Beat the Sudan Regime at its Own Game

Dear Members of Congress,

Burhan told reporters today that he staged a coup for the good of the country. According to an Aljazeera article, Burhan said:

“The dangers we witnessed last week could have led the country into civil war,” al-Burhan said, an apparent reference to demonstrations against the prospect of a coup. “We only wanted to correct the course to a transition,” he said. “We had promised the people of Sudan and the entire world. We will protect this transition.”

As military representatives of the old regime, Burhan and Hemedti (his Deputy) are close colleagues of Bashir, and they know the playbook to stay in power.

1) Create a problem to solve a problem: manipulation 101

Bashir would harm people and then sometimes allow aid into the country. The world would rejoice, Bashir would get credit, and the international community would avoid applying any real pressure to maintain the little access it had been granted. Bashir remained in power and the people continued to suffer.

This time, the play is carried out in a couple of ways, one more subtle than the other. The more obvious way is to create the divisions that would then justify Burhan's "correction" to avoid civil war. The less obvious way is to use members of the old regime still within the government (they didn't disappear overnight) to block progress and to create disatisfaction with the transitional government. Again, creating this supposed need for "correction." As expected, the transitional government has problems; however, no problem justified the actions of Burhan and Hemedti. They are hoping the international community will buy their story. Please do not.

2) Divide and rule: a little money and a few promises go a long way

This play seems to always work and it means that millions of Sudanese have died and been displaced. Hemedti is hoping the gold he has stolen talks. But today, I heard an inspiring Sudanese youth say, "We have different skin tones and languages, but we are united under one banner - our love for our country, our love for Sudan." Stand beside these young people, the largest demographic in Sudan, who are risking their lives to peacefully protest. Support their vision of a Sudan where their diversity is celebrated rather than used as a weapon of war.

3) Sign but never honor agreements: the international community will lose interest or prioritize its own interests

In 1992, Sudan's former Vice President, Abdel Alier, wrote a book titled, Southern Sudan: Too Many Agreements Dishonored, in reference to the many promises made under pressure by the international community to address the grievances of the people of southern Sudan. Inevitably, the pressure would wane, allowing the regime to disregard its promises and maintain the status quo. We saw this with the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement and with multiple agreements in the marginalized areas. Without a different approach, we will see it again with the current Political Agreement and the Juba Peace Agreement.

The U.S. has many serious issues to grapple with and likely some conflicting interests, but ultimately, U.S. interests are best served by supporting the people of Sudan in acheiving genuine democratic transformation. The first step is assigning full-time senior level diplomats to Sudan. Senator Biden said it best in a 2007 hearing on Darfur: U.S. policy on Sudan requires “a comprehensive approach to what is a complex problem…that will require the kind of resources, coordination, and sustained engagement at the highest levels.” The U.S. has spent a lot of money in aid over the years, paying for, in part, its own neglect and mismanagement. The people of Sudan have paid an even higher price. The U.S. needs to get it right this time.

4) The charm offensive: tell them what they want to hear in the way they want to hear it

It never takes long for the regime to neutralize the international community. They are charming, sophisticated and fairly organized. They are much easier to deal with than a group of revolutionaries who must overcome the effects of the above referenced practice of divide and rule. The regime has been at this game for decades and they know the international community wants to move on and is willing to sacrifice ideals for "stability". The people of Sudan deserve better. Their remarkable courage, sacrifices and achievements to overcome tyranny for freedom, peace and justice should resonate in our hearts. The transition will not be easy. We can stick with the people of Sudan anyway.

Thank you for taking time to read through these thoughts. It has been an honor for me to learn from the people of Sudan over the years, and I hope the lessons they have taught me will be of use to you.

Best regards,

Esther Sprague
Sudan Unlimited
10.27.21

The Rest of the Story

Dear Members of Congress,

Please find attached a letter to Secretary Pompeo signed by 100 human rights organizations, scholars, prominent activists and retired Congressman Frank Wolf.

The letter urges the United States to avoid direct engagement with Hemeti, the leader of the Janjaweed/Rapid Support Forces in Sudan, because of the crimes he has led and continues to commit.

Those who signed the letter fully appreciate the current situation in Sudan. It is important for the U.S. to support the steps that the new Prime Minister and members of his cabinet are taking to establish laws and institutions that will serve as the foundation for genuine change in Sudan. Unfortunately that is not the whole story in Sudan and the rest of the story cannot be ignored.

