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For additional related news, see
Afrikamissionare Weisse Väter,
Missionaries of Africa, White Fathers
Christian Persecution in
Sudan
InsightMag.com - Bishop
Gassis Seeks Help for the Sudanese
http://members.tripod.com/~SudanInfonet,
http://www.sudan.net/wwwboard/news.html, and
http://www.africanews.org/east/sudan
http://www.peacelink.it/afrinews.html
Polygamy: El Bashir
leads by example
Latest News From Sudan At Sudan.Net
News Article by PANA posted on March 06, 2002 at 00:17:15: EST (-5 GMT)
Security terror against innocent Sudanese Christian
This message was posted by Voices of freedom, posted on February 11, 2002
Sudanese convert to Christianity forced into hiding
[Latest News From Sudan At Sudan.Net ]- News Article by Compass posted on
February 10, 2002
Khartoum Security Officials Beat, Threaten Former Muslim by Barbara G. Baker
ISTANBUL, February 7 (Compass) -- A Sudanese convert to Christianity was forced
into hiding this week after severe beatings and torture by state security
police, who for the second time refused to allow the former Muslim to leave
Sudan through the Khartoum airport. Church sources in Khartoum confirmed today
that after Aladin Omer Agabni Mohammed checked in for his Sunday morning flight
on February 3, he was again turned back by security authorities. He had been
told the night before that the travel ban blocking his previous trip on January
30 had been lifted, and that he should come to the airport the next morning to
depart.Instead, Mohammed was taken off for interrogation by two security
officers and two soldiers, who confiscated his passport as well as $200 and
1,300 Sudanese dinars ($5) and then beat him severely. The four officials used
abusive language, reportedly calling anyone who converted! from Islam to
Christianity an "animal." They threatened to "eliminate"
him if he told anyone how he had been treated.When the police sent him away, he
decided not to return to his previous lodgings and went into hiding. Mohammed's
family home has since been searched, with two of his brothers arrested by the
police to force them to confess where their brother is hiding. The former
Muslim had been restricted to Khartoum after he was stopped on January 30, and
given orders to report to the security police offices several times a day. He
was kept under surveillance in his lodgings, and according to one source,
received "nothing but insults, threats and some mishandling" every
day from police officials. Church sources in Khartoum confirmed that in late
January, security police had injected Mohammed at least three times with
unknown drug substances that made him drowsy, taking him 12 hours or more to
sleep off each dose. "He didn't know what was happening around him,"
the source ! said, "so we were trying to get him out of this
situation." Mohammed was planning to travel via Uganda to enroll in a
Christian seminary in Kenya. Now 34, Mohammed converted to Christianity 11 years
ago while a university student. At the hands of the Khartoum regime's security
police, he has since had his right hand broken, undergone torture with melting
blocks of ice on his chest, and been beaten severely while under arrest.
"The government here will not allow any Muslim to convert," noted a
Christian leader in Khartoum, "and yet they are talking about
Muslim-Christian dialogue. We cannot contend with this problem inside Sudan,
without letting people outside know that there are injustices going on here."Sudanese
law calls for the death penalty for a Muslim who commits apostasy by converting
to another faith.
* Soudan. Cessez-le-feu - Le 19 janvier à Genève, le gouvernement
soudanais et les rebelles sudistes ont signé un accord de cessez-le-feu
historique. Celui-ci pourrait ouvrir la voie à une résolution du conflit du
Sud-Soudan, qui dure depuis 19 ans et a déjà fait 2 millions de morts. Le
gouvernement suisse et les Etats-Unis ont servi de médiateurs dans les
pourparlers entamés le 14 janvier. Une trève durable devrait entrer en
vigueur dans la région des monts Nouba, dans le centre du pays, d'ici à
demain (Ndlr. Elle a pris effet le 22 janvier à 9h., heure locale).La guerre
civile fait
rage depuis 1983. Les Sudistes réclament une plus grande autonomie pour
leur région. (Libération, France, 21 janvier 2002)
Die gute
Aktion am Nikolaustag
Die Wache der
Barmherzigkeit (Guami) fordert von der baden-württembergischen
CDU-Landesregierung den Nachweis, dass der von ihr kürzlich trotz Todesgefahr
in den radikal-islamischen Sudan zurückgeschickte christliche Flüchtling und
Asylbewerber Maian John King
noch lebt und human behandelt wird. Wir legen ihr andernfalls nahe – das wäre
wohl aus ethischen Gründen angemessen -, sich reumütig selbst vor Gericht zu
bringen mit einer Selbstanzeige. (6.12.2001). Außerdem würde es nicht schaden,
wenn die christlichen Mitglieder der CDU-Landesregierung gemeinsam einen
Bußgottesdienst besuchen würden. (6.12.2001)
Abschicken brauchen wir diese Botschaft nicht, weil ja alles überwacht wird
und die Landesregierung in Stuttgart ohnehin eine Kopie bekommt.
Keine Flüchtlinge in den Sudan abschiebenMainz (MBN). Die Gesellschaft für bedrohte Völker, Göttingen, und die http://www.paxchristi.de/ Pax Christi-Bistumsstelle Mainz haben an den baden-württembergischen
Ministerpräsidenten Erwin Teufel appelliert, dem Beispiel Hessens zu folgen
und Flüchtlinge aus dem Sudan nicht mehr abzuschieben. In einem offenen Brief, der auch an die Ministerpräsidenten der übrigen Bundesländer versandt wurde, wird auf die kürzliche Abschiebung des südsudanesischen Flüchtlings John Kong verwiesen. Verzweifelte Bemühungen des Bistums Mainz die
Abschiebung noch zu verhindern, waren bedauerlicherweise gescheitert.
