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"Just hours have slipped past since I returned home from Sudan — and the thoughts, fears, frustrations, and hopes of Darfuris and other Sudanese swirl together in my mind.
Traveling to Khartoum, Darfur, and Juba allowed me and my colleagues Jerry Fowler and Sean Brooks to see Sudan for ourselves, to observe what it is like in internally displaced persons (IDPs) camps, and collect the stories of real people and what they are experiencing day to day to improve our advocacy on behalf of the people of Sudan.
Common themes of security, aid, and political freedom emerged from our travels in Darfur. We visited 6 different IDP camps, meeting with camp leaders and IDPs.
First and foremost, IDPs named security as their number one concern. Many complained of being subject to violence when leaving camps — not just women risking rape but both men and women being attacked when they go to the market or work in the cities. We often heard descriptions of the most recent attacks and that this violence was on the rise, not decline.
Despite Sudanese government claims that IDPs were returning to their villages in large numbers, we found little evidence of this. While there may be some returns and some seasonal migration to farm, IDPs said the main reason they cannot return home is because of a lack of security, and in some cases because other people were occupying the land they once lived on. One leader said, "When we can travel for two days without being attacked, we will go with no one telling us."
The source of the ongoing threat of violence is unclear. IDPs typically complained about Janjaweed while the government blamed rebel factions and general banditry. We experienced a heavy armed presence in Darfur — from checkpoints and guards at buildings to "technicals," which are pickup trucks with a heavy machine gun and a few uniformed men on back, deployed regularly in strategic locations along main routes. As we approached one IDP camp, we saw a technical speed off through the middle of the camp at a high rate of speed. Despite this heavy presence, reports of violent attacks were prolific, including carjackings of multiple UN staff we met with.
In order not to endanger ongoing operations in light of the March 4th, 2009 expulsions we did not meet with any humanitarian organizations in Darfur. It is unfortunate we could not benefit from their collective experience, but in our role as advocates we were able to personally witness a number of continuing humanitarian challenges which need to be addressed.
While distribution of food aid has been picked up by the World Food Programme and some new partners, provision of adequate water supplies appeared to be more problematic, exacerbated by poor rains last year. At one camp, water was shut down at noon, and hand pumps were broken. In multiple camps we visited, people lined up for water, with rows and rows of empty jugs waiting to be filled. We saw unsanitary conditions around some pumps where spilled water runs off and mixes with animal waste — and children run around in bare feet.
Health services also seem to have suffered following the expulsions last year. Medical staff said they typically treat cases of chest and eye infections, malaria and diarrhea. A shortage of medicine, including cough syrup and antibiotics, and lack of access to laboratories were cited as problems. Also, many of the programs previously in place to prevent gender-based violence and treat rape survivors have not been replaced.
We asked IDPs what they thought about the upcoming elections. The overwhelming majority of IDPs said they did not register and therefore will be disenfranchised in the election. Some said they didn't bother because "we don't have real representatives to vote for," while others feel that free political conditions do not exist. The ongoing state of emergency and level of violence leave doubts about a safe environment for candidates and voters in Darfur. When asked whether he feared for his life, one tribal leader told us, "I lost my family, I lost my country, I may lose my life." But he was resolved to carry on advocating for a just and lasting peace.
One bright spot is the desire for peace. A real movement for peace exists across the camps we visited. IDPs we talked to generally want to participate in the peace process but feel they are not being included. One camp leader told us, "IDPs have ideas to give."
In each camp, we asked IDPs what message we could bring back to activists in America. Consistently, we were thanked for the work of our movement to bring media attention and put pressure on world leaders to act to resolve the crisis and asked to keep fighting for justice. On more than one occasion, we were asked to "please press the movements for peace" — a direct call for rebel leaders to stop fighting and negotiate for peace.
One camp leader summed up the message clearly: "keep on working to raise your voice for all IDPs." I, for one, am motivated now more than ever to keep raising my voice on behalf of the millions in Darfur who want justice, peace, and security.
Jerry Fowler and I will be hosting a special live webcast on Thursday at 2:00 PM to share more about our trip to Darfur and Sudan. Please take a second to register for the webcast or submit a question you would like us to answer on Thursday.
I hope you will continue to stand with me in support of the people of Sudan."
Sincerely,
Mark Lotwis
Save Darfur Coalition
Donate to Help Save Darfur
The Save Darfur Coalition is an alliance of over 190 faith-based, advocacy and human rights organizations whose mission is to raise public awareness about the ongoing genocide in Darfur and to mobilize a unified response to the atrocities that threaten the lives of more than two million people in the Darfur region. To learn more, please visit http://www.SaveDarfur.org.
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