something that stood out to me in these conversations is that the crypto community loves underserved causes. We’re the only nonprofit in the world supporting community-led education in Yida. As far as causes go, we’re about as underserved as you can get.”
In 2021, crypto donors gave nearly $4,500 worth of Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Bitcoin Cash, and Shiba Inu to the teachers Operation Broken Silence supports in Yida. This fully funds 3 out of the 24 teachers that we support for all of 2022.
Although cryptocurrency philanthropy is relatively new, this early giving shows the tremendous impact that the crypto community can have on our internationally-funded, locally-led programming in Sudan.
“Last month, we did some quick math and learned that a single donated Bitcoin could essentially fund the Endure Primary School that we support in Yida for an entire year,” Hackett said. “My immediate thought was ‘how cool would it be if one of the schools we sponsor was funded entirely by crypto?’”
This is not a crazy proposition. According to our crypto giving partner The Giving Block, early data shows that the gift size from an average crypto donor is much, much higher than traditional donors. And with more people entering the crypto space every month, especially Millennials and Gen Z who represent the majority of our global movement, our team sees cryptocurrency philanthropy as a critical space to meet new donors looking to make a big impact in underserved communities like Yida.
For now though, three Sudanese teachers are able to do what they do best for an entire year, thanks to the generosity of our crypto donors. Our hope is that, by the end of 2022, even more teachers are being empowered, as we convert crypto into opportunity for them and their students.
Donate Crypto
Your crypto donation is tax-deductible to the fullest extent permitted by law, if you pay taxes in the U.S. Here are just a few examples of the impact crypto has in the lives of teachers and students in Yida:
1 BTC funds Endure Primary for 1 year
1 ETH supports 3 teachers for 1 year
1 LTC gives pencils to a classroom
Donating crypto is safe and fast:
Select a token and enter gift amount.
Type in your info, or choose to give anonymously.
Make your gift!
You can elect to receive an automatic tax receipt at the email address you provide. Crypto charitable donations are processed quickly and safely with The Giving Block and Gemini Trust Exchange. Please note that all crypto gifts are nonrefundable.
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 Crisis Update
A new year in Sudan has delivered no relief to the country’s dangerous political crisis.
A new year in Sudan has delivered no relief to the country’s dangerous political crisis that began with the illegal coup in October 2021. With the recent resignation of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, the heads of Sudan’s brutal security forces are back in full control, with no facades.
The results of the regime’s illegal and dangerous actions are catastrophic: over 60 Sudanese in major cities have been murdered and countless more injured as pro-democracy protests continue picking up steam. The far-from-complete economic turnaround is reversing. The peace process with armed opposition forces in Sudan’s bloodied periphery, where regime-backed violence is surging once more, has stalled.
While the now defunct transitional governing process in Sudan was always flawed, one of the tangible benefits was a noticeable reduction in regime violence against unarmed and peaceful civilians. Those days are gone. Hamdok’s resignation was arguably the only real choice he had. There was no clear path forward due to the military’s intransigence; however, his resignation has put the security forces and civilians in direct confrontation once more. There is no obvious technical solution now.
What Happens Next?
Despite the harsh realities of the moment, Sudan’s coup plotters seem to be unaware that they’re playing an old game in a new time. A new generation of leaders is on the ascendant in Sudan, intimately aware of how these generals operate. They grew up knowing only regime rule and have tasted freedom. For them, there is no going back.
The Sudanese people are left with no reasons to desire a return to a transitional period. And why would they? The military was supposed to play an important role in transitioning Sudan to a fledgling democracy. Instead, the generals stabbed the Sudanese people in the back, and they did so right before the transitional constitution required that they begin handing power to their civilian counterparts. One can easily understand why protesters now demand full civilian rule. In many ways, they’re already supposed to have it.
For the generals, there are no personal incentives —long the driving force behind their decision-making— for their stepping aside. There shouldn’t be any either, something both the pro-democracy movement and much of the international community seems to realize. Incentives provided in the past have been pocketed for private gain, with progress for ordinary Sudanese ultimately blocked in the end. The question now is what effective international pressures can be brought to bear on the regime, and how can it be done in such a way that the Sudanese people are shielded from further harm.
The full ramifications of this moment for Sudan are yet to be seen, but what is at stake now extends far beyond the country’s porous borders. To the west, in Chad and Libya, it is an open secret that paramilitaries belonging to the regime’s powerful Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are deployed as mercenaries for various actors in those countries. The RSF is also driving much of the renewed violence in Darfur, two coupled realities which —when followed to their logical conclusion— only spell further chaos in those two countries.