(E-Mail erhalten am 30.11.2001) Unser Zorn auf die deutschen Behörden,
die trotz Verbots der Todesstrafe Asylanten in den Tod schicken,
wächst ins Unermessliche. Nachstehend eine Zeitungsreportage zu diesem Fall:Auf der Todesliste ¬ trotzdem abgeschoben
(Aus der Pforzheimer Zeitung, Nov. 2001) Es ist stockdunkle Nacht, drei Uhr morgens an der Eutinger Straße 15. Ein Mann klingelt Sturm. "Vielleicht 20- bis 30mal", erinnert sich Sylwia Smieszna, 24, Mieterin der Wohnung, an den Dienstag dieser Woche. "Aufmachen", ruft der Mann, als sie ein Fenster öffnet, "Polizei." Er ist einer von vier Beamten, die in die Wohnung stürmen. Nicht Sylwia suchen sie, sondern ihren Freund Maian John Kong. Er ist Christ aus dem Süd-Sudan, einer von rund 10000 Sudanesen in Deutschland, die vor dem Bürgerkrieg Zuflucht in der Bundesrepublik gesucht und gefunden haben. Zumindest bis zu diesem Zeitpunkt. Johnny weiß, was das Aufgebot bedeutet: Man wird ihn abschieben. Er wehrt sich nicht, fügt sich in sein Schicksal, packt ein paar Habseligkeiten in seine Sporttasche. In ein paar Stunden wird sein Aufenthalt in Deutschland, wo er seit April 1998 lebte, beendet sein. Man bringt ihn aufs Revier Nord, verweigert seiner Freundin, die ihm noch ein paar Bilder und Briefe in die Hand drücken will, die Kontaktaufnahme. Man lässt auch nicht zu, dass er ein paar Worte mit seinem Freund und Landsmann Francis Wado wechseln kann. Sondern bringt den 24-Jährigen nach Karlsruhe in die Zentrale Anlaufstelle für Asylbewerber, von wo aus er mit anderen Abgelehnten nach Frankfurt "verschubt" wird. Dann setzen ihn die Grenzschutzbeamten in ein Flugzeug nach Karthoum. Was nach der Landung passierte, weiß keiner. Man kann nur vermuten ¬ was der Bundesregierung, den Ausländerbehörden und den Gerichten herzlich egal ist: dass Männer wie Johnny sofort ins Gefängnis wandern, gefoltert oder hingerichtet werden. Oder sie verschwinden ganz einfach.Darauf haben der süd-sudanesische Bischof Paride Taban und Weihbischof Daniel Adwok bei einem Besuch der Auslands-Sudanesen im Oktober vergangenen Jahres Mitglieder des Bundestages angesprochen. Sie überreichten den Parlamentariern eine Liste mit den Namen von zehn Personen, die keinesfalls abgeschoben werden dürften ¬ darunter Johnny, sein Freund Francis, 34, dessen Lebensgefährtin Madbin Esaias, 24, und das gemeinsame Töchterchen Joyceline, 2 (die PZ berichtete).Eineinhalb bis zwei Millionen Menschen kostete der seit 1983 dauernde Bürgerkrieg im Sudan das Leben. Der mehrheitlich moslemische Norden kämpft gegen die christlich geprägte Guerilla im Süden des Landes. Bei regelrechten Raubzügen werden Menschen gekidnappt
und verschleppt. Insbesondere die jungen christlichen Mädchen und Frauen durchleben dabei ein grauenvolles Schicksal. Wenn sie Glück haben, werden sie freigekauft, bedürfen allerdings jahrelanger psychiatrischer Betreuung, weil sie traumatisiert sind. Madbin gehört dazu. Als sie von der völlig
aufgelösten Sylwia, die sofort zur Wohnung von Francis und Madbin an der Pflügerstraße fuhr, von der drohenden Abschiebung informiert wurde, erlitt sie einen Nervenzusammenbruch. Der Notarzt musste kommen. "Wir haben wahnsinnige Angst, dass auch wir eines Nachts abgeholt werden", sagt Francis.Diese Gefahr bestehe bei dieser Familie nicht, hat man Christa Mann (Forum Asyl) seitens der Ausländerbehörde mitgeteilt. Zumindest bis Februar gilt die immer wieder verlängerte Duldung. Aber was heißt schon Sicherheit? "Bei Johnny haben sie das auch gesagt, jetzt ist er weg", sagt Sylwia und schluckt. Am 4. Oktober um 15 Uhr hatte Johnny, dessen Asylantrag abgelehnt worden war und der vor dem Verwaltungsgericht Karlsruhe Widerspruch eingelegt hatte, einen Termin bei der Justiz. Nach der mündlichen Anhörung, erinnert sich Francis, der ihn begleitete, habe der Richter versprochen, Johnny werde einen Bescheid erhalten. Der flatterte ihm jedoch nicht in seinen Briefkasten in der Asylbewerberunterkunft an der KF. Auch nicht in den seiner Freundin. Den Bescheid hielten die Polizisten in Händen, als sie ihn holten. Zumindest vermutet dies Sylwia ¬ gezeigt hat ihn der Beamte nicht. Für Verwaltung, Politik und Justiz ist das Kapitel Maian John Kong abgehakt. Seine Freunde befürchten: für die Regierung in Karthoum bald auch. Olaf Lorch
Gutachter: BGS-Beamte erdrückten Sudanesen. (SZ 30.7.2001) Vor zwei Jahren, am 28. Mai 1999,
starb der Sudanese Aamir Ageeb bei der Abschiebung auf dem Flug von Frankfurt
nach Kairo. Jetzt droht drei Bundesgrenzschutzbeamten eine Anklage wegen fahrlässiger
Tötung – der Mann ist offenbar erstickt worden. Todeskampf an Bord der LH 588:
Mit einem Motorradhelm auf dem Kopf sitzt Ageeb zwischen zwei BGS-Beamten, die
ihn festhalten und nach unten drücken. Ein dritter kniet auf seinem Platz in
der Vorderreihe und presst Ageebs Oberkörper von oben herunter. Als die drei
Beamten den Sudanesen nach dem Verlöschen der Anschnallzeichen loslassen, hängt
ageeb tot im Sitz. Er ist erstickt – nicht wegen des Helms, sondern weil
offenbar zu lang und zu fest zugedrückt worden war. (Der Spiegel, 31/2001)
20.000 Chinese soldiers serve inside Sudan!
Canada, China, Malaysia, France, Italy exploit South Sudan
Monsignore Cesare Mazzolari is a Comboni. He was Apostolic Administrator
of Rumbek (South Sudan) since 1990, he was consacrated Bishop in 1999. Once
again he denounces the forgotten war devastating South Sudan and the enormous
economic interests that aliment the conflict. South Sudan is of Nilotic origin
… - he observed – and currently the two races are sociologically incompatible.
