Darfur IDPs leader appeals to Obama

April 3, 2009 — A prominent leader of Darfur refugees has called on the US President to intervene in Darfur for the unconditional return of the international non-governmental aid groups expelled from the region.

Sixteen aid groups were forced out of Northern Sudan after the ICC arrest warrant against President Omer Al-Bashir. A government scheme to “Sudanize” the effort by sending in national aid groups and its own affiliates has been rejected by IDPs, who are refusing the government aid. The UN has also said that the government’s proposal is inadequate compared to the humanitarian arrangement before the ICC decision on March 4.

Hussein Abu Sharati, who heads a network of camp leaders claiming to represent all the refugees and diplaced Darfuri including those in eastern Chad, wrote a direct appeal to President Barack Obama. In addition to the aid issue, he called for disarming Janjaweed militias and removing occupying settlers from the lands of displaced people.

As to the stalled peace process between the rebel groups, civil society and the government, Sharati declared that the camp residents will not participate in the Arab League-backed Qatari mediation initiative, because “these countries don’t even recognize our humanity.” JEM, a major rebel group, recently pulled out from the Qatar-mediated talks, ostensibly over the aid expulsions.

The full text of the letter is below.

Darfur IDPs and Refugees Open Letter to President Obama and his Administration.

Mr. President; Obama from inside our concentrated camps in Darfur and the neighboring countries, with our different social fabric and tribes highly appreciate the due concerns of the American administrations on our crisis since it came to being. Without the American humanitarian assistance to us we would have suffered a lot. From here; we convey our warm greetings to you and your new administration and also for great American nation who put their trust on you and elected you to become their President in times where the world is filled with complicated crises. In fact we are once again very grateful for putting our cause in the top agenda of your government foreign policy; however; still a lot is needed to be done quick and now.

Mr. President, the genocidal government of Sudan burned, completely destroyed our livelihood, killed in hundreds of thousand, raped woman and children in systematically and occupied our land by the Janjaweed militias and the new settlerss. However; without International community respond that is embodied in United Nations and its NGOs and the humanity loving countries; all people of Darfur would have been eliminated on the surface of the earth long ago.

Mr. President; the Khartoum genocidal regime continues to defy the international community on Darfur so as to complete its crimes on people of Darfur whom they believe must be eliminated from the earth. Thus, the genocide master mind President Bashir on his statements continues on his adamant attitudes rejecting the settlement of the crisis. The latest is the current expulsion of the live-giving organizations of the IDPs which is the regime’s final goal and the deadly blow to accelerate our death by slow motion through starvation, malnutrition and diseases.

Mr. President we the IDPs and the refugees, constitute strong and un-deniable materials evidences against the perpetrator. Therefore; Al Bashir and his regime are doing everything in their capability to totally depopulate the traumatized citizens across entire Darfur. After the arrest warrant against Bashir was issued and supported by all peace loving nations, the Arab and Islamic nations instead work to save Bashir from ICC. These countries are those who supported Al-Bashir directly or indirectly to commit these heinous crimes against us.

Mr. President Obama, we are in very desperate and miserable conditions so we demand from you the following
1. We need quick and immediate multi-lateral or uni-lateral intervention to save us from the imminent death.
2. Unconditional return of the international NGOs expelled by the regime.
3. Verified disarmament of the Janjaweed militias to ensure the free flow of humanitarian assistances for us.
4. Remove the new settlers from our occupied lands.
On the issues of political settlement for the conflict Mr. President we would like to inform you that we could not be able to sit on any negotiations table with regime that continues our killing and doesn’t respect the agreements either. Furthermore we will not engage ourselves with Qatari initiative because Qatar is one of the countries that support the perpetrator instead of standing on the side of the victims. In addition to that these countries don’t even recognize our humanity. Hence; they are not neutral to take the position of mediators.

Lastly Mr. President we are against any body or entity who trade with our names therefore we want to make crystal clear to you and your administration that; the only legitimate representative for us the IDPs and refugees in camps; is the Founder and Chairperson of Sudan Liberation Movement/ Army Mr. Abdel Wahid Mohamed Ahmed El nur the defender of our rights. Therefore; we recommend that anything concerning us must be through him.

Thanks Mr. President Obama.

Hussein Abu Sharati
the Spokesman of the IDPs and Refugees in Darfur and Chad

(ST)