Don't stand by, STAND up!

Know Your Candidate! We asked Romney...

stripathy — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 15:04:47 -0500

Politics! Republicans! Democrats! 4 more years! One-term President!

We all get caught up in it, at least to a point, especially being the informed activists that we are. I heard (through facebook! Yay generation-y) that Presidential candidate Mitt Romney was speaking at a rally about 20 mins from my school. What’s the first thing I do? Call up my chapter and say “Yo, who can go to this?” Naturally! Mass texts are really great for this, too. My buddy Ashley, who is always ready for some spontaneous activism, jumps on board, to my delight! Now, why do I want to go see Mitt Romney? Because we want the candidates to speak to our issues! Domestic policy is important to all of us, which is why it’s at the center of the campaigns and their promises. What about foreign policy? Does anyone even know Romney’s position on foreign aid, genocide prevention legislation, or R2P? Well, I guess it is up to us to ask! We showed up (with our signs tucked away under my jacket, in my bag) and listened intently to Romney’s speech. We brought our signs, which said “Renew U.S. Leadership? Start with foreign aid!” and “Will you support genocide prevention @ GOP convention?”. We didn’t shout at him or heckle. We just wanted him to know that we had more questions. If he doesn’t answer them now, we will simply keep asking him. Will you keep asking him, too?

We also brought the issue to the people around us, who kept asking what our sign was about. A great opportunity for raising awareness!

We want them to answer to us. Even if this doesn’t change how everyone decides to vote, they will all be more informed about what the candidates believe when it comes to genocide protection - a less glamorous, but core issue of our movement. Let’s make the candidates explain why they don’t agree with foreign aid, or why genocide protection is essential to US foreign policy. These things do matter, as we have all seen in Libya, Syria, etc. This isn’t theoretical anymore, and that’s why students like us should be asking them. We are their constituency, and a pretty large one at that, who will vote with these issues in mind, so make them answer our questions!

We have seen our movement transcend political partisanship time and time again. When we advocate for protecting civilians, politicians listen, but we first have to speak up. Today.

Weekly Education and Policy Update 1/27-2/2

SeanLangberg — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:40:07 -0500

Weekly Education and Policy Update

1/27-2/2

Syria Bill, Girifna Action, Syria, Libya, Sudan, South Sudan, DRC

Syria Bill

On Tuesday of last week, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand [D-NY] introduced new legislation on the conflict in Syria, titled the Syrian Human Rights Accountability Act (S. 2034). This legislation calls for sanctions on US companies of sensitive technology to Syria, and would implement sanctions on specific people identified for engaging in human rights abuses and censorship. The bill expands on legislation Senator Gillibrand introduced last year (the Syria Sanctions Act of 2011, or S. 1472), which emphasized sanctions for US companies engaged in Syria’s petroleum sector. Both articles of legislation are currently active in the Senate.

Keep an eye out for further informational and advocacy materials on S. 2034 in the next week. In the meantime, please call 1-800-GENOCIDE and urge your Senators to co-sponsor these pieces of legislation as a way of showing their support for civilian protesters in Syria.

Girifna Action

Last week, Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) arrested nine student activists, whose whereabouts are now unknown. Five of the students were members of the group Girifna, a non-violent, student-led, pro-democracy group, . The arrested students include the organization’s co-founder, Nagi Musa. Four other students have been arrested since that day, and Girifna also reported that Gasm Allah, the leader of Youth for Change, has been missing since Friday.

Please call the State Department's Sudan office at (202) 647-4531 to demand a proactive response, and then tweet about your call at #FreeGirifna.

Syria, Libya

NYT Reports that the Arab League announced on Sunday that it was suspending its monitoring mission in Syria. Head of the Arab League, Nabil-al-Araby, stated that the escalation in violence undertaken in recent months by the regime has made the situation on the ground too dangerous forobservers to continue operating in Syria. The suspension

comes amid a flurry of League activity surrounding a condemnatory UN Resolution which the League is looking to propose within the next week. On February 1^st, Al-Araby and Jassim Al Thani, PM of Qatar, stated that the United Nations Security council must take action to pressure the Syrian government into ending its crackdown, however both leaders expressed opposition to foreign military intervention. However, the Russian Foreign Ministry has stated it will veto a proposed resolution relating to Syria that opens the door for sanctions or military intervention. Owing to these concerns, Security Council policy makers are now attempting to revise the resolution and potentially remove direct calls within it for Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, to step down.

The past several weeks have been marked by a major escalation in violence by government security forces, as well as fierce clashes throughout Syria between regime forces and elements of the Free Syrian Army. BBC News reported Wednesday via opposition sources that some 43 people had been killed by security forcesthis week, with security forces using directing heavy artillery strikes upon the city of Wari Barada, killing 21. The United Nations has stopped attempting to estimate the number of ongoing deaths in Syria for a lack of clarity and reliability in sources, its final toll standing at 5,400 Syrians dead.

Sudan, South Sudan

Demonstrations against the newly appointed governor escalated resulting in the death of two people in South Darfur State.

South Sudan has threatened litigation against those who purchase its oil from neighboring Sudan after Khartoum reportedly sold crude seized from the newly independent state at millions of dollars discount.

Authorities in oil rich Unity State said Friday, January 27th that they had successfully closed down over 300 stations of oil wells in both Tharjath and Unity oil fields. Last week South Sudan announced it was stopping the export of its oil through north Sudan over a fee dispute. Omar al-Bashir and Salva Kiir, presidents of Sudan and South Sudan respectively, failed to reach an agreement on the terms by which Juba can export its oil through the north’s pipelines despite pressure mounted by African leaders present at the summit in Addis Ababa.

The Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) on Saturday, January 28th announced that fighters from the Sudan People Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N) launched an assault on the site of a Chinese construction company in South Kordofan. The governor of South Kordofan Ahmed Haroun announced the following day that 14 out of the 29 Chinese workers kidnapped by rebels from the Sudan People Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N) have been freed following an operation conducted by the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF). China plans to work with South Sudan to safely retrieve the other workers.

At least seventy-six people, most of whom are elderly, women and children, have been killed in South Sudan’s Warrap State. Several others are reported to have sustained multiple injuries. Hundreds of cattle are also reported to have been stolen. Alison Manani Magaya, South Sudan’s interior minister, accused Khartoum of arming the militia responsible for the attack.

Mitt Romney on Tuesday accused the Sudanese government of committing atrocities throughout the country and vowed to hold it accountable.

WFP has released a report stating that up to 500,000 more refugees could flee into South Sudan from South Kordofan and Blue Nile states if Khartoum does not allow more aid into the area.