Languages, culture and traditions are different and it was a terrible violation
by colonialists to found situations that have nothing in common. They applied
the method of “divide et impera”. This occurred in th 13th Century,
when the Arabs invaded Sudan.
Historically they are
invaders and, helped by the Canadians, Chinese and Malaysians, they rob and
kill to take all our natural resources. Canada takes more than 20 % of the oil
earnings, China over 40 % and Malaysia 28 %. Other States are joining in to get
share of oil earnings, while France is content with all of Sudan´s gold. There
are 20-thousand Chinese mercenaries and former inmates that militarily guard a
1,600 km oil pipeline. The oil is in the south and we, the rightful owners,
have become victims of our natural possession of land”.
Who is responsible for this
absurd exploitation of the resources of South Sudan? “France and Canada
interfere heavily”, but also Italy has ist part of responsibility. The
Agip installed the 6 pumping bases of the pipeline and it is undoubtedly in its
interest that the exploitation continues, even when we yell that to end the war
the extraction of oil must stop. The Dalmine of Bergamo (Italy) largely contributed to the illegal exploitation of the black
gold. Large quantities of arms have also arrived from industries in North
Italy. Not to mention that the Italian Embassy in Khartoum is decisively
pro-Arab, with no consideration for us over here in South Sudan”. (Gloria
Shaker, South Africa, 26 Jul 2001, SudanHome Discussion Board, BO)
Open Letter
to Catholic Bishops
From Bishop Macram Max Gassis of the Diocese of El Obeid (Sudan) on the
Oral Statement on the Human Rights Situation in the Sudan given in Geneva
at the 57th Session of the UN Commission on Human Rights by Gerhart Baum,
Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in the Sudan
Nairobi, Kenya
April 17, 2001
My brother bishops in AMECEA, SECAM, European Bishops' Conference,
Canadian Bishops' Conference and the US Bishops' Conference:
The recent Oral Statement on the Human Rights situation in Sudan given by
Mr. Gerhart Baum, the newly appointed UN Special Rapporteur on Sudan,
cries out for comment from those of us who work in southern and central
Sudan, sharing the tragedy of a people ravaged by war.
I was, frankly, shocked when I read what the newly appointed Rapporteur
had to say about the human rights situation in Sudan.
The report, first of all, is one-sided and naive, giving Khartoum the
'benefit the doubt' at every turn, thus, providing the military junta with
ample propaganda for its desperate campaign to improve its international
image. Baum's report will undoubtedly do great damage to the cause of
justice and peace in Sudan, hardening attitudes in the north, and
disheartening millions of innocent civilians in the zones of conflict
whose only real defense is the support of the international community and
the Church. It will also undoubtedly discourage some in Europe and
elsewhere from getting involved in efforts to condemn injustice and work
for peace in Sudan.
Mark my words: You will hear whole paragraphs of this report quoted by the
regime in its defense, and it will make full use of Mr. Baum's generous
concessions to resist international efforts to end the war.
Baum consistently downplays the atrocities committed by the regime in the
conflict (aerial bombardment of hospitals and churches, militia raids,
slavery, mass displacement of populations, scorched earth policies,
man-made famine, etc.) and, indeed, the massive denial of fundamental
religious and human rights to citizens of the north as well, and, instead,
focuses on the junta's 'promises' and his 'hopes.'
Baum's report on 'positive developments' in a regime devoted to
oppression, torture and murder reminds me of a prison psychiatrist
pointing out at a parole hearing that a serial killer has a nice smile.
If he can manage such optimism about Khartoum, this can only mean that he
has not, or will not deal with the results of Khartoum's policies. Has he
witnessed the humiliation of our raped women, or seen the child amputees
due to government-sponsored aerial bombing, heard the cries of young
widows and mothers who have lost their children, or witnessed the horrors
perpetrated on our enslaved women and children? No, facing the hard
realities of Sudan does not seem to be Mr. Baum's forte.
Baum's misguided debut as Special Rapporteur on Sudan saddens all the more
since his esteemed predecessor in the post, Gaspar Biro, whom I knew
personally, was so effective, heroic even, in documenting the tragedy of
modern Sudan, and in calling world attention to the plight of its
suffering peoples.
Without going through the whole of this useless report, let me highlight a
few points:
1. Mr. Baum visited Khartoum, but did not take the trouble to visit
people in the liberated areas. By his own admission, he stayed in Nairobi
instead of going into the field where a proper assessment (however
provisional) could have been attempted, and where, like virtually every
other official who has visited the war zone, he would have been an
eyewitness to the holocaust of our people.
2. Mr. Baum invited Church leaders to meet with him in Nairobi at the New
Sudan Council of Churches headquarters on March 15. The encounter was a
fiasco. The main problem, from our end, was the new Special Rapporteur's
attitude. What should have been an informative exchange was, instead, a
monologue (Mr. Baum's). Baum dealt with Church leaders in an arrogant,
even bullying way. The Special Rapporteur had come to the meeting with a
set of preconceived ideas, and he did not intend the insights of leaders
who live and suffer with the people to interfere with his agenda. And the
nature of that agenda was made quite clear: He wanted us Church leaders in
the liberated areas, areas under the control of the Sudan People's
Liberation Army (SPLA), to go on record accusing the SPLA of human rights
violations. There was no listening here: the Special Rapporteur was
searching for quotes. Clearly, Baum wished to equate the behavior of the
military forces fighting for the liberty, dignity, indeed the survival of
the people of the south, the Nuba Mountains, Southern Blue Nile and other
marginalized areas, with the systematic atrocities committed by the regime
of Khartoum. Who bears the fundamental responsibility for this war? A
so-called 'legitimate' government that can marshal the resources of a
nation, or bush fighters trying to defend themselves as best they can
against a genocidal military machine? When Church leaders refused to
equate the two sides in the conflict, Baum asked, sarcastically, 'So the
SPLA are angels?' No, Mr. Baum, no one who carries a gun in wartime is an
angel. But there is a difference between a murderous regime intent on
destroying all who stand in its way and the various attempts mounted to
resist it.