The rest of the story is a military that has control of Sudan and is led by Hemeti. These dangerous actors have a long history of holding the international community hostage because of the threat they pose. The United States has tremendous leverage in Sudan and it must not acquiesce to a facade that ultimately grants impunity and tragically undermines the goals of the Sudanese people. The skilled diplomats of the United States are capable of sending a very clear message to Hemeti and the rest of the world without creating a dangerous situation or undermining progress. We believe this message will strengthen the peaceful movement inside Sudan and support U.S. priorities of international peace and security.

We would greatly appreciate your support of the letter by conveying its message to the Administration.

Best regards,

Esther

LETTER TO SECRETARY POMPEO

September 24, 2019



The Honorable Mike Pompeo
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street, NW
Washington, DC   20520

Dear Secretary Pompeo,

We, the undersigned 100 human rights organizations, scholars and leading activists, strongly urge the Administration to establish a policy that prohibits representatives and employees of the U.S. government from engaging with Sudanese General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo also known as “Hemeti.” 

Hemeti, the commander of the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary force formerly known as the “Janjaweed,” is responsible for organizing and committing horrific violence against the men, women and children of Sudan.  Despite his role in terrorizing the country, Hemeti sits on the new Sovereign Council that is charged with leading Sudan through a 39-month transition period to elections.

While we urge the U.S. to remain intensely engaged in supporting the people of Sudan to achieve freedom, justice, equal citizenship and genuine peace, engaging with Hemeti sends the wrong message.  It provides a sense of legitimacy and defacto impunity to one of Sudan’s worst offenders.  Hemeti is not a legitimate leader but rather a dangerous criminal who should be sanctioned by the U.S. and referred to the International Criminal Court for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.  

With an eleven-member Sovereign Council and a new Prime Minister, the U.S. has many avenues of influence in Sudan.  Engaging with Hemeti is not required.  Just as the U.S. refused to engage with former President Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for the same crimes, the U.S. must also refuse to engage with Hemeti. 