DRC

Opposition leader Etienne Tshisedeki continues to condemn the results of the presidential and parliamentary elections. He called for his party members who won seats to boycott parliaments, and he also called on his supported for a general strike on Monday in Kinshasa to protest his house arrest. However, the strike was met with mixed success. In cities like Mbuji-Mayi and Kananga, the strike was well followed and shops were closed. However in the capital city of Kinshasa, life continued as normal. One Kinshasa resident said, “If we strike, what will we eat? We Congolese survive from day to day, to strike would kill us.” In addition, the police continue to use tear gas and violence to disperse opposition supporters.

The electoral commission has finally announced the results of the parliamentary poll, where 18,000 candidates competed for 500 seats. According to the BBC, the results gave the ruling People’s Party for Reconstruction and Democracy and its allies an absolute majority of about 260 seats in National Assembly, while the opposition party took about 110 seats. Check out Jason Stearn’s analysis of the resultshere.

The SEC is expected to finally publish the rules for section 1508 of Dodd-Frank on February 15^th which requires companies track the use of conflict minerals in the production of consumer products.

The United National Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has committed $9.1 million to the DRC to fight off cholera, which continues to plague the country. 22,000 people have been affected by cholera in the past year, and over 500 people have died. The disease has broad impacts on communities, including agricultural livelihoods, school attendance and the general well-being of families.

The United Nations Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) announced they have a new strategy to defeat Congo militia groups.The new US envoy to the Great Lakes region, Ambassador Barrie Walkley, met with Rwandan officials earlier this week to discuss strategies to defeat militia groups including the FDLR and LRA. He said, “I will concern myself with the region application issues as the FDLR, LRA, conflict minerals, security sector reform, the problems with armed groups in the region and violence again women. Issues of that sort will be my responsibility.” This new strategy hopes to maintain peace and security in the region, however MONUSCO has been met with widespread criticism in the past so how effective this move truly will be remains unclear.

African analysts and activists continue to be disappointed with President Obama, as policy towards sub-Saharan Africa continues to be a very low priority.In last week’s State of the Union address make no mention of the region whatsoever. Though Congolese Americans campaigned vigorously for Obama in 2008 and rallies for healthcare legislation, many are now disillusioned with American policy towards Africa.

The education and policy update is produced every Thursday to update STAND members and the advocacy community about developments with regards to genocide and crimes against humanity. For more information contact the following:

Education Coordinator: Sean Langberg education@standnow.org

Sudan Education Coordiator: Emma Smith esmith@standnow.org

DRC Education Coordinator: Siobhan Kelley skelley@standnow.org

Emerging Crises Education Coordinator: Tom Dolzall tdolzall@standnow.org

Advocacy Coordinator: Maria Thomson advocacy@standnow.org

Weekly Education Update 1/20-1/26

SeanLangberg — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 12:59:36 -0500

Weekly Education Update

1/20-1/26

Sudan, South Sudan, Syria, Libya, DRC

Sudan and South Sudan

The Sudanese defense minister, General Abdul Rahim Mohamed Hussien, has declared that his country is planning to start producing heavy weapons after it already ended dependence on purchases of small arms from outside.

The death toll resulting from the Monday, January 16th attack on Duk county of Dinka community by the Murle ethnic group in Jonglei state has risen to over 85 people confirmed dead and many more still missing as United Nations warns of hate statements. The attacks have displaced more than 20,000 people. The United Nations has expressed serious concerns over the plight of more than 120,000 people, mainly women and children believed to have been displaced by ethnic violence in Jonglei.

The government of South Sudan has decided to shut down all its oil production throughout the country in response to the action by Khartoum, which confiscated the oil as it flows through North Sudan pipelines. South Sudan said that it will continue to negotiate with Khartoum over post-independence issues despite announcing that it is stopping oil being exported through North Sudan over transit fees dispute. South Sudan has accused Sudan of seizing $815 million worth of crude oil.

A large group of youth protesters took to the streets of Bentui, the capital of South Sudan’s oil-rich Unity State, in support of the government’s decision to stop exporting oil through north Sudan.

A malaria and whooping cough outbreak in Jonglei State’s Duk County has killed 36 people over the last month with a further 761 cases under medical care in Pajut clinic.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees strongly condemned an air raid against Elfoj, a refugee camp of about 5,000 refugees, which reportedly occurred in South Sudan’s Upper Nile State on Monday, January 23^rd. The strike wound one boy and left fourteen people missing.

Syria and Libya

The Arab League announced Thursday that it planned to take a proposed peace plan to the United Nations, calling for Syrian President Bashar-Al-Assad to step down from power, and for the formation of a transitional unity government within two months time. Britain, France and the United States are also pursuing condemnatory actiontowards the Syrian regime within the United Nations Security Council, however the Russian Foreign Ministry has stated that Russia remains opposed to the imposition of sanctions upon Syria as well as the prospect of military intervention.

The Arab League has renewed its investigate mission in Syria, extending the initiative to February 23rd, with Syrian approval. However, the investigators of six countries, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the UAE, who comprise the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) will be departing Syria despite the mission’s extension, owing to insufficient progress in stopping violence on the ground and the physical dangers of the ongoing violence within Syria. The departure of these observers will leave the League mission with only about a third of its original strength.

Violence has continued unabated throughout Syria this week with BBC News reporting some 60 deaths on Tuesday, the 24^th of January. A further 24 were reported dead on Wednesday amid a sweep by security forces in the city of Hama and fierce fighting between Security forces and defecting troops of the Free Syrian Army. Further, Reuters has reported that sporadic clashes between security forces and Free Syrian army troops have beenongoing in Duoma, not far from the Syrian capital of Damascus. Among those killed in this week’s violence was the head of the Syrian Red Crescent, Dr. Abd-al-Razzaq Jbeiro, who was killed while driving a marked vehicle on a roadbetween Damascus and Idlib. Further, Greek Orthodox priest Rev. Basilious Nasser was shot and killed in the streets of Hama on Wednesday. The Syrian government laid blame for the attacks on “armed terrorist groups” while the opposition sources reported the priest to have been shot by government forces.

Reuters reported Thursday on the explosion of instances of kidnapping in Syrian cities, particularly in the city of Homs, since the beginning of the Syrian unrest. While many of the present instances have not yet come to violence, the kidnappings are reported to none the less be largely sectarian in nature. Opposition sources reporting that in particular, pro-regime Alawite militias known as shabbiha, have been responsible for numerous kidnappings. Other instances however, have been undertaken strictly for monetary purposes.