3. Mr. Baum, while eager to document SPLA crimes, seems less eager for
detail when it comes to Khartoum. There is a certain attitude of caution
when Baum reports on issues like bombing raids on civilians, scorched
earth militia raids, and the abduction of women and children as slaves in
the strict sense. Abductions are referred to as 'a traditional practice'
exacerbated by the conflict; the Rapporteur is 'pleased to learn from the
Minister for External Relations (Khartoum) . . . that further measures
have been taken to prevent [bombing] incidents' - this, in the context of
escalated bombing raids on civilians in the Nuba Mountains and other parts
of the liberated areas. He also seems allergic to the idea that there is
any other contributing factor to the conflict other than economics; the
issue of religious persecution, the racial aspects of Khartoum's relations
with ethnic African cultures - all seems to fall below Mr. Baum's radar
screen. And that includes the IGAD peace process, and the IGAD Declaration
of Principles that, to one degree or another, all parties to the conflict
have signed, and that constitutes the only viable platform for bringing
peace based on justice to Sudan.
Mr. Baum was appointed to the post of Special Rapporteur on Sudan last
December. According to his own account, he consulted with the UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva for a full day and then set aside
a whole week to travel to Khartoum and Nairobi on a 'fact-finding'
mission. One of the most enormous and intractable tragedies in the modern
world deserves more and better than Baum's flawed and shallow efforts.
Despite the Special Rapporteur's distinguished political career, it is
hard to ascertain what qualifications he brings to this most sensitive
task. In any case, what he has given us is an incompetent, worthless
report; and that's a pity, because lives are at stake in Sudan. At this
juncture, many of us who work in the field cannot help wondering whether
Mr. Baum is quite the man for this job.
I take this occasion to wish all my brothers in the episcopate a happy and
holy Eastertide. While much of the Church was celebrating the feast of the
resurrection, I and my people in the Nuba Mountains were bombed by this
regime on Easter Sunday, and again on Easter Monday as we gathered for
farewells at a remote airstrip. May the resurrected Christ raise to life
the persecuted people of Sudan and the Church of Sudan. I believe that
after every crucifixion there is a resurrection. Pray for us.
Fraternally yours,
+Macram Max Gassis
Bishop of El Obeid Diocese, Sudan
Sudan: 58 Christen ausgepeitscht, nachdem sie mit
mehreren tausend Landsleuten am Mittwoch der Karwoche vor der anglikanischen
Allerheiligen-Kathedrale im Zentrum von Khartum gegen die Verhinderung einer
vorösterlichen Gebetsveranstaltung demonstriert hatten. 52 junge Männer
erhielten je 15 Peitschenhiebe und 20 Tage Haft, vier Frauen und zwei
zwölfjährige Buben je 15 Peitschenhiebe. (D 19..4.2001, APA,
Kathpress)
Soudan. Politique esclavagiste du gouvernement -
Selon l'association
Christian
Solidarity International, les forces armées ont capturé 72 femmes
et enfants le 21
janvier, et ont tué 53 civils lors de raids sur des
villages du
Sud-Soudan. Le 26 janvier, le ministre des Affaires étrangères
a affirmé que
"les enlèvements seraient poursuivis aussi longtemps que la
guerre
continuera". (La Croix, France, 6
février 2001)
Comboni Missionaries working in Southern Sudan break
their silence
Nairobi, 19 January 2001
We,
the Comboni Missionaries working in the “liberated areas” of Southern
Sudan,
gathered for our annual assembly, have painfully analysed and
evaluated
the present tragic situation of war and violence.
We
have come to the unanimous conviction that the situation of war in Sudan
at
the present stage has become immoral and a tragic farce. It is not any
longer
a struggle for freedom of the Sudanese people and for the defence of
human
rights. The war has become a struggle for power, business and greed.
Many
heartless people are taking advantage of it and enrich themselves at
the
expense of the poor. Global interests have the Sudanese resources at
heart,
not the wellbeing of the Sudanese people. Religion is distorted and
misused
as a means for other interests.
The
number of victims is escalating, especially among women and children.
Spiritual,
human and cultural values are getting lost. Corruption,
tribalism
and fratricidal hatred are fostered. Degradation,
underdevelopment
and anarchy increase. Humanity in Sudan is getting lost.
The
word “liberation” is abused. What improvement do we see? Oppressors and
oppressed
are running for their life. Northerners against Southerners,
Northerners
against Northerners, Southerners against Southerners, Nuer and
Dinka
are fighting against Arabs. Nuer and Arabs are fighting against
Dinka.
Dinka against Dinka. Nuer against Nuer, Didinga against Dinka… There
are
no winners. All are loosing. NGOs and churches prolong the fighting
through
the relief aid that unknowingly supports also the warring factions.
The
country has so much wealth and natural resources that would guarantee a
good
livelihood for all Sudanese.
We
Comboni Missionaries, working in the Liberated Area of Southern Sudan,
have
decided to “break the silence” and intensify our commitment against
the
injustice that fuels the war in Sudan. We appeal to you leaders of the
warring
sides: “In the name of God, lay down the guns! Stop fighting!”
We
appeal to all people of goodwill: “Break the silence” and intensify your
mediation
for peace in Sudan!
We
appeal to you, political and economic powers of the world, “Give up your
greed
and your selfish interests! Help Sudan to regain its lost humanity
and
identity.”
For
all the 30 missionaries present
The
Justice and Peace committee
co-ordinator
Fr. Michele Stragapede
P.O.
Box 21102 Nairobi (Kenya)
tel.