Meanwhile, to the east with Ethiopia, the still unresolved issues related to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and violent disputes over border areas threatens to escalate. And with the transitional government now defunct, the Sudanese government is essentially absent from the peace process in South Sudan. The two countries have several outstanding border disputes that have descended into armed conflict before. Underneath the urgent threat of military rule in Sudan for the foreseeable future, the risk of further violence in these areas is almost certain to escalate.
In moments like these, the only choice is to enter dialogue or pursue the path of mass violence. The nature of this dynamic should make such a choice an illusion and, to be sure, many seem to understand that. The pro-democracy movement and much of the international community desires a peaceful and just resolution to a crisis they did not start. In fact, the United Nations is beginning consultations to try to salvage this mess.
Sadly, the generals sitting across the table have a long history of murdering, raping, and maiming first and not asking questions later. At this moment, there are no signs this historical reality has changed, leaving Sudan’s future mired in a murky uncertainty.
Freedom, peace, and justice has long been the clarion call rising up from the streets of Khartoum to the displacement camps in Darfur, from the long-persecuted Nuba Mountains to the oft-forgotten and oppressed east. That future is still possible, but only if the international community and globally-minded citizens join hands with the Sudanese as they push for change.
How You Can Help
Operation Broken Silence is the only nonprofit in the world funding community-led education in Yida Refugee Camp, right outside of Sudan. Without the Endure Primary and Renewal Secondary Schools, the entire education system would collapse.
When we all do our small part, teachers in Yida like Chana are able to create the conditions for future leaders to thrive. Here are a few ways to support them:
OTHER WAYS TO HELP
Start a fundraising campaign and ask friends and family to donate
Make checks payable to Operation Broken Silence, write Education in the memo line, and mail to P.O. Box 770900 Memphis, TN, 38177-0900
Donate from your DAF, gift stock, and discover other ways to give.
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.
Farewell 2021
An end of year message from Operation Broken Silence's Executive Director.
As we prepare to enter a new year, I want to express the sincere gratitude of our team and Sudanese partners to you: our wonderful supporters.
This was a quiet year of rebuilding following the chaos of 2020. Together, we made slow and steady progress in our fundraising, returning our Sudanese program partners to roughly 70% of pre-pandemic funding levels. Here are just a few highlights we should all be proud of:
Teachers at the Endure Primary and Renewal Secondary Schools in Yida Refugee Camp are serving more students than ever before. Daily attendance is temporarily down due to population movements, so teachers from Renewal Secondary have temporarily taken over operations at Yida’s only other struggling secondary school. Endure Primary is now serving as the central national exam preparation facility for primary students in Yida, positively impacting an additional 2,100+ students every year. Read more here.
Known COVID-19 cases are still relatively low in the Nuba region, with the talented local team at Mother of Mercy Hospital running a PCR testing machine. The hospital staff have remained busy all year as international medical teams visited, new construction projects were completed, and groundwork was laid for a clinical officer training program. Learn more.
This December alone, you have raised and given over $55,000 toward these impactful programs, special one-time projects, and our Endowment Fund. And we’re aware that some last minute checks are still en route. What an incredible display of generosity!
Because of you, we are well-positioned to continue our mission of building a global movement to empower the Sudanese people through these innovative programs in 2022.
As we move into 2022, here’s a glimpse at what lies ahead:
Building a multi-village clean water system and new secondary school on the western side of the oppressed Nuba Mountains region. Both projects will be used by these communities as building blocks to improve the lives of roughly 16,000 people who have lived through decades of war.
Creating a dedicated online space for competitive NFT fundraising, with a portion of minting fees, secondary sales, and auctions being used to fuel the programs we support in Sudan. We’ve already entered two NFT project partnerships and are in discussions with another nine right now.
While we will not be having a gala in 2022, we are eagerly looking forward to returning to an in-person 5K in the Fall.
An updated merch store is coming in Spring 2022!
As we stand on the cusp of a new year and the hope that comes with it, would you consider making one final tax-deductible donation to Operation Broken Silence? Your gift will set up Sudanese teachers and healthcare professionals for success in 2022.
Like many of you, I’m excited for what lies ahead. I hope you have a safe and joyful entrance to a new year. Take care.
Onward,
Mark C. Hackett
Executive Director