BBC News reports that four people were killed in the Libyancity of Bani Walid on Monday. Bani Walid’s local council head declared that the deaths were the result of clashes between militias and the remaining remnants of pro-Gaddafi fighters in the area, however these claims were rebuked by the transitional Libyan government which asserted that the deaths were the result of clashes between rival militias and that pro-Qaddafi fighters were not involved; the violence allegedly breaking out after a disputed arrest, and that the defeated militia was actually backing the transitional government. In addition, Medecins Sans Frontieres reported Thursday that it has suspended its activity in Libya in protest of ongoing torture of prisoners conducted by Libyan militia groups. Amnesty International has claimed that several prisoners have died under torture since the fall of dictator Muammar Qaddafi, with the central Libyan government having relatively limited oversight over the some 60 detention centers scattered throughout Libya. Owing to such reports, the United Nations has concerns about the conditions under which Libyan prisoners are presently being held.

DRC

After contesting the November election results and holding his own swearing-in ceremony on December 24^th, Tshisekedi has announced that he plans to form a rival government this week. He said he is “obliged to form a government on the basis of necessity and urgency and to govern by decree until elected institutions are put in place on the basis of a real population census and organization of elections on all levels”.

The legislative poll results have been postponed “until further notice”.

Washington has started showing support for a power-sharing agreement between Kabila and Tshisekedi. The only problem is, neither Kabila nor Tshisekedi has shown any interest. Jason Stearns notes that it’s difficult to see how a power-sharing deal would be pushed through, due to deep divisions within both donors and the opposition party. It would also not resolve issues surrounding the flawed elections. Stearns suggests four options: declare the elections null and void and hold new polls, recount the ballots, disregard the presidential poll and salvage the legislative elections or do nothing. Right now, The US seems intent on the power-sharing agreement, while European powers such as Belgium have given up on the process all together and South Africa remains pro-Kabila. However the first three options will all require international support and funding, so the path forward remains unclear.

South African police arrested 150 members of the Congolese diaspora last week in Johannesburg after clashes erupted between Kabila’s and Tshisekedi’s supporters. However there are already allegations that the arrests were politically motivated, as the majority of arrests were of Tshisekedi’s supporters. "The government of the DRC wants to silence Congolese that were campaigning for democracy in the DRC here in South Africa," said Jean-Pierre Lukamba, the deputy chairman of the African Diaspora Forum.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) continues to voice concern over the influx of Congolese displaced internally and internationally due to violence. In the North and South Kivu provinces, over 100,000 civilians have been forced to flee their homes since November alone. In Masisi in Walikale, where 35,000 have been displaced, a recent outburst of violence resulted in the deaths of at least 22 civilians and an unknown number of rapes.

Doctors without Borders (MSF) announced that 86% of HIV-positive Congolese have no access to life-saving anti-retroviral medication. Out of a population of 68 million, more than a million have contracted the virus yet only 350,000 received drug therapy last year. ARV’s are crucial to ensure that HIV-positive people continue to maintain a healthy lifestyle, but also can be coupled with cheap drug therapy to prevent the transmission from mother to child. Yet only 1% of all pregnant women in the country were on ARVs last year. MSF said, “The conditions of access to care for people living with HIV/AIDS in the Democratic Republic of Congo are catastrophic.” One problem is the high price of ARVs, as international donors like the Global Fund have been forced to pull out of the country due to the economic climate.

Protesters from over 25 states gathered in Washington D.C. to protest the legitimacy of the November elections and urge President Obama to help restore Congolese leadership.

The education update is produced every Thursday to update STAND members and the advocacy community about developments with regards to genocide and crimes against humanity. For more information contact the following:

Education Coordinator: Sean Langberg education@standnow.org

Sudan Education Coordiator: Emma Smith esmith@standnow.org

DRC Education Coordinator: Siobhan Kelley skelley@standnow.org

Emerging Crises Education Coordinator: Tom Dolzall tdolzall@standnow.org

Your Voice At the Table

stripathy — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:43:56 -0500

By Regional Organizer Kaelee Krege

As the MC gathered together one last time, I couldn’t help but notice how much we had grown over the last 6 months. We had traveled to DC with purpose, and we weren’t going to leave until we had a clear strategy for this semester (except for the flights home that we probably shouldn’t miss… and luckily no one did!). We met with our new partners at United to End Genocide (UEG) over lunch and made sure the student voice (your voice!) was at the table. Our Student Director, Daniel Solomon, would have made you all proud as he articulated the voice of our constituency to the new folks at UEG. Later, we really dug deep into what the chapters are saying, wanting, and doing. Regional Organizers from every region were represented, which means so were the students from every region, allowing us to continually put ourselves in your shoes as we planned for the semester. We talked about how our chapters can be the locus for organizing and for discussing new ideas about R2P, DRC, and any other acronyms that need exploring. We are also constantly blown away by what our chapters are doing, so we also realized we need to amplify everything you do from panels to protests, from bake sales to lobbying.

Basically what I’m trying to say is that I’ve never known a group of people more capable and more in love with STAND than this year’s MC. And that is why I know that this new semester is going to be a big one for STAND and for our movement! Comment if you agree or disagree! We love to hear feedback.

There's more to come about our take aways from the retreat as we continue our conversations with all of you to inform the assumptions and national strategies that came out of this weekend.

Weekly Education Update 1/13-1/19

SeanLangberg — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 11:10:32 -0500

Weekly Education Update

1/13-1/19

DRC, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria

DRC

The implications of the UN Group of Experts report on the DRC continue to come to light. One-time NBA star Dikembe Mutombo, a Congolese native, has been implicated in a $10 million deal to sell 1,045 pounds of gold from eastern DRC to a Houston oil executive.

DRC’s Catholic Church accused Kabila’s government of “treachery, lies and terror” and has urged the electoral commission to fix the flaws in November’s elections or resign. As an extremely influential player in an overwhelming Christian country, this move is seen by many as a big step for justice. The Catholic bishop’s council said in a statement last Thursday, “We cannot build a state in a culture of treachery, lies and terror, of militarization and the flagrant violation of the freedom of expression.” The archbishop of Kinshasa Laurent Monsengwo also called on the Congolese population to initiate a campaign of disobedience until the election results are annulled. The full results of the parliamentary elections, which were due on Friday, have been postponed until the end of this week.

For almost a decade, concerns have been raised by human rights groups about the fate of Congolese who are refused asylum in the United Kingdom and return back home to the DRC. A recent report by Justice First called “Unsafe Return” highlights the fact that upon return Congolese are facing arrest, imprisonment, ill treatment and even torture. Many returnees had been imprisoned in the secret services prison of Kin Mazière. One refused asylum seeker was removed from the UK last March and when he arrived back in Kinshasa he was detained, taken to the secret services prison and tortured for three weeks. Another torture victim said, "The government in Congo views Congolese people deported back home from the UK as enemies. The guards who beat me kept saying to me: 'You are a spy, give us information, why are you doing this to your country?' I am in a lot of pain from the torture but I'm too scared to go to hospital in case someone recognizes me and I get taken back to detention.” This constitutes a massive human rights violation that must be addressed by the international community, especially in the wake of the controversial November elections. The likelihood that the use of torture has increased post-elections for opposition party supporters is high.

