Today marks the 25th day of Obama’s presidency.  As we all know, President Obama and his administration face an enormous array of challenges.  The administration is dealing with a major economic crisis, two wars, and an increasingly dangerous world.  In this kind of environment, it’d be easy for Obama to do very little on Darfur.

But I don’t think that’s going to happen, and it’s because of what I’ve seen STAND activists do this week.

When the STAND Managing Committee was first discussing a Round the Clock Call In, we thought it was a good idea, but we weren’t sure it would work.  A call every minute is no small feat, after all.  At first, we tried to make it easier – "what about a call every five minutes, or every two?"

Turns out, it didn’t need to be any easier.  Over the past two weeks, you have mobilized your chapters and your campuses, asked your friends and families to make calls, and worked as hard as you could to make sure that Secretary Clinton’s phones ring all day long. 

And they will.  480 people have signed up to make calls, one for each minute of the business day.  And that’s not all – since the slots filled up, we’ve received tons of e-mails from students telling us that they couldn’t sign up but they’d still be calling anyway.

So, today, the State Department’s phones will literally be ringing off the hook – all day long.  And that might just get President Obama and Secretary Clinton to appoint an envoy.

But if not, we’ll keep trying.  Because if this week showed us anything about the student anti-genocide movement, it’s that we’re in it for the long haul, and hard work doesn’t scare us.  We’ll make the calls, even though we’ve made them before.  We’ll spread the word, even though we wish everyone already understood.  We’ll write letters, come together at conferences and retreats, and tell everyone we know that the world must do more.

Happy Day 25.

Yesterday, The New York Times reported that the International Criminal Court (ICC) had announced its decision to issue an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.

Today, it seems that the ICC is trying to control the information leak, issuing a statement denying that any kind of decision has been made.

Still, the indictment is expected to be handed down in the next few days, and the threat to civilian lives remains.  We’ll do our best to keep you posted on breaking news.

On Sunday, we reported on the "nightmarish" situation for civilians in Sri Lanka, where 250,000 civilians are  caught in the crossfire of a civil war.

Anyone interested in taking action to protect civilians in Sri Lanka should check out the latest action from Avaaz.  They’re trying to get at least 110,000 online messages sent to Secretary of State Clinton – they’re only at 100,000 now so your message can help Avaaz reach its goal.

Click here to take action, and if you have any questions on Sri Lanka and STAND’s involvement, shoot an e-mail to education@standnow.org.

The Sudanese government announced Wednesday night that it has  taken the South Darfur town of Muhajiriya  from Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) rebels.  Earlier this week, Khartoum asked the 196 UNAMID peacekeepers stationed in the town to clear out in anticipation of an attack.  UNAMID vowed to remain in order to protect the town’s 30,000 civilians.  As the fighting escalates, their lives hang in the balance.

Muhajiriya is just the latest incident in a major escalation of violence since January, and the government of Sudan has threatened further violence if and when the International Criminal Court issues an indictment for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, which is expected later this month.

President Obama, Secretary Clinton, and Ambassador Rice have shown that they can talk a big game on Darfur. Yet, they appear to be failing what is clearly Khartoum’s first test of their resolve.

Call the State Department today and demand immediate action. If you called on Wednesday about Muhajiriya, please call again and urge Secretary Clinton and Ambassador Rice to act now to address the escalating violence threatening Darfuri civilians.  This a test of American resolve and leadership on Darfur, a test that we cannot fail.

Call the State Department today at 202-647-6575!

E-mail advocacy@standnow.org with questions.

Yesterday, we reported on the urgent situation in Muhajiriya, South Darfur, where the government of Sudan is currently building up forces in preparation for a major offensive, placing the town’s 30,000 citizens in immediate danger.

Khartoum has requested that UNAMID – the protection force charged with protecting civilians and monitoring a ceasefire – leave the town, giving the international community clear warning about its intentions.

This showdown between the government of Sudan and the international community is a key test for President Obama, Secretary Clinton, and Ambassador Rice. The Obama administration has pledged to act on Darfur, but, if the State Department’s reaction to the events in Muhajiriya serves as any indication, it has yet to back up its strong words with action.

Here is an excerpt from Monday’s State Department briefing:

QUESTION: Do you have any comment on – the Sudanese Government has launched some attacks in Darfur. Do you have any comment on that?

MR. WOOD (State Dept. spokesperson): I don’t know – have those attacks –

QUESTION: Today.

MR. WOOD: Well, obviously, we would condemn any attacks against the people of Darfur. It’s a horrible situation on the ground there. I need to look into – see what more has happened since this morning. I wasn’t aware that those attacks had taken place. And we’ll try to get you some more on that.

The State Department has since issued a statement condemning the violence, and Ambassador Rice addressed the situation in an interview today. Still, this slow response and lack of a comprehensive strategy to deal with Khartoum’s posturing is unacceptable.

Khartoum must know that it cannot get away with such blatant acts of violence on the Obama Administration’s watch. Obama, Rice, and Clinton must demonstrate American leadership and show that Darfur is a Day One priority.

Call the State Department now and demand that Secretary Clinton and Ambassador Rice outline specific consequences for the government of Sudan if it does not cease aerial bombings and abandon its plans for an offensive on Muhajirya.