+254.2.562953 Fax. +254.2.570225
ssmccj@form-net.com
http://www.peacelink.it/anb-bia/anb-bia.html
Sudanese Government Troops Gang-rape Black African
Slaves
4,119 More Slaves Liberated by CSI
(Marial Bai, Geneva, Zurich, Dec. 22, 2000)
Soldiers of the Government of
Sudan’s
Popular Defence Forces (PDF) systematically gang-rape enslaved black
African
women and girls during and after slave raids on villages in Southern
Sudan,
according to the testimonies of scores of ex-slaves recorded last week
by
CSI and independent researchers. Many of the liberated slaves bore thick,
herniated
scars, especially in the area of the breasts, that were the result
of
mutilation committed by rapists.
The
following women were among those gang-raped repeatedly by their armed
captors:
20-year-old
Aluel Mangong Deng: I was enslaved five years ago during a raid
on
my village, Agok. I tried to run away from the soldiers, but they caught
me
and threw me to the ground. I struggled to get away, so they held down my
hands
and feet and cut my throat and chest with a knife. As I grew faint, one
of
them named Mohammed raped me then and there. That night, I was again raped
by
different men. They came one after another. This also happened to other
women,
and even to young girls. It took up about 30 days before we reached
Poulla,
north of Babanusa. This kind of rape happened just about every day
along
the way.
30-year-old
Abuk Malek Ador: I was captured in 1998. During the raid, all the
men
were killed. Only children and women were driven to the North. Most of
those
killed were murdered with axes or knives. On the way to the North, I
was
raped by many soldiers. My daughter (2-year-old Akuel) is the product of
these
sexual assaults. I do not known who her father is because there were so
many
rapists.
33-year-old
Arek Garang Peath: I was captured last year. I was gang-raped and
my
children were beaten. In Kerieu, was given to Abdullah. He encouraged his
sons
to rape me. All of them raped me. So did their friends. Whenever I tried
to
resist, I[Unable to display image]CSI Press Release
December
22, 2000
These
victims of multiple gang-rape were among 4,119 slaves redeemed by CSI
representatives
John Eibner and Gunnar Wiebalck in four locations in northern
Bahr
El Ghazal, Sudan between the 13th and 18th of December. Since 1995,
42,537
slaves have been liberated through the cooperative efforts of CSI,
Southern
Sudanese Community leaders and local Baggara Arabs. The leaders of
the
black African communities affected by the Government of Sudan’s slave
raids
estimate that over 100,000 of their people remain in bondage in
Northern
Sudan.
HELP TO SAVE THE NUBA-TRIBE;
ONLY 250000 HAVE SURVIVED!!!
Name: Ahmad Tarik.
Email: ahmad@aol.com
Humanitarian Concerns
The UN's World Food Programme recently warned that nearly two million Sudanese
could face starvation if food stocks are not replenished.
Recent Bombings
In the last four months there has been a series of devastating bombing and
ground attacks by the Government of Sudan in the Nuba Mountain area.
For over a decade the people of this region were denied humanitarian access by
the regime in Khartoum. Only 250,000 of the 1.3 million Nuba
population have survived. Now less than a year after a UN team was allowed
access, the Government is again cutting off all right of entry and starving
civilians out of areas controlled by the Sudan People's Liberation Army. Nuba
is outside the auspices of the OLS (Operation Lifeline Sudan)11 The Operation
Lifeline Sudan is an agreement of the NGOs and the warring parties to allow
humanitarian aid to the region. and therefore cannot be helped by the UN and
other OLS NGOs.
The Government of Sudan has continued to bomb civilian targets including
schools and hospitals, killing innocent children and the sick in spite of President
Bashir's promise on April 19th to end all aerial bombardments against the
South. Slavery Despite the liberation of some 3,962 individuals by CSW, and
others this year, there are between 60,000 and 200,000 slaves in Sudan. Slaves
are taken every year during government sponsored raids on the south.
Interviews with
individuals taken in these raids by journalists and CSW staff reveal a
consistent pattern of abuse, in which the victims are taken up to the north and
forced to work as chattel slaves for owners there. Theiraccounts are disturbing
and distressing. Physical evidence exists in the form of torture scars as well
as young children who only speak the Arabic which they have been taught. They
were too young to know their mother tongue before they were taken. Young
mothers carry half-Arab babies the physical proof of the sexual and physical
abuse that they have suffered at the hands of their captors. Many speak of the
Islamisation that accompanies their captivity. They are given Islamic names,
forced to say Islamic prayers and learn the Quran.
The Exploitation
of Oil in Sudan and the involvement of UK companies.
The UK and other
European countries have companies investing in the recently completed oil
pipeline in Sudan, running for 1,600 km from Bentiu, Western Upper Nile, to
Port Sudan on the Red Sea. With exports of 150,000 barrels a day and an
expected revenue of $200-$500 m a year it threatens to perpetuate the war and
undermine the peace process. It is believed that the NIF already spends $1 million
a day on funding the war. There are widespread and serious human rights abuses
connected with the oil business including forced displacement, attacks on
villages and even the executions of southern Christian people applying for
jobs. Recent developments include the investment of the British owned BP Amoco
which has purchased $1billion of stock in the subsidiary company (Petro China)
of the Chinese National Petroleum Company (CNPC) which has a 40% share holding
in the pipeline.
The UK's Weir
Pumps and Allen Engineering have exported equipment to the Sudan for the
exploitation of oil. It is likely that a further oil pipeline will be
developed, and that Weir Pumps will secure the contract to supply pumping
stations for this new development.
While the British
government is pushing for peace and providing humanitarian assistance, it also
seems inadvertently to be contributing to the continuation of the war by
supporting the involvement of UK-based Weir Pumps and Allen Engineering in the
construction and maintenance of the oil pipeline. (Last changed: October 02,
2000)
Sudan es el infierno en la tierra
Son palabras de Kevin Carter, ganador del Premio Pulitzer
con la famosa fotografía de una niña sudanesa acechada por un buitre. Porque en
Sudán hay campos de exterminio... para los niños. Giacomo 'Comino y 18
misioneros salesianos en Sudán son testigos: "Los trasladan (a los niños) en camiones a 40 kilómetros en el
desierto. Allí no hay comida ni agua. El arma de exterminio es el hambre. En 30 años de misión no he visto imágenes tan aterradoras." Monseñor
Mazzolari, obispo de Rumbek: "Confirmo que son como esqueletos ambulantes.