As a result of the financial crisis, governments attempting to curb deficits have decreased their contributions to the World Health Organization, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and other disease-fighting organizations. These cuts have very real implications; the Global Fund will not make any new grants in the new two years because of a decline in funding. This means that the 28,000 HIV-positive people who were meant to start life-saving ARV treatment by 2014 will not have access to drugs due to budget shortfalls. The US, Spain, Britain, Ireland, Denmark, Iceland and Italy are among donor nations that have failed to commit to life-saving treatments around the world.

Rwanda has arrested four generals, accusing them of being engaged in business transactions with civilians in the mineral-rich east of the DRC. A diplomat told Reuters that this arrest was linked to the publication of the UN Group of Experts report, and this is the most high-profile military arrests since 2010.

Sudan, South Sudan

South Sudan will later this month participate in the 18th ordinary session of the African Union (AU) Summit, scheduled from 23 - 30 January in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

Ahmed Haroun, the governor of Sudan’s conflict hit state of South Kordofan, has warned international aid agencies that they will be immediately expelled if they attempt to overstep their mandate.

Heavy fighting erupted last week between Sudan’s army (SAF) and rebels in the border state of South Kordofan amid reports of civilians being killed in aerial bombardment. They started when SAF launched an offensive attack on the rebels-controlled villages of Buram and Tess, south of the state’s capital Kadugli and north of the borders with South Sudan. 16 villagers were killed and 26 wounded during the attack.

At least 55 are reported dead, 52 injured and 40 children abducted in Wek and Patuet payams [districts] following a retaliatory attack launched by youth of the Murle ethnic group on Wednesday, January 11, 2012.

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) has expressed concern over the ongoing cycle of retaliatory attacks against the Lou-Nuer community by the rival Murle community in Jonglei state following the withdrawal of the Lou-Nuer from Pibor county two weeks ago.

Sudan's ambassador to the United Nations on Tuesday dismissed U.N. and U.S. concerns about a mounting humanitarian crisis in two Sudanese border states, saying the situation there was "normal."

Jonglei state governor, Kuol Manyang Juuk, said on Tuesday, January 17, 2012 that at least forty-six people were killed and seven wounded in Duk county following an attack late on Monday, January 16, 2012, by members of the Murle ethnic group.

The United States ambassador called the aid blockade imposed by Sudan “unconscionable and unacceptable,” claiming that 500,000 displaced people face famine if substantial international aid does not begin to flow by March.

Syria

The Arab League observatory mission which began a month ago is due to come to an end today, however League leaders are presently considering an extension to the mission for another month in consequence of continuing violence within the country. The League is now in the process of compiling the observer's information and creating the mission's report about conditions in Syria; Some 600 Syrians have been killed since the Arab League mission arrived.

Reuters reported on Thursday, via a Britain based opposition group, that 18 civilians had been killed on Thursday along with two Syrian Army officers killed in an ambush by opposition fighters. BBC News reported over 30 civilians had been killed earlier in the week, primarily in Homs, Hama and Idlib province. Further, eight civilians traveling in a minibus were killed in a roadside bombing, but responsibility for the attack remains unclear.

A ceasefire has been declared Thursday in the Syrian town of Zabadani between opposition fighters and Syrian security forces. Zabadani, under the control of the opposition, had become the site of fierce clashes throughout the past weeks but the deal now struck between the Syrian Defense Minister and local opposition leaders will pull both security forces and opposition fighters from the streets of the town.

Syrian Kurds have announced that they plan to hold a conference in the near future to address the disparate objectives of the Syrian Kurdish community and diaspora. Syrian kurds are concerned that as a minority group, that should violence in the country escalate, that Kurdish populations will be isolated and their interests subjugated.

On Sunday, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad offered amnesty to those involved in protest and opposition activities, however violence and the targeting of opposition figures continues unabated throughout the country and some 35,000 people are estimated to remain jailed. In response to ongoing violence, UN General Secretary Ban Ki-Moon said “Today, I say again to President Assad of Syria: Stop the violence. Stop killing your people.” Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated on Wednesday that he would veto any proposed military intervention in the UN Security Council in Syria, and further stated that aiding the Syrian opposition could lead to “a very big war that will cause suffering not only to countries in the region, but also to states far beyond its boundaries”, and responded to criticisms that Russia continued to conduct trade with the Syrian government.

Education Coordinator: Sean Langberg education@standnow.org

Sudan Education Coordiator: Emma Smith esmith@standnow.org

DRC Education Coordinator: Siobhan Kelley skelley@standnow.org

Emerging Crises Education Coordinator: Tom Dolzall tdolzall@standnow.org

New Perspectives

stripathy — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:38:37 -0500

By Media Coordinator Alix Neenan

I’m a very opinionated person. So perhaps this was why my African studies teacher assigned me to be the Sudanese government in a Darfur simulation. Or maybe she just hates me and enjoys seeing eighteen other students yell at me asking why I was allowing the Janjaweed to murder the citizens of Darfur.

When I first received the assignment, I was very indignant. As a person highly invested in the anti-genocide movement and a high school student who tends to see things in a very black-and-white manner, there simply was no other side. Al-Bashir was like one of those villains in a Disney movie: scary and evil.

But then I realized, the debate wasn’t about trying to de-vilify Al-Bashir and the Khartoum government, but rather, transfer some of the culpability to other parties. The simulation wasn’t just a debate between the people of Darfur and Al-Bashir, or the Khartoum government versus the UN. My teacher had set up various groups in the simulation to be represented: the JEM and SLM, the European Union, China, the United States, Chad, and the Central African Republic were among those groups people in my class simulate.

Trying to represent the government of Sudan was a challenge. Essentially, it was eighteen other students yelling at me asking why I was allowing the Janjaweed to murder the citizens of Darfur.

I was suddenly Public Enemy No. 1 in my Africa class as my partner and I were interrogated. And I thought this was supposed to be a “friendly simulation.”

Of course, while I am complaining about the entire ordeal, I did actually get a lot out of it. I was able to understand that there was another side, maybe even if I couldn’t rationalize with it. I also learned that my peers -- high school students in Connecticut -- see things in black and white, but at least they’re seeing it.