Sincerely,

Act for Sudan, Eric Cohen, Co-Founder, USA
Frank Wolf, Member of Congress 1981-2014, Retired
ACROSS, Elisama Daniel, Executive Director, Nairobi, Kenya
Adil Abdel Aati, Sudan of the Future Block, Sudan
Aicha Elbasri, Former Spokesperson for the United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID)
African Freedom Coalition, Al Sutton M.D., President, New York, NY
African Soul, American Heart, Debra Dawson, President and CEO, Fargo, ND
American African Foundation Against Torture, Zain Alabdeen A Osman, President, Schenectady, NY
Beja Organization for Human Rights and Development, Ibrahim Ahmed, President and Co-Founder, Fairfax, VA
Brooklyn Coalition for Darfur & Marginalized Sudan, Laura Limuli, Coordinator, Brooklyn, NY
Charles Flowerday, CEO, C. Flowerday Communications, Formerly Editor/Comm. Ofcr., Conserv. and Survey Div./School of Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Omaha, NE
Christian Solidarity Worldwide, London, , UK
Coalition Against Global Genocide (CoAGG), Linda Farb, Board Chair, and Roz Duman, Founder/Executive Director, Denver, CO
Claire Vera, Nuba Now, UK
Coalition of Advocates for South Sudan, Bill Andress, Executive Secretary, Lexington, SC
Comité Soudan, Diagne Chanel, Présidente, Paris, France
Concerned Citizens for Change, Gene Binder, Member Steering Committee, Bronx, NY
DAAM-UK, Ali AM Hussein, Co-ordinator, London, UK
Darfur Action Group, Austin Watson, Darfur Action Group, Hendersonville, NC
Darfur Action Group of South Carolina, Richard Sribnick, MD, President, Columbia, SC
Darfur and Beyond, Cory Williams, Co-Founder, Phoenix, AZ
Darfur Interfaith Network, Martha Boshnick, Co-Chair, Washington, DC
David Alton, Professor the Lord Alton, Independent Crossbench Peer, London, UK
Dear Sudan Love Marin, Gerri Miller, Founder and Coordinator, Tiburon, CA
Doctors to the World, Nuba Mountains, The Sudan, C. Louis "pj" Perrinjaquet, MD, MPH, Medical Director, Breckenridge, CO
Dr. Gregory H. Stanton, Founding President, Genocide Watch, McLean, VA
Dr. Robert K. Hitchcock, Kalahari Peoples Fund (Austin, TX), Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
Dr. Samuel Totten, Professor Emeritus, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Author of Genocide by Attrition: Nuba Mountains, Sudan
Ellen J. Kennedy, Ph.D., Executive Director, World Without Genocide at Mitchell Hamline School of Law, St. Paul, MN
Empowerment Through Education (ETE), Micklina Kenyi, Executive Director, Boulder, CO
Enough Project, Ian Schwab, Director of Advocacy and Impact Strategy, Washington, DC
Eric Reeves, Sudan research, analysis, advocacy, asylum representation, , Northampton, MA
Faith J.H. McDonnell, Director, International Religious Liberty Program, Institute on Religion and Democracy, Washington, DC
Genocide No More - Save Darfur, Marv Steinberg, Coordinator, Redding, CA
Gill Lusk (Ms.), Writer on Sudan, London, UK
Help Nuba, Rabbi David Kaufman, Des Moines, IA
Henry C. Theriault, Ph.D., President, International Association of Genocide Scholars
Human Rights and Development Organization (HUDO Centre), Bushra Gamar Hussein, Executive Director, Kampala, Uganda
Idaho Darfur Coalition, Boise, ID
Institute for Sustainable Peace, Randall Butler, CEO, Boulder, CO
Investors Against Genocide, Susan Morgan, Co-Founder, San Francisco, CA
Ipswich Community Action, Lakshmi Linda Sirois, Co-Organizer, Ipswich, MA
Jewish World Watch, Susan Freudenheim, Executive Director, Los Angeles, CA
Jews Against Genocide, USA, Sharon Silber, Co-Founder, New York, NY
John Hubbel Weiss, Associate Professor Emeritus, Cornell University; Founder/Director, Darfur Action Group, Cornell
Joining Our Voices, Slater Armstrong, Director, Baton Rouge, LA
Learning Victory, Inc., Ariik Nyok, MPA, Executive Director, Long Island City, NY
Mary Jane Rein, Ph.D., Executive Director, Strassler Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Clark University
Massachusetts Coalition to Save Darfur, William Rosenfeld, Director, Boston, MA
Mercy Beyond Borders, Sr. Marilyn Lacey, Executive Director, Santa Clara, CA
Mohamed Yassin Khalifa, Educator & Human Rights Activist, Boston, MA
Mohaned Elnour, Director, Justice Centre for Advocacy and Legal Consultations (JCALC), Khartoum, Sudan
Mosaab Baba, Independent Researcher, Nairobi, Kenya
Nancy Dawod, Sudan Activist, Eugene, OR
Never Again Coalition, Lauren Fortgang, Director, Portland, OR
New Sudan Council of Churches, Benjamin Barnaba, Executive Director, Juba City, Central Equatoria, South Sudan
New York Coalition for Sudan, Eileen Weiss, Co-Founder, New York, NY
New York Darfur Vigil Group, Helga Moore, Co-ordinator, New York, NY
Nuba Christian Family Mission, Spencer Flournoy, Director, Denver, CO
Nuba Mountain Peace Coalition, Tito El Gassai, Representative, Dallas, TX
Nubia Project, Nuraddin Abdulmannan, President, USA
Nubian Language Society, Nubantood Khalil, Washington, DC
Operation Broken Silence, Mark C. Hackett, Executive Director, Memphis, TN
Our Humanity in the Balance, Terry Nickelson, Executive Director, Deming, NM
Paul Slovic, Lane County Darfur Coalition, Eugene, OR
People4Sudan, Geneva, Switzerland
Persecution Project Foundation, Bradford Phillips, President, Culpeper, VA
Pittsburgh Darfur Emergency Coalition, David Rosenberg, Coordinator, Pittsburgh, PA
Pius K. Kamau MD, General Surgery,President, AAHEP (Africa America Higher Education Partnership), Aurora, CO
Regional Centre for Training and Development of Civil Society, Mutaal Girshab, Director General, Khartoum, Sudan
Rev. Heidi McGinness, International Peacemaker, Omaha, NE
Reverend Ronald D. Culmer, St. Clare's Episcopal Church, Pleasanton, CA
Rights for Peace Foundation, Osman Naway Habila, Director, Kansas City, MO and Kampala, Uganda
San Francisco Bay Area Darfur Coalition, Mohamed Suleiman, President, San Francisco, CA
Save The Persecuted Christians, Dede Laugesen, Executive Director, Monument, CO
Seif Barsham, Human Rights Activist, Boston, MA
South Sudan Civil Society Alliance (SSCSA), Keluel Agok, Secretary General, Juba, South Sudan
South Sudan Community in Norway, Alakai Joseph Sekwat, Chairman, Norway
STAND: The student-led movement to end mass atrocities, Grace Fernandes, Student Director, Washington, DC
Stop Genocide Now, Los Angeles, CA
Sudan of the Future, Rudwan Dawod, Vice President, Khartoum, Sudan
Sudan Relief and Rehabilitation Agency, Ishraga Ahmed Khamis, Blue Nile State, Sudan
Sudan Unlimited, Esther Sprague, Founder and Director, San Francisco, CA
Sudanese Women Rights Action, Huda Ali, Programs Director, Kampala, Uganda
The African Middle Eastern Leadership Project (AMEL), Mohamed Abubakr, President, Washington, DC
The Baroness Cox, Independent Member, House of Lords, UK Parliament, London, UK
The Rt. Reverend Julian M. Dobbs, Bishop, Anglican Diocese of The Living Word​, Manassas, VA
The Center for Democracy and Peace, Sabri Elshareef, Executive Director, New Jersey, NJ
The Elsa-Gopa Trust, Nell Okie, Director, Madison, CT
The Jerusalem Center for Genocide Prevention (JC4GP), Yael Stein MD, Co-Founder, Jerusalem, Israel
The MagkaSama Project, France
The People's Portfolio
The Rt. Reverend Julian M. Dobbs, Bishop, Anglican Diocese of The Living Word​, Manassas, VA
The Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA), Khartoum, Sudan
Thomas Kühne, Ph.D, Director, Strassler Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Strassler Professor of Holocaust History, Clark University, Worcester, MA, USA
Unite for Darfur Organization, Bahar Arabie, CEO, Gaithersburg, MD
Victoria Sanford, PhD,Professor of Anthropology, Lehman College, Director, Center for Human Rights and Peace Studies, Doctoral Faculty, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, Bronx, NY, USA
Voice for Change (VFC), Lona James Elia, Juba, Yei River State, South Sudan
Voice of Darfur Women, UK
Waging Peace, Rebecca Tinsley, Founder, London, UK

