Sudan Action Campaign

Since news of the genocide emerged in 2004, AJWS has been at the forefront of the campaign to bring Darfur and Sudan into the national and international political spotlight and to the top of the American Jewish agenda. AJWS co-founded the Save Darfur Coalition and, as current chair of the Interfaith Sudan Working Group and a campaign partner in Sudan Now, continues to lead the Jewish and interfaith communities and collaborate with other advocacy organizations to bring an end to the bloodshed. Donate now to support Darfur and Sudan relief.

• Violence in Darfur
• Since 2003, the government of Sudan and its proxy militia, the Janjaweed, have conducted a counter-insurgency operation against rebel groups in the Darfur region of western Sudan. Targeting communities that share the same ethnicity as the rebels, government forces and Janjaweed continue to terrorize and kill civilians, rape women and girls, burn villages and drive innocent people from their homes. It is estimated that more than 450,000 people have died because of the conflict, and insecurity continues to threaten the approximately 3 million refugees and internally displaced persons living both in Sudan and across the border in Chad.
• In March 2009 and again in July 2010, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for war crimes, crimes against humanity and three counts of genocide. Al-Bashir retaliated against the civilian population by expelling humanitarian aid agencies providing vital services to Darfuris.
• Ongoing Conflict in Sudan
• Darfur is but one conflict in Sudan. For over two decades, a brutal civil war raged between President al-Bashir’s government in Khartoum and the southern rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army, leaving approximately 2 million people dead and 4 million displaced.
• In 2005, a Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed by both sides ended the fighting and established an interim period through July 2011 to test the viability of unity between North and South. As dictated by the CPA, a historic referendum on independence for the South would occur on January 9, 2011. Although many outstanding issues remained, the voting took place on-time and in relative peace. Six months later, on July 9, 2011 the Republic of South Sudan became an independent nation. Though the lead up to the South’s independence was marred by abhorrent violence perpetrated by the Khartoum government in border areas, particularly in the Nuba Mountains, the separation occurred in jubilant fashion. Dignitaries from around the world, including a high-level U.S. delegation, were on hand in Juba for this historic occasion.
• See Darfur photos by AJWS representatives in the field.
• Read more about AJWS’s work on Darfur and Sudan.

• AJWS signed a letter with other human rights, religious, humanitarian, anti-genocide and peace organizations calling on the Members of the House and Senate State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee to fully fund the President’s Fiscal Year 2013 federal budget requests for conflict prevention and civilian protection programs.
• As part of the Prevention and Protection Working Group, AJWS sent a letter to President Obama thanking him for his Presidential Study Directive on genocide prevention.
• A New Nation is Born
• On July 9th the Republic of South Sudan was officially born. After suffering through two brutal civil wars and amidst border violence and a host of outstanding issues still to be settled, Southern Sudanese celebrated their independence. The United States delegation was led by Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice and consisted of dignitaries such as former Secretary of State Collin Powell.
  
  American Jewish World Service welcomed South Sudan, and joined with partners in the Sudan Now campaign in calling for intensified U.S. leadership in response to recent violence.
• Peace in Both Sudans
• The United States led a concerted international diplomatic effort to secure a peaceful referendum for southern independence, but that success is now at risk. Without a change in the U.S. approach, Sudan's internal strife will become an international conflict that could threaten the wider stability of the region. The recently released paper Peace in Both Sudans lays out what United States can do to ensure a lasting peace in North and South Sudan.
  
  AJWS and organizations concerned about the situation in Sudan wrote to President Obama asking him to stand by his promise to meet the Sudanese government’s aggression and obstruction with consequences.

• Visit our Action Center and get involved.
Support the Sudan Peace, Security and Accountability Act




With renewed conflict between Sudan and the newly independent Republic of South Sudan, the time for Congress to raise its voice is now. Congress must act to help bring stability to Sudan and ensure that there is accountability for those working against the interests of peace in the region.

• Support Sudan Relief
• AJWS has established strong partnerships with local organizations and is directly supporting community-led initiatives in Darfur. Please donate to the Sudan Relief and Advocacy Fund today to support our humanitarian aid, education and advocacy work.
• Learn more about the Sudan Relief and Advocacy Fund
• Divest Yourself
• AJWS is part of a national campaign encouraging mutual fund companies to make investments genocide-free. An overwhelming majority of Americans support this type of investing. You can help by examining your personal investments, urging major financial institutions to divest from problematic companies or voting with your proxy ballot at shareholder meetings.
• Learn more about divesting from our partners Investors Against Genocide.
• Send a message to mutual fund companies today.