Weekly Education Update 1/6-1/12

SeanLangberg — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:03:07 -0500

Weekly Education Update

1/6-1/12

Sudan, South Sudan, DRC, Syria

Sudan, South Sudan

South Sudan has launched official passports and identity cards for the first time since the country’s independence in July.

South Sudan’s newest rebel movement has told Sudan Tribune that it plans attack the capital Juba within the month and denies it is backed by Khartoum. The leader of the South Sudan People Liberation Movement/Army (SSPLM/A), Tong Lual Ayat, claims to have a force of 5,000 soldiers and plans to double that figure with new recruits and defections from the South Sudanese military (SPLA).

The United Nations Secretary General’s Special Representative to South Sudan, Hilde Johnson, voiced appreciation for the active role played by the government of South Sudan to stop the fighting between the Lou-Nuer and Murle communities in the troubled Jonglei state. At least 3,141 people, mostly innocent civilians predominantly women and children have died in a week-long tribal clash, involving two neighbouring rival ethnic communities of Lou and Murle in South Sudan’s Jonglei State, according to unconfirmed reports.

Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir offered to help Libya integrate its dozens of militias into the country's armed forces.

South Sudan has accused the Sudanese government of blocking 3.4 million barrels of its crude oil exports, diverting over half a million barrels to its refineries and building a pipeline to keep diverting its oil.

The Sudanese government on Thursday filed a complaint with United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) claiming that the Sudan People Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N) have forcibly recruited 900 children from South Kordofan state. The rebels have denied the allegations.

Sudanese authorities said today that 34 people are still missing since attacks on some localities by a Darfur rebel group in North Kordofan state last month.

The United States president Barack Obama issued a memorandum notifying the Secretary of State and Congress that he is adding South Sudan to the list of countries eligible to buy weapons from the US.

The governor of South Sudan’s Unity state, Taban Deng Gai, has called upon Sudanese refugees to leave Yida camp and move to a more secure location due to security threats. The Nuba refugees fled to South Sudan’s Unity state to escape fighting in South Kordofan between rebels and the Khartoum government that has displaced tens of thousands since it began in June 2010.

Conflict between the Murle and Luo Nuer tribes in South Sudan’s Jonglei State continued on Sunday with the Murle accused of carrying out a revenge attack on Akobo County. The fighting has killed as many as 23 including 4 men and 19 women and children.

The National Liberation Council (NLC) of South Sudan Democratic Movement/Army (SSDM/A) announced it had elected Lt. Gen. Peter Kuol Chol Awan as the new leader of the south-based rebel outfit.

The United Nations (UN) has once again asked the Sudanese government to grant international aid groups access to rebel controlled areas in the country’s war hit states of South Kordofan and Blue Nile.

DRC

Violence continues in eastern Congo, where 45 civilians were killed last week in remote villages in Shabunda, in the South Kivu province. Reuters reported late last week that the FDLR was responsible for the massacre and four Rwandan rebels were killed when Congolese troops were sent to the area.

According to Jason Stearns of Congo Siasa, the UN Group of Experts report on the DRC does not side with either of the extreme views taken in the conflict minerals. Instead, the report is more nuanced as it highlights the increased incidence of smuggling in the region and rising unemployment and poverty, but also the that the legislation and advocacy efforts have led to a shift in mineral production from conflict to non-conflict sites bringing about "a reduction in the level of conflict financing provided by these minerals." The report also urges the SEC to publish its rules to allow for responsible commercial actors to resume purchasing minerals from the Kivus. However, the SEC has once again delayed the publication of the provisions of section 1502 of Dodd-Frank.

Foreign voting experts have arrived in the DRC to review the flawed November elections that gave President Kabila five more years in power. The team is made up of members from the US-based National Democratic Institute and International Foundation for Electoral Systems. The team is supposed to meet with electoral officials, members of Kabila and Tshisekedi’s political parties as well as the international electoral observers present in November.

In a new report, DRC rights group Voice of the Voiceless (Voix des sans Voix) called for new elections about November’s controversial legislative and presidential polls. This echoes calls for new elections by the Carter Center and other international election monitors.

The DRC faces a possible suspension of its cooperation with the European Union (EU) over the outcome of the elections. An EU spokesman, Maja Kocijancic, said that the EU could invoke article 96 of the Cotonou agreement, under which it can suspend cooperation with any African, Caribbean or Pacific country found to have violated democratic principles. This would include the end of any financial aid from Brussels to Kinshasa, with the exception of humanitarian assistance.

France’s RFI radio station was finally allowed to resume operations in the DRC for the first time since the elections. The radio station’s broadcasts were cut for the content of its post-election coverage, which Communications Minister Lamber Mende said had wanted to create a confused situation which could lead to clashes between the Congolese". Other radio stations that were labeled pro-opposition by the government in Kinshasa remain blocked.

After a meeting in Kinshasa, the DRC has committed troops to aid in United Nation’s efforts against the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) led by Joseph Kony. The Central African Republic, South Sudan and Uganda were among the other African countries who signed a deal that their troops could cross international borders without hindrance when pursuing LRA troops.

In Zimbabwe, police continues to clash with churches over the fate of 80 refugees who fled the DRC in the aftermath of the November elections. The refugees, who allegedly walked from the DRC to Zambia to escape political violence, were supporters of Tshisekedi’s Union for Democracy and Social Progress party. Police and immigration officials in the town of Bulawayo claim the refugees are breaking Zimbabwean immigration law, and have threatened to jail them. The Zimbabwe Council of Churches continues to protect the refugees, but it highlights a larger problem with the hundreds of Congolese that have fled the country in the month following the elections.

A new report claims that child labor is on the rise worldwide. However in the DRC the incidence of child labor is especially high due to instability and extreme poverty, as the country has been classified under the “extreme risk” category.

Syria

Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad made two public appearances this week, appearing on the 10^th in a televised address and before a crowd of supporters in Damascus the day after. In the televised address, which lasted almost two hours, President Assad vowed to defeat the “conspiracy” against his regime, placing the blame for the Syrian unrest on foreign subversion and radical terrorist groups. President Assad made some overtures for reform such as a referendum for a new constitution, but the rhetoric was dominated by Assad’s hardline stance. On Wednesday before a crowd of supporters in Damascus, President Assad reiterated his claims and goals from the televised address, stating “We will make this phase the last one of the conspiracy.”

Despite the presence of Arab League monitors , violence by Syrian security forces has continued throughout the country unabated. Some 400 civilians have died since the arrivalof Arab League Monitors in December, fostering doubts among the league’s leaders of the mission’s efficacy. Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani of Qatar, speaking at a conference with US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, said of the mission that “I could not see up until now a successful mission, frankly speaking.” Furthermore, a number of Arab League monitors have resigned or otherwise left the mission in Syria owing to general disillusionment over the ability of the mission to alter the Syrian regime’s behavior as well as the continuing danger and lack of mobility on the ground. Eleven League monitors were injured on Monday observing pro-Assad demonstrations, which caused a three day hiatus on observation efforts, which resumed Thursday. Arab League Secretary-General Nabil Elaraby expressed frustration that Syria had only sporadically implemented the terms of the League agreement, and that "neither the violence has stopped, nor the killing. The level has dropped, but it has not stopped."