cc: Amb. Tibor P. Nagy, Jr., Assistant Secretary, Bureau of African Affairs
Amb. Donald Booth, Special Envoy for

Can Sudan Achieve Peace and Democratic Transition?

Dear Members of Congress,

Thank you for passing important legislation to support the people of Sudan. Your focus on Sudan is very much appreciated as the struggle for freedom, justice and genuine peace continues.

Below is a link to an article by Rosalind Marsden, a British diplomat who was the European Union Special Representative to Sudan from 2010 to 2013. She is currently an Associate Fellow in the Africa Programme at Chatham House. The article provides a comprehensive overview of the current situation in Sudan and it highlights the important role for the US and the international community.

Can Sudan Achieve Peace and Democratic Transition?
https://www.chathamhouse.org/expert/comment/can-sudan-achieve-peace-and-democratic-transition

The final two paragraphs of the article read:

Robust support for security sector reform, as well as political and economic restructuring should be prioritized by the international community if there is to be any prospect of democratic transition, development and stability. Given its size and strategic geopolitical position, the stakes in Sudan and for the wider region are high.

With its vibrant civil society, plural political environment and new social forces, Sudan has a unique opportunity to embrace democratic transition and equal citizenship. If this opening is wasted, the country could be plunged into further chaos or revert to military dictatorship.

Best regards,

Esther
Sudan Unlimited

Lessons Learned

Dear Members of Congress,

Your quick response to the calls for freedom and justice inside Sudan reflected lessons learned from decades of engagement in addressing the genocides in southern Sudan, Darfur and the Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile. Those lessons learned meant that the approach to Sudan this time must be comprehensive, it must address the root cause of the crisis, and it must have a financial impact on those imposing their will at great cost to the people of Sudan.

With the signing of the agreement between the military council and the Forces of Freedom and Change, it is important to recall another set of critical lessons. First, the Bashir regime, which the military council is an extension of, never honored the agreements it signed unless - the second lesson - it was forced to by the international community. It is important to remember that even when forced to comply, the regime managed to manipulate agreements to their advantage and not for the benefit (and often to the detriment) of the people of Sudan.

I am referring, in particular, to the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). Under great pressure, the regime honored secession of southern Sudan while utterly disregarding the goal of the CPA, democratic transformation of the state, and every other component of the CPA such as upholding the principles of the agreement and fulfilling the rights of the citizens of Abyei, the Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile. Subsequently the regime undermined peace in South Sudan and it never honored later agreements for Darfur, the Blue Nile and the Nuba Mountains.

The vision, hearts and minds of the military council have not changed overnight. The military council has been pressured by the people of Sudan and the international community to cooperate. They are counting on history to repeat itself. They are expecting the international community to lose interest or to focus on their own short-sighted interests (such as the war on terror or curbing immigration) to allow compromises that maintain the status quo. This time, with your help, it can be different and the people of Sudan can experience the genuine change that millions have suffered and died for.

Signing an agreement should not take the pressure off the military council but only increase it. The goal is not a signed agreement but rather genuine freedom, justice, and equal citizenship. Until the people of Sudan truly enjoy a new Sudan, your vigilance and support are still required.

Respectfully,

Esther
Sudan Unlimited