Es del todo increible como estos niños todavia sobreviven."
"El precio de un café alarga 5 dias la
vida de un niño en Sudán" "¡Y con 1.000 pesetas vive más de un
mes!" Mario Comino y sus 18 compañeros salesianos han abierto una lista de
vida. Cuentan con Usted.
Misiones Salesianas, Ferraz 81, E-28008 Madrid. Tel. 91 / 543 85 65
KHARTOUM:
ASPIRANT MISSIONARY SEQUESTERED AND ABUSED BY SECRET POLICE
(STANDARD).
A Mexican aspirant missionary, Alfredo Gonzalez, who was in Sudan for a period
of mission experience, was sequestered, interrogated, abused and then released
on the 7th of last July by an unidentified group of men, he identified as
members of a secret security force. Gonzalez, a 28-year-old theology student,
was in his ninth month of mission experience with the community of White
Fathers in Hajj Yousif, a town of around 150-thousand residents south of the
capital Khartoum. On the morning of the 7th of July he went to the market to
buy some supplies and was stopped by a group of men who forced him to get into
their car. They immediately began asking him a series of questions in fluent American
English. When the men seemed to be distracted the student managed to use the
mobile phone to call the parish priest of Hajj Yousif, Augustine Arteche.
"I am with Security. I have no papers with me", is what he was able
to say in Spanish before the men noticed. There are in fact various secret
security forces in Sudan, known for their ferociousness and hasty methods, some
controlled by Ministries and others by parties. One of the men – four with the
driver – grabbed the phone from Gonzalez and hit him on the back of the head.
He was then blindfolded and the men began talking among themselves in Arabic.
After a short time, they brought him into a house, made him sit down, tied his
hands and continued questioning him. In particular, after having demonstrated
that they knew everything about the student’s movements, they asked him
"who wrote all the articles on Sudan". They spoke about the "bad
image given of Sudan by articles published abroad" adding that they were
"preparing a party for those who continue sending news about Sudan all
over the place". Gonzalez then asked for some water, that earlier they had
refused. A few minutes after drinking he began to feel dizzy but the
questioning and threats continued for hours. He had in all probability been
drugged. At a certain point he was left alone with one of the men, that abused
him. Later he was taken to an isolated area and released, with the threat to
not say a word about what had happened. The Gonzalez then stopped a passing
taxi and asked to be accompanied to the Cathedral of Khartoum, where he met a
friend that brought him back to the parish house at Hajj Yousif at 9:30 p.m.
Alfredo Gonzalez filed a report about his dramatic ordeal at the local police
station. (BO)
AIR-RAIDS AGAINST
CIVILIANS RESUME IN THE SOUTH (STANDARD, GENERAL) SUDAN, 3 JUL 2000 (17:55)
The air-raids against civilians resumed in South Sudan. Independent sources
referred to the MISNA that the town of Rumbek, located in the south, was bombed
yesterday. Two bombs fell in the market place killing at least 2 civilians and
injuring several more. Always yesterday, numerous more bombs were also dropped
on other towns though for the moment there are no reports of casualties. In
Cueibet, north-west of Rumbek, six bombs were dropped, damaging two houses. In
Liethnom, in the western lowlands of Bahr el-Ghazal, 10 bombs were dropped,
injuring one civilians. In Lunyaker, also in Bahr el-Ghazal, 20 bombs were
dropped though fortunately no casualties or damage was reported. Cueibet and
the Buot cattle camp (25km from Cueibet) were also bombed on Saturday, while
the previous day, Friday, 12 bombs fell on Yei, Western Equator, injuring one
civilian and destroying a house. Since the beginning of the civil war in 1983,
2-million people have died in South Sudan, for the most part civilians. Despite
international diplomatic efforts, the regular troops of Khartoum continue
clashing with rebels of the SPLA (Sudan People’s Liberation Army). (BO)
Civilians and
Catechists Abducted by Sudanese Government Troops Press Release - Sudan Relief
and Rescue May 13th--During Sudanese government-sponsored raids which wreaked
havoc on villages in the Lumun area of the Nuba Mountains last month, more than
a thousand Nuba civilians were abducted by government troops, including two
catechists, or lay Catholic teachers attached to the Roman Catholic Diocese of
El Obeid, diocesan officials report. One catechist managed to escape during the
raid and flee with the rest of the population into the surrounding hills.
Eventually, Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) forces, which control the
area, repulsed the incursion, but, with villages and agriculture destroyed,
more than 5,000 people in Lumun are at risk of starvation and exposure in the
coming months. The attack occurred in mid-April, as part of a two-month-long
government offensive against 'rebel strongholds' in the Nuba Mountains, a
Scotland-sized hill country in central Sudan. In the April raids, troops burned
villages, pillaged livestock and food stores, and abducted 1,140 local
civilians in an area under the pastoral care of Bishop Macram Max Gassis of El
Obeid Diocese, a legendary champion of human rights in the war-torn African
nation. According to unconfirmed reports, the captives were taken to
government-sponsored 'peace villages,' or concentration camps in the area,
where, according to escapees and international human rights organizations, food
and shelter typically is provided only to those who convert to Islam. Families
are often split up in such camps, women forced into prostitution, and the young
and able-bodied conscripted into forced labor or into 'Islamic' militias.
Captured catechists and other Church personnel are typically killed, or face
months of torture in Sudanese prisons in order to force them to convert to Islam.
