Dear Members of Congress,
/Last week, we dropped off a packet of information at your office in DC about the ongoing protests in Sudan. We asked you to please stand with the people of Sudan as they struggle for freedom, justice and democracy. We appreciate tweets by Sen. Rubio, Rep. Bonamici, Rep. Crow, and the House Foreign Affairs Committee. In addition, we are grateful for Sen. Booker's recent video statement. If you have made a statement on social media or elsewhere, please let us know so that we can spread your message and encourage the people of Sudan.
We understand, from a facebook post by Yasir Arman, that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made a statement yesterday on Alhurra TV and "expressed his sympathy for the Sudanese people in the difficult times they are going through and said he hoped that the voices of the Sudanese people would be listened to and that the Sudanese themselves, rather than foreign forces, would make the transition."
Last week, we also asked you to please urge the State Department to expel Mohammed Atta, the current Charge d'Affairs at the Sudan Embassy who was the head of Sudan's security before coming to the U.S. By law, Atta should have been denied a visa because of his involvement in serious crimes such as genocide, torture and religious persecution. In addition, he is a security risk given his longstanding relationship with terrorist organizations. We appreciate the December statement by Sen. Menendez and Sen. Leahy calling for Atta's expulsion.
We are writing today to invite you to a protest and freedom march organized by Sudanese in America to support the people of Sudan who are risking their lives for a better future.
Date: Saturday, February 16, 2019
Time:
12pm Program at the Capitol
3pm March to the White House
Please find enclosed additional information about the situation in Sudan for your reference. If we can answer any questions, please let us know.
Best regards,
Esther Sprague
Founder/Director
Sudan Unlimited
Enclosed
Statement by Lord Alton on February 14, 2019 calling on the UK to discontinue its dialogue with the Sudan government
Presentation by Yasir Arman at Oxford University on February 8, 2019, "The Sudanese Revolution: A Different Political Landscape and a New Generation Baptized in the Struggle for Change"Independent Movement - full list of Sudanese killed and arrested as of February 3, 2019
Independent Movement - full list of Sudanese killed and arrested as of February 3, 2019
The Arab Media Network for Crisis condemns the abduction and detention of journalists and the continued security control of newspapers
Sudan Doctors Syndicate New Trends of Violence Against Civil Protestors in Sudan
Human Rights Watch - Sudan: Video Footage Shows Extreme Violence, Abuse, UN Investigation of Response to Protests Urgently Needed
African Arguments - Sudan: A genuine, peaceful people’s revolution in the making
BBC Africa - Sudan’s Secret Hit Squads Used to Attack Protests