Kalma Refugee Camp in Darfur reacts to Gration’s Appeasement Approach

August 5, 2009

All members of the Damanga Coalition for Freedom and Democracy offer their support and encouragement to the Internally Displaced People living in the Kalma Camp in Darfur.  Despite the harshness of their circumstances, these people continue to speak up for IDPs and are today speaking out against Gen. Gration’s apparent appeasement of al-Bashir and his regime. 

The 90,000 residents of this camp, along with those living in the Western Darfur camps of Abu-Zar and Riyadh, have long been a loud voice for the IDPs of Darfur.  In March, after the government expelled humanitarian organizations, residents in Kalma Camp went on an ‘aid-strike’ and refused to accept any supplies lest the Khartoum regime have an excuse to say the aid agencies were unnecessary.  Recently, residents met Deputy Joint Special Representative of UNAMID Henry Anyidoho whom they told of their terrible living conditions.  It is now the rainy season in the region and the camp has been flooded in recent weeks, further aggravating an already difficult situation.  The Western Darfur camps have also demonstrated in support of the International Criminal Court’s indictment of al-Bashir.  These acts of resistance were met with renewed Janjaweed attacks and the destruction of more residences but the voice of these brave people stays strong. 

We at Damanga are proud to stand in solidarity with the people of the Kalma, Abu-Zar and Riyadh camps as we all speak up for the rights of Darfuri people.
Please sign the petition in support of the Kalma demonstration here:

http://www.petitiononline.com/kalma/petition.html