Sudanese civil society leaders make call to “seize the final opportunity”
By Melanie Teff Wed, 02/11/2009 - 19:17The decision to issue an arrest warrant for President Al-Bashir of Sudan by the International Criminal Court (ICC) has been the source of many intense discussions here in Sudan at the moment. This will be the first ICC arrest warrant ever issued for a sitting president. Since I arrived in Sudan a couple of weeks ago I have talked with many Sudanese people who are members of civil society and human rights organizations, most of whom are no fans of their president, but who have varying views on the indictment.
Guest Blogger: Senator Edward M. Kennedy on Iraqi Refugees
By Senator Edward M. Kennedy Mon, 02/09/2009 - 17:27
After the bombing of the Samarra mosque northwest of Baghdad in 2006, a massive exodus and displacement of Iraqis began. Refugees International called it, “the world’s fastest growing refugee crisis.” Millions of Iraqi men, women and children fled their homes and country to escape the violence in a nation increasingly at war with itself. They had no refugee camps to go to, where stark television images might have alerted the world to their plight; they were hiding in the slums of urban areas, nearly invisible.
The U.S. couldn’t have solved this problem alone, but we had a responsibility to do more than we did to prevent further destabilization of the region, relieve suffering and save lives.
Many of us tried to do more. We organized a hearing to bring Iraqis before Congress. They told chilling stories about being targeted by sectarian death squads because of their faith or their association with the United States. We passed the Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act to increase the number of Iraqis who could be resettled in this country. We also provided hundreds of millions of dollars to help Iraqi refugees obtain food, education, shelter and health care.
The U.S. couldn’t have solved this problem alone, but we had a responsibility to do more than we did to prevent further destabilization of the region, relieve suffering and save lives.
Many of us tried to do more. We organized a hearing to bring Iraqis before Congress. They told chilling stories about being targeted by sectarian death squads because of their faith or their association with the United States. We passed the Refugee Crisis in Iraq Act to increase the number of Iraqis who could be resettled in this country. We also provided hundreds of millions of dollars to help Iraqi refugees obtain food, education, shelter and health care.
Gain the Trust of the Afghan People
By Patrick Duplat Wed, 02/04/2009 - 02:00
Vice President Joe Biden visited Afghanistan just one week before the inauguration, indicating the new administration’s foreign policy priorities. It is clear that America’s “to do” list in Afghanistan is a long one. But the first order of business should be regaining the trust of Afghans.
After seven years of international presence, the country is still facing tremendous challenges: a weak government, a fledging economy, a serious humanitarian situation and a growing insurgency. As the Vice President himself said on his return, "The truth is that things are going to get tougher in Afghanistan before they're going to get better.”
President’s Corner: Holbrooke’s Challenge in Afghanistan and Pakistan
By Kenneth Bacon Mon, 01/26/2009 - 16:03
Richard Holbrooke, the Obama administration’s special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, knows first hand that peacemaking can be dangerous and difficult. He dedicated To End A War, his book on the negotiations that ended the war in the Balkans 15 years ago, to three colleagues who died in the early stages of that effort.
In announcing the appointment last week, President Obama said: “There is no answer in Afghanistan that does not confront the Al Qaida and Taliban bases along the border, and there will be no lasting peace unless we expand spheres of opportunity for the people of Afghanistan and Pakistan.”
South Sudan: The Victory that the World Forgot
By Erin Weir Fri, 01/09/2009 - 20:03
Today marks the fourth anniversary of the end of Sudan’s civil war between the north and the south. For two decades armed actors manifested a capacity for calculated brutality and imposition of human suffering on a level that defies description or reasonable comprehension.
Four years after the parties agreed to lay down their weapons there are two important lessons to keep in mind.
The first is that ‘peace’ is not just an absence of war, and that peace-building takes more than just the handshakes and photo-ops that exemplify the signing of accords. The second is that peace is always possible, even when it is impossible to conceive of how to get there.
The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was the result of a massive diplomatic push by Sudanese leaders and by the international community, led in large part by the United States. The agreement itself is strong, but far reaching and ambitious.
This year, however, Sudan stands on the brink of a potentially volatile period in the implementation of that agreement. We have just entered into the year designated for the first countrywide democratic election, and elections always have the potential to cause controversy and instability.
Four years after the parties agreed to lay down their weapons there are two important lessons to keep in mind.
The first is that ‘peace’ is not just an absence of war, and that peace-building takes more than just the handshakes and photo-ops that exemplify the signing of accords. The second is that peace is always possible, even when it is impossible to conceive of how to get there.
The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was the result of a massive diplomatic push by Sudanese leaders and by the international community, led in large part by the United States. The agreement itself is strong, but far reaching and ambitious.
This year, however, Sudan stands on the brink of a potentially volatile period in the implementation of that agreement. We have just entered into the year designated for the first countrywide democratic election, and elections always have the potential to cause controversy and instability.
President’s Corner: The Risk of Radicalized Refugees
By Kenneth Bacon Mon, 12/22/2008 - 18:07President-elect Barack Obama believes that displacement poses both humanitarian and security problems. A recent article in The New York Times illustrates this point by describing problems caused by angry youths in Sudanese refugee camps.
Some 2.7 million people in the Darfur region of Sudan have been displaced by five years of civil war, and many of them live in vast camps. “Increasingly angry and outspoken about their uncertain fate, the generation that came of age in the camps is challenging the traditional sheiks, upending the age-old authority structure of their tribal society and complicating efforts to achieve peace,” The Times reported over the weekend.
The story caught my eye because it highlights a serious problem: long stays in camps—either as refugees out of their countries or displaced within their own countries—can radicalize youth. We have seen this over the years with Palestinians and with Afghan refugees, and we could well see it with displaced Iraqi youths who are living in increasingly desperate conditions.
Southern Sudan: Struggling towards Recovery
By Vanessa Parra Fri, 12/05/2008 - 20:33Today, nearly four years after the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended over 26 years of brutal civil war, southern Sudan continues to be a place of acute poverty and underdevelopment. Juba, the capital of the south, is a town consisting of ramshackle, hastily put together homes and a steady stream of goats and dust through what could charitably be considered streets.
Time for Change in U.S. Approach to Women's Rights Worldwide
By Melanie Teff Tue, 11/25/2008 - 20:48Today marks the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and the beginning of the annual 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence.
President’s Corner: Obama, Darfur, Refugees and Diplomacy
By Kenneth Bacon Wed, 11/05/2008 - 20:21All around the world people want to know how American policy will change when Barack Obama becomes president. I expect greater U.S. engagement on two humanitarian crises—Darfur and Iraqi displacement.
Somalia: Seeking refuge in Djibouti
By Patrick Duplat Fri, 10/24/2008 - 01:00
We met Hassan, a young Djiboutian working in a store, on our first day in the country. As we were chatting, we explained why we came to Djibouti and our desire to talk with Somali refugees. “They’re our brothers and sisters,” he said, “and you can find them everywhere.”
Refugees International (RI) advocates for lifesaving assistance and protection for displaced people and promotes solutions to displacement crises.
We are an independent organization, and do not accept any government or UN funding.
We are an independent organization, and do not accept any government or UN funding.