June 2012

5 Stories You Might Have Missed This Week

A weekly round-up of must-read stories, posted every Friday.  Read More »

Security Forces Crack Down on Journalists and Activists in Sudan

As anti-regime protests in Sudan enter their second week, the government is cracking down on activists and journalists. Security forces have used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds and have detained hundreds of protesters since demonstrations began at the University of Khartoum on June 16. The most recent display of government force has been its systematic suppression of the media and recent reports of a shutdown of internet and cellphone access in Khartoum.  Read More »

Darfur Dream Team Co-hosts World Refugee Day Celebration

On Saturday, June 23, more than 200 community members gathered in the greater Washington, D.C., area for a celebration in honor of World Refugee Day. The Enough Project’s Darfur Dream Team Sister Schools Program, or DDT,and Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area, or LSS/NCA, co-hosted the event, which included international music, art, and food in honor of global refugees and those who have resettled in the greater D.C. community.  Read More »

Microsoft, General Electric, and Motorola Solutions Break from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Conflict Minerals

Throughout the month of June, three major companies broke ranks from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, announcing that they do not support its stance against Section 1502 of the Dodd-Frank Act. These announcements came at the heels of an extensive grassroots advocacy campaign, with Raise Hope for Congo and Global Witness activists urging companies to step up for 1502. Such outspokenness from industry leaders comes as a huge success to the conflict minerals movement, and more companies should follow suit.  Read More »

North-South Negotiations Break for Consultations with Presidents Kiir and Bashir

Negotiations between the governments of Sudan and South Sudan adjourned today after the Sudanese government requested time to return to Khartoum for high-level political consultations with President Omar al-Bashir and other key leadership. South Sudanese representatives also left Addis Ababa to hold similar consultations in Juba. The expectation is that the two sides will return to Addis Ababa on July 5 for three days of meetings, during which they will present readouts from their respective consultations.  Read More »

Two Sudans Dispatch: Abyei in Flux

“I ran because I saw many militias and SAF,” said Malak Miyen, an elderly Ngok Dinka man. “I survived because of God.” Malak was in Abyei town when Sudan government forces and allied militias violently took over the Abyei territory in May 2011, in response to alleged South Sudan army provocation. For over a year, he has been displaced in a town 37 kilometers south of Abyei town called Agok. A new Enough Project field dispatch, “Abyei In Flux,” examines the current security and political dynamics, and communities’ sentiments on the ground, as the contested area’s population returns home.  Read More »

Who Said What? A Guide to Understanding the Latest U.N. Report on Congo

Well before the United Nations Group of Experts released its interim report on the current situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on June 21, it had created a massive stir. Details of the investigation had been leaked, revealing that evidence had been found linking the Rwandan government to the infamous March 23 Movement, or M23.  Read More »

Abdel Aziz Adam: The Gift of Education

Abdel Aziz, a Darfuri refugee and headmaster of the Obama School in Djabal refugee camp in eastern Chad, shares his Enough Moment. He believes that he was given the gift of education and is responsible for passing this gift on to the next generation.  Read More »

Congo’s Faith Communities: A Q+A with Africa Faith and Justice Network’s Jacques Bahati

The following is an interview with Jacques Bahati of Africa Faith and Justice Network, who is originally from Goma in eastern Congo, and Aaron Hall of the Enough Project. Together, they share stories of faith communities in eastern Congo and the leadership role these groups play in Congolese civil society.  Read More »

Congressman Payne Remembered at Capitol Hill Event

When Darfuri human rights activist Abdalmageed Haroun was jailed and being tortured in Sudan several years ago, it was the late Congressman Donald Payne who was instrumental in helping secure Haroun’s release. Haroun was among a group of former colleagues, friends, and beneficiaries of Payne’s social justice-minded work who gathered last week to pay tribute to the longtime congressman, who passed away in March. The event took place on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, June 19, the day before World Refugee Day.  Read More »