Call the State Department today at 202-647-6575!

E-mail advocacy@standnow.org with questions.

The Darfur Peace Agreement seems like a long time ago – it was 2006, and the rebel movement showed its fracture lines to the world when of the three main rebel forces invited to the table signed the agreement (the SLA Minni Minawi) and the other two refused (SLA Abdel Wahid and the Justice and Equality Movement).Since then, the rebel groups have split into even more factions – some significant military and political players, and some just random bandits who are using the conflict as an excuse for violence and profit. And every attempt at a peace process since has failed.

The Government of Sudan and the international community have both used the splintering of rebel groups as an excuse for the often embarrassing state of the Darfur peace process, saying the rebels can’t decide on a unified platform. In a   new strategy paper entitled “Darfur Rebels 101,” the ENOUGH Project, points out that this is only partially true: in reality, despite all the splinter groups, the main rebel groups currently relevant to the peace process are for the most part the same ones that participated in the DPA. Furthermore, there have been enough common goals expressed by all groups that any serious peace process would in fact have some points of unity to start working from.

Click here to read the full report, here to listen to a podcast of ENOUGH’s research team discussing the situation, and here for a slideshow with more information on the different rebel factions.

It is now more important than ever to understand who the rebels really are: the past week has been marked by severe fighting between JEM and SLA-MM and the Government that has displaced tens of thousands of Darfuris. With new peace efforts facilitated by Qatar to begin soon, the questions of which groups to involve and why are at the forefront. What is clear is that confusion should be no excuse for delay and uncertainty in the peace process.
 

-Nina McMurry, STAND Education Coordinator

If you went the conference, then you know that being on the STAND Leadership Team is a rewarding, fun, and challenging experience. So, if you’re interested in getting more involved with STAND at the national or regional level, then check out some of these openings we have for next semester!

Fundraising Coordinator. The Fundraising Coordinator (FC) helps chapters across the country raise money to put on events and campaigns on their campuses while working to raise funds for STAND at the national level. The FC will coordinate a national fundraiser and create tools and resources to help students fundraise. Contact Nick Gaw at ngaw@standnow.org for more information on the position.

Southwest College ROC. If you attend college in the Southwest Region and love working with chapters in your region, then apply to be the Southwest College Regional Outreach Coordinator (ROC). The Southwest College ROC will communicate with all college chapters in the region, supporting their efforts by providing important information and collecting feedback. Contact Charlotte Hill at chill@standnow.org with questions.

Join the STAND Leadership team today!

Darfur:

The Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has presented evidence asking for the arrest of three rebel commanders for an attack on African Union Peacekeepers in Darfur in 2007. Human rights groups welcomed the move and several Darfur rebel groups vowed to respect the indictments.

The Sudanese Army and Darfur rebels fought in a series of deadly clashes in northern Darfur on Thursday. At least five rebels and one soldier were killed. More reports of clashes came in just yesterday.

The United Nations has been investigating violations of the ceasefire that was declared and then almost immediately allegedly broken last week. Several UN experts have urged increasing and strengthening the arms embargo to Sudan.

Burma:

General Than Shwe re-enforced his commitment to the 7-step "road map to democracy" and warned citizens not to be taken in by nations he considers interventionists.

China has signed two deals with Burma to allow them to use ports to unload their oil and gas to be shipped to China on a 900 mile, yet to be built pipeline.

The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) will soon be asked by the UN Human Rights Council to create a Commission of Inquiry on Burma pending the creation of a human rights body within ASEAN.

Congo:

After talks with UN-designated mediator and former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, Tutsi rebel leader General Laurent Nkunda pulled his forces back from several positions in North Kivu province on Wednesday in order to allow aid into the area. A unilateral ceasefire continued to hold over the weekend, allowing aid workers to enter previously inaccessible areas.

On Thursday, the United Nations Security Council voted unanimously to bolster MONUC, the UN peacekeeping mission in DRC, with the temporary deployment of more than 3,100 additional peacekeeping troops and police. While the development was welcomed, the Congolese government and the EU have suggested that the force’s mandate be expanded as well.

Former head of UN peacekeeping Jean-Marie Guehenno urged the European Union to send "elite" forces to assist MONUC as the reinforcements are being deployed.

At a rally in the captured city of Rutshuru in North Kivu province, attended by over 1,500 people, General Nkunda criticized the planned deployment of peacekeepers, saying they will not bring peace.

George Clooney, David Pressman and John Prendergast speak out in a recent op-ed published in the Wall Street Journal.

The trio argues that the world’s two deadliest wars, Darfur and Democratic Republic of Congo, need to be at the top of President Obama’s list of priorities.  Be sure to read the whole thing, but don’t miss the shout-out:

"While we have each participated in our own way in building an advocacy movement around Darfur, it has been the high-school and college students who have made Darfur a political issue too important to be ignored, and who are now preparing similar campaigns for Congo. It is these same young Americans who voted in large numbers for the new president. They are now ready to be led by a President Obama to build a safer world and a safer Africa."

We have made Darfur a political issue too important to be ignored.  We need to keep that momentum up and direct it at the new administration and the new Congress.