A decade ago, one of Bishop Gassis' Nuba catechists was crucified by his
government abductors. The five thousand survivors of the Lumun raid also face
grim months ahead unless relief supplies reach them soon. As Sudan's military
planners well know, April, for the Nuba, is the planting season. With their
grain stores empty and their fields destroyed, the survivors are in desperate
need not only of emergency food supplies, but seed and tools so that they can
clear new fields and plant before the rainy season begins in earnest this
summer. Government raids this Spring have successfully targeted the Nubas' key
agricultural areas, so that emergency food surpluses in the region are down,
bringing with it the risk of widespread famine this fall. For further information
and inquiries about what you can do to help the people of Lumun and others at
risk in the Nuba Mountains, contact Sudan Relief and Rescue at 1-888-488-0348,
sudan@petersvoice.com or visit their website
Attack in Nuba
Mountains - During Government-sponsored raids, which wreaked havoc on villages in
the Lumun area of the Nuba Mountains in April, more than 1,000 Nuba civilians
were abducted by government troops, including two catechists. One catechist
managed to escape during the raid, according to Gabriel Meyer of the Sudan
Relief and Rescue organisation. The destruction of villages and agriculture has
left 5,000 people in Lumun risking starvation and exposure in the coming
months. The attack occurred in mid-April as part of a two-month long government
offensive against "rebel strongholds" in the Nuba Mountains. The
5,000 survivors face grim months in the future unless relief supplies reach
them soon. (Zenit, Italy, 16 May 2000)
Tourabi in
trouble. Hard times for Sudan’s ruling National Congress (NC). Last Saturday,
the Secretary General of the party, Hassan al Tourabi, was ordered to step down
by President Omar al Bashir and party leaders were deprived of authority.
Always on Saturday, authorities in Port Sudan also banned Tourabi from holding
public meetings. The government of Khartoum, that also closed the NC
secretariats in the 26 Sudanese states, did not however dissolve party of which
al Bashir remains President. (8 may 2000 BO)
13 people killed
as Sudanese plane bombs south. NAIROBI, May 3 (AFP) - At least 13 people were
killed when a Sudanese government plane bombed civilian targets in southern
Sudan last week, the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) said Tuesday.
SPLA spokesman Samson KwajeKwaje said the victims of the attack were mainly
women and children. He said an Antonov plane attacked the villages of Duut and
Weriang in the town of Malakal on the Sobat river on April 25. SPLA rebels have
been battling Khartoum government forces since 1983 to end domination of the
mainly Christian and animist south by the Arabised, Muslim north. The war has
killed more than a million people and forced millions of others either to move
to other parts of the country or flee into exile. (AFP) (14.5.2000)
News from
atrocities in Bentiu. I have heard fresh news from reliable sources about
atrocities committed by Sudan government soldiers in a massive onslaught on
civilians around the Bentiu oil area in March. People in the oil area are being
forced to flee up to 200km away. In Kadugli, capital of the Nuba Mountains in
Sudan, 8 army divisions are assembling for new offensives on four fronts.
Copyright (c) 2000 African Eye News Service. Distributed via Africa News Online
(www.africanews.org). Send your thoughts to readers@africanews.org for our
Readers' Forum. Peter Verney, Editor, Sudan Update. E-mail: (Peter
Verney)<sudanupdate@gn.apc.org
Nuba sollen im Schatten der Hungerkatastrophe
vernichtet werden. "Die
radikalislamische Regierung des Sudan setzt alles daran, die
schwarzafrikanische Bevölkerung aus den Gebieten um die Ölfelder zu
vertreiben", erklärte die Gesellschaft für bedrohte Völker. In den
vergangenen Tagen seien im Norden des Südsudan mindestens 105 Menschen ermordet
worden. 26 jungen Männern seien Hände oder Füße abgehackt worden. (D 21.4.2000)
Message of Bishop
Gassis to His People After the Bombing and Killing of the School Children and
Their Teacher in Kauda.
My
beloved people of the Nuba Mountains, and Kauda in particular, I greet you in
the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our consolation in our tribulation, grief, and
suffering. Dearly beloved, the bombing of our Catholic school and the murder of
our children is an outrage against God and humanity. I am deeply grieved, as
are our friends here in the United States, where I sojourn in order to bring our
plight – the unjust persecution which is inflicted upon us – to the attention
of the world community.
Time and again, I
have told the world that the National Islamic Front in Khartoum is waging
genocide against the Christians, Africans and non-Arabs in order to establish a
radical Islamic state. This terrible, heart-breaking incident is yet another
example that this war is a religious and ethnic war launched by the regime of
Khartoum and aimed at the destruction of my people.
We cannot bring
back our twenty-one children, murdered in Kauda by the regime. Today there are
many Rachels in Kauda, mourning the loss of their children. But we must insist
that the international community act before it is too late. I have appealed to
the churches, particularly those in the United States, to pray for us, to
entreat God to grant us peace and justice. And I assure you of this – in many
churches in the United States, our brothers in Christ – Catholics and
Protestants – are praying for us. ... Beloved, know that I did my utmost to
tell the world of your plight through the radio and television. I did not allow
even one opportunity to escape me. I hope you heard my interview that the BBC,
which was broadcast around the world and into the bush.
My children, never
forget that God is with us. God hates injustice. God loves all his children,
especially the innocent young. God is grieving for the barbaric attack upon
you. Turn to Him, and seek comfort in his loving embrace.
I wish to thank
the German Emergency Doctors who helped the wounded. They are a great gift to
us. As a sign of love and solidarity, our friends from Sudan Relief and Rescue,
our foundation in America, are visiting you to bring consolation and
assistance. When they return to the United States, they will be your advocates.
They will write and speak, and show the photographs of this latest atrocity
against you. They are also God’s gift to you. Pray for them.
Remember that our
young children and their teacher are the victims of hate, injustice,
intolerance, and violence. These are the same things that killed Jesus. But
through Jesus’ sacrifice, we have been redeemed, we have been promised the
Heavenly Paradise. So, do not despair. After each crucifixion of those who love
Jesus, there is a resurrection. And after your crucifixion in the Nuba
Mountains by the bombs of the Khartoum regime, you, too, will be resurrected.
God will not abandon us. God will raise us from the dead.
Pray that people
of good will throughout the world will awake to our tragedy and offer themselves
as God’s instruments to help us. Beloved, amidst your suffering, rejoice, for
Christ died for us. Our students and our teacher were martyrs to our faith.