Syrian opposition groups via BBC news reported that over 24 civilians had been killed on Wednesday, 10 of them in Homs, nine in Hama as well as additional casualties in Aleppo, Idlib and Latakia. Among the dead was French journalist Gilles Jacquier, who was killed under in an attack under uncertain circumstances while working on the street in Hama.

Education Coordinator: Sean Langberg education@standnow.org

Sudan Education Coordiator: Emma Smith esmith@standnow.org

DRC Education Coordinator: Siobhan Kelly skelley@standnow.org

Emerging Crises Education Coordinator: Tom Dolzall tdolzall@standnow.org

Sanctions, Syria, and Pizza

stripathy — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 23:26:45 -0500

By Swarthmore upSTANDer Danny Hirschel-Burns

Our STAND chapter at Swarthmore, like our college, is small. You can count our members on one hand. Therefore, we have to focus on small scale actions. Our recent experiences holding a call-in on Syrian sanctions, however, demonstrated that even our undersized chapter can hold events that engage other students and have a national impact.

Last month, we scheduled a call-in to senators urging them to support the Syrian Sanctions Act. We reserved a busy lounge on campus right around lunch on a Thursday and Friday. Since it is across from all the student mailboxes, almost every student passes through on their way to lunch. We ordered three pizzas, and promised a free slice of (the admittedly mediocre) pizza to anyone who called their Senator. There were generally two or three of us at the table at a time, and our basic strategy was to yell at our friends (or people we might have talked to at a party once) to come over to our table. We had a STAND fact sheet on the Syrian conflict and the bill itself. These two pieces of paper convinced a lot of people who didn’t know much about the conflict that supporting sanctions was the right thing to do. We had a list of phone numbers for every Senator (prepared by Swarthmore’s very own STAND National Advocacy Coordinator Maria Thomson), and a short script for students to read while on the phone, if they chose.

I was amazed at how successful we were. On the first day, we ran out of pizza way ahead of time, but students continued to call after the pizza ran out. Students were very up front with questions about the conflict, and so while we educated them on the conflict, their questions also made us think critically about our position on the sanctions. These were mutually beneficial discussions. I was most encouraged by the interest displayed by some students. We had a few motivated students stick around the table, calling multiple Senators, and even helping other students make calls. The event was a huge success. There were about 100 calls made over those two days, and that’s out of a student body of 1,400!

The success of our first call-in has persuaded Swarthmore STAND to hold call-ins in the future. I would also encourage other STAND chapters to organize a call-in. They don’t require all that much planning, they are not expensive, they effectively engage a large number of students, and connect students with national policy decisions. While ours went very well, there are a few areas in which we could have improved. To expand the breadth of people that called their senators beyond our friends, a big sign just outside the lounge detailing our mission would have been helpful. And since we had so many students excited about calling their Senators, it would have been a great place to recruit desperately needed members. Having every student that calls write down their name and e-mail would be a great way to keep track of students interested in STAND. While we didn’t think of everything, our event was still hugely successful. It only takes a bit of organization and planning to hold a successful call-in, and I encourage other STAND chapters to build on our achievement!

Winter Break Education Update II

SeanLangberg — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 14:06:09 -0500

Winter Break Education Update II

Syria, Sudan, South Sudan, DRC

Check out STAND's Twitter and Facebook for more information

Syria

Tens of thousands of Syrians turned out on to protest on December 30th in defiance of a government ban on demonstrations. The marches, held in cities throughout the country, aimed both at drawing the attention of Arab League observers, as well as placing continued pressure on the Syrian government of Bashar Al-Assad. However, despite the presence of Arab League observers in Syrian cities, the government’s crackdown on protestors and opposition figures has continued with NYT reporting through Syrian activists that at least twocivilians were killed in the city of Hama on Tuesday, with BBC News reporting another 12 dead on Wednesday.

Syrian opposition figures have called into question the efficacy of the League’s mission in Syria as well as the Syrian regime’s sincerity in pursuing an end to the crackdown.Reuters reported Wednesday that despite Arab League statements that troops hadbeen withdrawn from residential districts, that the regime in fact retains troops and armored vehicles within Syrian cities in defiance of the Leagueagreement. In addition, an estimated 30,000 opposition figures and protestors remain jailed in Syrian prisons despite the release of some 3,500 according to the Arab League since the arrival of League observers.

Due to the continuation of violence despite the presence of League observers, the head of the Arab Parliament, Ali Salem al-Deqbasi, released a statement on the 1^st of January calling for the withdrawal of observers from Syria, saying ““The mission of the Arab League team has missed its aim of stopping the killing of children and ensuring the withdrawal of troops from the Syrian streets, giving the Syrian regime a cover to commit inhumane acts under the noses of the Arab League observers.”

The background of the head of the Arab League’s mission in Syria has also drawn criticism from human rights groups and some opposition figures. Lt. Gen. Muhammad Ahmed al-Dabi, who heads the Arab Leagues mission in Syria, previously headed the Sudanese Military Intelligence Service and served in a wide array of other military and security posts in the Sudanese government under President Omar Al-Bashir. However, the Arab League’s director responded to criticisms, saying of the general that he is a “capable military man with a clean reputation.

Sudan and South Sudan

At least 24 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in a tribal clash involving Lou Nuer and Murle ethnic communities in Jonglei state. The Government of South Sudan (GoSS) on Tuesday said it has deployed more than 1,000 police personnel to Jonglei. The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) also said it was conducting air patrols in the affected areas. Up to 50,000 people have fled violence in the area according to the United Nations.

The Sudanese Defense Minister Abdul Rahim Mohamed Hussien claimed that Darfur rebel leader, Khalil Ibrahim, was killed in an air excursion made possible by the tracking of a phone call. The United States special envoy for Sudan Princeton Lyman and his senior Adviser for Darfur Dane Smith offered their condolences to the Darfur Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) on the death of its leader Khalil Ibrahim.

The British government intends to forgive more than $ 1 billion in debt owed by Sudan over the next few years. Officials at the UK Department for International Development told the Financial Times that cancelling the debt of countries such as Sudan would be counted as part of the target to spend 0.7% of national income on foreign aid by 2014.

South Sudan’s Vice President, Riek Machar, attempted to stop further conflict in Jonglei state by visiting the affected areas.

