July 14 was also the second anniversary of the July 14, 2008 ICC decision to issue an arrest warrant
against the Sudanese President al-Bashir for his role in orchestrating and
perpetrating war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity in Darfur.
At times standing in the rain in front of the White House in
WashingtonDC, human rights groups demanded that the
U.S.
government take responsibility for it influence as a world superpower to bring
Omar Al-Bashir to justice. The protesters chanted "Peace and Justice
in Darfur," "Al-Bashir to the ICC," "War Criminals to the
ICC," and "Peace and Justice in Sudan - Yes We Can," and they
urged President Obama, Vice President Biden, and U.S. Sudan Envoy General Scott
Gration to take serious steps against the genocide of the Omar Al-Bashir
government.
Africa Action protesters provided a banner calling for an end "global
apartheid," and the Damanga coalition's banner called for "Freedom
for
Darfur." R.E.A.L had placards calling for
"Justice and Human Rights for
Darfur" and
"Peace in Sudan Begins with Justice."
Damanga Leader Mohamed Yahya spoke of the need to ensure justice for the
Darfur
people and Sudanese people, and urged the American government to do the right
thing and "make history" by taking action against the genocidal
architects within the Omar Al-Bashir government.
Damanga Leader Mohamed Yahya Speaks
Outside White House
Niemat Ahmadi, with Darfur Women’s Action Group (DWAG) and the Save Darfur
Coalition, spoke to urgency need for action in
Darfur
and thanked the human rights activists for their continued commitment to the
cause of struggling for human right in
Darfur and
Sudan.
Niemat Ahmadi, with Darfur Women’s
Action Group (DWAG) and the Save Darfur Coalition, Speaks
Jimmy Mulla, leader of Voices for
Sudan,
called for the American government to recognize the importance of the July 12
arrest warrant by the ICC for Omar Al-Bashir and to take action to ensure
Al-Bashir faces justice.
Jimmy Mulla, leader of Voices for
Sudan,
Speaks
Meryl Zordanki, with Africa Action and Our Humanity in the Balance, led
protester chants, and called for the American government to recognize the need
for justice to achieve peace in
Sudan.
Meryl Zordanki, with
Africa
Action and Our Humanity in the Balance Speaks
Jeffrey Imm, founder of Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.), led
protester chants calling for justice in
Darfur and
Sudan,
and spoke of the need for all people to act against genocide as a fundamental
violation to human rights. Jeffrey Imm stated that "just like we
rejected Adolf Hitler, so we also reject Omar Al-Bashir." He stated
that "genocide is our problem," and that just like we cannot have
peace and security without justice anywhere in the world, we must have justice
to achieve peace and security in
Sudan.
He called for the American government to action against those responsible for
genocide, and stated that enforcing our universal human rights is a law
enforcement responsibility for the governments of the world, and is part of our
shared responsibility for equality and liberty.
Damanga Leader Mohamed Yahya thanked all of the volunteers at the protest,
including the student protesters that are always there in support of
Sudan
and
Darfur human rights issues. Mohamed Yahya
urged all Americans to be part of history by making such human rights issues a
priority in their government and their lives, and seeking to bring justice to
those responsible for genocide.
Damanga's Mohamed Yahya Speaks at
White House
Protesters at White House in
Support of Justice in
Darfur and
Sudan
Protesters Listen as Damanga's
Mohamed Yahya Speaks on "Historic"
Opportunity
for Justice in
Darfur and
Sudan
Over 400,000 have been killed in
Darfur,
countless women have been raped and abused in
Darfur,
and there are an estimated 2.6 million Internally Displaced Persons (IDP)
at risk. Despite an abundance of oil and other natural resources
controlled by the Omar Al-Bashir government, the vast majority of Sudan’s
people live in poverty, and many children die daily from malnutrition and
poverty.
Omar Al-Bashir Charged with Three
Counts of Genocide by the ICC (Photo:
AFP/Getty
Images)
Responsible for
Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) stands with those seeking justice and peace
in
Sudan and
Darfur,
in support of our universal human rights. R.E.A.L. knows that such human
rights are mere words if we are not accountable for upholding them. Such
responsibility includes holding those responsible for genocide accountable for
their actions. We call for all of our fellow human beings to speak out on
the tragedy in
Darfur and
Sudan,
and to be consistently responsible for equality and liberty.