At least seventeen people, mostly civilians, have been killed in South Sudan’s Western Bahr el Ghazal State, following an aerial attack allegedly carried out by north Sudan. Several others are also said to have sustained injuries.

The African Union and United Nations peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) said Sudanese government restricted the movement of its patrols due the recent surge of clashes in the region.

The president of South Sudan Salva Kiir accused the Sudanese government of stealing his country’s oil in a new sign of escalation of fighting. The Sudanese foreign ministry confirmed that a portion of oil pumped by South Sudan passing through the north’s pipelines is seized by Khartoum, but stressed that this is done with Juba’s knowledge. Sudan also announced that it will impose monthly fees on crude oil flowing from the newly-independent south until the two nations reach an agreement on transport payments.

South Sudan accused north Sudan of supplying arms to tribes in volatile Jonglei state, allegedly to destabilize the new country.

The United Nations has received alarming reports of malnutrition in South Kordofan and the Blue Nile where the army is fighting insurgents, a senior U.N. official reported.

DRC

Despite allegations of massive fraud in the election process and growing accounts of political violence in the country, President Joseph Kabila was sworn in for a second term last week to little international outrage, at least by governments. The U.S. State Department issued a statement expressing deep disappointment when the DRC’s Supreme Court upheld results from November's election without fully evaluating irregularities. The same expression of "deep disappointment" is being used by activists and analysts who say the Obama administration is not going far enough in condemning the new mandate of President Joseph Kabila, as protests continue both in the US and around the world.

However the US has announced that it will send electoral experts to the country early this month to advise on the parliamentary vote count, which was halted last week. "USAID is discussing the provision of elections experts with several well-regarded organizations and expects that a team will arrive in Kinshasa during the first week of January," the official said.

The US government also announced they are committing $900 billion to peacekeeping, humanitarian aid and development efforts in the region.

Authorities in the DRC shut down broadcasts of the French government-funded Radio France International over its coverage of the violent aftermath of the November elections. During the run-up to the elections there was an outbreak of anti-press violence, where multiple media outlets sympathetic to opposition leader Tshisekedi were victims to arson. Following the flawed November elections, RFI covered the widespread violence, voting irregularities and government crackdown on opposition supporters. As the most popular news station in the DRC, this crackdown represents the loss of a vital source of news for Congolese citizens. The NGO Journalistes En Danger denounced the “escalation of repression” in the media through the publication of their annual report on assaults on the freedom of the press in the country. JED calculated over 160 cases, over half of which occurred in the electoral period.

The UN Group of Experts announced in a report last Friday that former rebels have been promoted to senior posts in the DRC’s military in return for supporting President Kabila in his re-election efforts. The 127-page report argued that despite the fact that Bosco Ntaganda is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, he managed to secure senior posts for himself and his men for supporting Kabila.

The same report also argued that the crackdown on conflict minerals in eastern Congo has “pushed trade deeper into the hands of criminals and smugglers”. Due to the lack of finalization on the SEC conflict mineral regulations, companies have left the region rather than waiting for the fine print. According to Gregory Salter, a consultant for the UN report, “This has mainly led to a loss of production and increased criminality” in the region. The report also said that decreased trade in the region has increased smuggling into Rwanda. "The level of recorded domestic production of tin, tungsten and tantalum ores (in Rwanda) continues to be higher than industry analysts consider the real level of production to be... suggesting that material from the DRC is being smuggled into Rwanda, and then tagged as of Rwandan origin," the report said.

In the worst attack in months, at least 26 people have been killed by Rwandan FDLR rebels in eastern Congo since the beginning of the year. The FDLR is the largest rebel group left in eastern Congo and has been responsible for widespread atrocities including murder and mass rapes. It was reported that the FDLR attacked remote villages in Shabunda (South Kivu province) where they burned huts and attacked civilians.

The New York Times reported on the increasingly common practice in Kinshasa of “power cuts”, where family members take turns eating every other day. This survival strategy is being employed by over 10 million people in the capital city, and the term “power cut” (or délestage in French) is meant to evoke the rolling blackouts that characterize city life. One Congolese resident explained, “Délestage. That means: ‘Today we eat. Tomorrow we don’t.’ The Congolese, in the spirit of irony, have adopted this term.” According to experts, half the population eats once per day and a quarter eats once every two days. In a country where over half the population is considered malnourished and the government spends less than 1% of the national budget on agriculture, this situation is extremely alarming and urgent.

Education Coordinator: Sean Langberg education@standnow.org

Sudan Education Coordiator: Emma Smith esmith@standnow.org

DRC Education Coordinator: Siobhan Kelly skelley@standnow.org

Emerging Crises Education Coordinator: Tom Dolzall tdolzall@standnow.org

Winter Break Education Update

SeanLangberg — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 13:34:11 -0500

Winter Break Education Update

Syria, DRC, Sudan, South Sudan

Sign STAND's petition to end the SMS text messaging ban in post-election DRC here

Syria

Owing to diplomatic pressure from the Arab League and Russia, the Syrian government agreed on the 19th of December to abide by the Arab League’s earlier proposal to allow League observers into Syria, as well as to undertake a number of measures, such as the withdrawal of tanks from major urban centers, that might end the violence in that country. However, while as of Tuesday the 27th Arab League observers have been allowed into the country, and particularly the major flashpoint of Homs, violence in Syria continues into the present and numerous civilian deaths and armed clashes were reported over the weekend.

Residents of Homs, numbering some 70,000 according to Rueters agency, took to the streets on Tuesday to protest the Assad regime and make an impression upon the Arab League observers currently in the city. The response of the Homs to the observers arrival has been mixed, with some relieved that there is now an opportunity for the conditions in the city to be seen and some measure of oversight on security forces, but others remain unsure of the observers overall efficacy in actually stopping violence. In addition, major remain about the Assad regime’s sincerity in ending its crackdown, and sporadic violence in the city continues as well as on a wider scale throughout other regions of the nation. On Monday, some 30 civilians and opposition figures were reported to have been killed by or in clashes with, government security forces, adding further to the 18 civilians reported killed in the city over the weekend.

Violence intensified in the Syrian capital of Damascus on Friday when two car bombs exploded outside of the offices of Syria’s State Security Directorate. The attack killed some 44 people and wounded more than 100, mostly civilians. The Assad regime blamed the opposition for the attacks, conflating the opposition groups with Al-Qaeda. A spokesperson for the Free Syrian Army stated they were not responsible for the attack. However, actual responsibility for the attack remains uncertain. The Syrian State News Agency, via Reuters, also reported Tuesday that an oil pipeline outside of the city of Homs had been the target of a bomb attack by an “armed terrorist group”,placing the pipe line out of commission. Along with the recent surge in bombings, the week was marked by numerous clashes between Security forces and forces of the Free Syrian Army, with numerous defectors among the estimated 160 overall deaths that Syrian Human Rights Groups reported last Wednesday.

The United Nations places the current death toll in the Syrian unrest at over 5,000 lives lost.

DRC

Joseph Kabila was officially announced the winner of the presidential elections by the Supreme Court on December 16^th with 48.95% of the vote. Both opposition candidates, Tshisekedi and Kamerhe, had little hope of protesting the legitimacy of the vote in court as Kabila has worked to ensure the majority of the court is filled with his supporters. Lawyers for opposition candidate Vital Kamerhe, who recieved 7% of the total vote, even walked out of the proceedings describing it as a "parody of justice".

Etienne Tshisekedi has announced that he is the rightful leader of the country and is the right person to take the presidential oath. He has even advocated for the seizure of Joseph Kabila, saying "Regarding those who have created all those problems, starting with Mr. Kabila, I call on all of you to look for this man wherever he is in the country and bring him here alive.'' Tshisekedi has also offered a reward for the capture of Kabila, and has urged security forces and civil society to disobey Kabila’s orders. A senior member of Kabila’s administration was quoted saying that if Tshisekedi forms a rival administration, this would constitute a crime and action by the country and international community would be taken.

Joseph Kabila held his inauguration ceremony on December 19^th in the capital city of Kinshasa. President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe was the only head of state present at the ceremony. Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has pledged his support for Kabila following the extremely disputed election. Mugabe pledged that in the case of Western intervention in the DRC, Zimbabwe would support the country militarily. He was quoted as saying that “any attempt to undermine that democratic government will be resisted by Africa, [the Southern African Development Community] and Zimbabwe, which has been a partner to the Congolese people.”

On December 23^rd, Tshisekedi swore the second presidential oath to be taken in the country in the span of only a few days. Tshisekedi had been seeking to hold the rival inauguration at a Kinshasa stadium, but security forces blocked the area around his house and also deployed tanks and the Republican Guard to the stadium. However his supporters turned out in large numbers despite the blockade; they threw rocks at security forces before being pushed into backstreets by teargas.

The full result of the parliamentary elections have yet to be announced in full, as counting has officially been halted according to the election commission. Experts from the US and Britain are expected to travel to the country in the coming days to assess the situation and help with credibility in the tallying process.

As the government ban on SMS text-messaging in the DRC continues, it has become clear that this ban on social media has vast consequences. Not only does this limit communication about human rights abuses and the outbreak of violence, but it disproportionally affects the estimated 1.4 million deaf Congolese. The ban on SMS text-messaging limits the communication capacities of many members of the deaf population, which makes them extremely vulnerable as they are not aware of violent outbreaks. "We're finding it very hard to communicate," said Pastor Kisangala, the deaf community's religious minister in Kinshasa, told the BBC. "All our communications used to go through SMS messages." Sign the petition urging Vodacom and other companies to restore SMS capabilities in the region here.

In response to the growing instability and violence in the country, there has been an increased number of Congolese refugees crossing into Uganda.

On December 16^th, the International Criminal Court failed to charge Rwandan rebel leader Callixte Mbarushimana for crimes committed in the DRC and ordered his release from custody. He was originally charged with eight counts of war crimes and five counts of crimes against humanity for his actions in the eastern Kivu provinces of the DRC in 2009, however all charges were dropped by the ICC for a lack of sufficient evidence. This is only the second time in the court’s history that charges have been dropped against an accused war criminal. However the decision was met with criticism and outrage by the international community, and appeals to the decision have already been filed.

Sudan and South Sudan

As part of the efforts to restore refugee-family links, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has began providing a free phone per every family to thousands of Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia.

The UN World Food Programme (WFP) released a report saying that it needs seeking USD$92 million to feed over 2.7 million people in need of food aid in South Sudan in 2012.

Sudanese security service released an Italian aid worker kidnapped in South Darfur four months ago and arrested six of his kidnappers.

The first general assembly organized by the South Sudan Liberal Youth Forum (LYF) resolved to form an interim executive board, tasked with legally establishing the organization and formulating its constitution.

The chairman of the Sudan People Liberation Movement North (SPLM-N) Malik Agar has issued a directive by which all Prisoners of Wars are to be released from the movement’s custody. The rebel movement fighting Sudanese government forces said that the move was to keep “with the laws of war and international norms, as stipulated in the Geneva Protocols governing the treatment of prisoners of war”.

Amnesty International (AI) is calling upon the United Nations to provide a secure environment for people displaced by the conflict in Abyei. In a new report titled "Destruction and Desolation in Abyei" released on Monday, December 19t the rights group states that more than 100,000 people were displaced by the violence in May 2011 and are prevented from returning to their homes due to the prevalence of armed militias and landmines.

The Government of South Sudan (GoSS) has made proposals to have representatives from oil companies included in the next round of post-session negotiations mediated by the African Union High Level Implementation Panel (AUHIP), Pagan Amum, its chief negotiator said. The proposal has been accepted.

The South Sudanese rebel leader and renegade general, George Athor, has been killed, announced the country’s Vice-President Riek Machar Teny in a press conference held in the capital Juba on December 20^th. Earlier in the day, Athor was reported to be under siege by South Sudan’s army, SPLA, in Morobo country in Central Equatoria state. The office of South Sudan’s Vice President, Riek Machar, issued a statement confirming the death of Athor and adding that Athor was killed after infiltrating the country’s borders coming from Rwanda and driving through eastern borders of DRC and Uganda to recruit new fighters in Central Equatoria state.

Over twenty national and international civil society and solidarity organizations on Tuesday sent out a strongly worded letter petitioning the UN to impose additional economic and travel sanctions on Sudan and use a of no-fly zone in war affected areas. The letter was addressed to Ban Ki Moon, secretary-general of the UN and others including President Obama.

The parliament of Lakes state was told by county commissioners on Thursday, December 22 that cattle raids have killed at least 249 and injured 319 since January 2011.

The leader of the Darfur rebel group Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), Khalil Ibrahim, was killed as he was leading his forces on the way to the Republic of South Sudan, according to the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). Khalil Ibrahim was one of the most powerful rebel commanders. In 2008, his fighters drove across the arid western terrain and launched a shock attack on Khartoum

Education Coordinator: Sean Langberg education@standnow.org

Sudan Education Coordiator: Emma Smith esmith@standnow.org

DRC Education Coordinator: Siobhan Kelly skelley@standnow.org

Emerging Crises Education Coordinator: Tom Dolzall tdolzall@standnow.org