From the earliest days of the Church, it is the witness of the martyrs – who
died for Christ – which sustained the Church. The killers in Khartoum think
they have damaged us, but, as St. Paul says, God will bring good from evil. The
Church will grow, your faith will deepen, and the martyred children will
channel untold grace to us from our Father in Heaven.
It is natural that
we mourn the assassination of our innocent children. Jesus himself mourned the
death of his friend, Lazarus. But we should mourn with hope and trust in Jesus.
Our martyred children are NOT dead. They are alive in Heaven with Christ and
all the saints. They have joined our Blessed Bakhita and the Servant of God,
Marie Giuseppina Benvenuti, before the throne of God to advocate for us. In the
words of the entrance song of the mass of the Holy Innocents, I say to you with
every confidence: "These innocent children were slain for Christ. They
follow the spotless Lamb and proclaim forever: Glory to you, God."
My suffering
people, remember the words of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Son of God, in
the Gospel of St. Matthew: "Happy are those who mourn: they shall be
comforted. Happy are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness: they
shall be satisfied. Happy are those who are persecuted: theirs is the Kingdom
of Heaven. Happy are you when men abuse you and persecute you and speak all
manner of evil against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward
is great in Heaven."
Beloved, we must
suffer in the present time. But our suffering will be united with Christ’s on
the cross, and we will offer it to God. As the prayer of the Holy Innocents
says: "Father, the Holy Innocents offered you praise by the death they
suffered for Christ. May our lives bear witness to the faith we profess with
our lips."
Rest assured that
you are in my heart, and constantly in my prayers. I love you, and I long to be
with you. Receive our American friends as my ambassadors. They bring you my
love and concern, and the prayers of our friends around the world. I send you
my blessing. Console and strengthen one another, particularly the families of the
slain. Have faith in God. I will be with you soon.
Macram Max Gassis, Bishop of El Obeid, Sudan
A signal to all
independent peoples who reject the New World (dis-) Order. Following on the example
of problem faced in Papua with Kissinger and corporate greed. Would like to
give some practical current example of victory and struggle against corporate
greed and disregard for local people's right. We see everywhere the hand of oil
- Indonesia, Timor, Sudan, Nigeria, Chechnya, and the struggle for economic
domination of the world and the creation of a unipolar world - the war on
Yugoslavija being a signal to all independent peoples who reject the New World
(dis-) Order. In brief, in Sudan there is the longest running 'war' in Africa.
The regime controlled by Feudalist Capitalists (using religion as a banner for
justification!) and Arab Racists had driven out the intellectual and
professional sectors of Arab society who are all in the Gulf, Europe and
America. Left behind a country in ruins. Visit Khartoum the capital and it
looks like aftermath of nuclear war. People walking dazed and hungry in the
streets, beggars everywhere. Just a few hundred yards from the British
Embassy is a torture center (yours truly been there) and
the Embassy knows about it. Officially doesn't exist but many of the more
lucky? (yes - at least not summary execution)ones pass through there or end
there. Yet the western embassies don't demand a visit or its closure. It is kept
quiet. Oil is in Sudan. Western companies have found ally with yet
another dictatorship that started out 'anti-Western but not anti-Capitalist.'
Some artificial shuffles at the top to make it more palatable to the
European/American populations who hold the key to outcry and divestment. Biggest
western oil company in Sudan: Canadian. Talisman. Canada sends investigator
to disprove relationship between Talisman and genocide etc. Investigator
comes back with damning report showing direct assistance of the company in
helping the Sudan regime with its war - and scorched earth policy around the
pipeline crossing Africa's largest country! Canada government having sent the
envoy and promised action against Talisman if report shows, obviously surprised
by the report and don't release it until THREE WEEKS after the promised release
date. In these three weeks they GIVE TALISMAN A COPY and allow talisman to
lobby key government and legal departments! Now, no action is taken against
Sudan or Talisman, but CANADA OPENS UP EMBASSY in Khartoum instead! (Ostensibly
to 'monitor human rights' in reality to assist Talisman company!) This is a
blatant example. Canada is not known hitherto as an imperialist country.
Canadian citizens are outraged. A massive DIVESTMENT campaign is launched, a
great success in the UNITED STATES and now gathering momentum in Canada, as
teachers unions, universities, etc etc find they have millions of dollars of
shares in Talisman and pull them out. Talisman shares plummet. More troubles.
Sudan claims report a victory (because nothing is done by Canada and doesn't
quote or make available the report). Yet Talisman and corporate greed very
worried. SUCCESSFUL INTERNET CAMPAIGN by a few dedicated individuals and small
organisations (including Mathaba.Net) gathers pace - more divestment, more
unity. ARGUMENT: If we pull out, others will move in from Europe, Malaysia
(already in), China (already in), so we should stay to reap the benefits. That
is their argument and it is a wrong one. I'll sell them guns, coz if I don't
someone else will!? Of course bull shit. If Talisman is forced out (and looks
increasingly likely as the campaign by school children, students, teachers,
activists gathers pace)it will send a CLEAR SIGNAL to any other company moving
in (particularly from Europe) that it is NOT A GOOD INVESTMENT. It will even
send a clear signal to Indonesia and Kissinger. It will even give people in
Iryan Jaya hope and impetus not to compromise. It will give the Nigerians hope
who have been struggling against corporate greed for so long. Please, pass this
Email to as many activists as you can. The campaign against Talisman, if
concentrated and carried on with more momentum, will be a success. Many things
can be done. Canadian embassies are everywhere. Many people hold shares in
Talisman without knowing it. Asking companies if they have shares in Talisman,
the question itself sends a message 'we care where our money is and what it's
doing.' Here a note from one of the most dedicated Canadian campaigners, a
Christian who has made it his mission to help the Sudanese people (already TWO
MILLION DEAD IN THIS WAR NOW FUELLED BY CANADIAN OIL MONEY!): I agree,
stopping Talisman is the key to introducing a new paradigm in international
trade and human rights. The fight is going to be much bigger than we
anticipated, but the end result will certainly be worth it. In this struggle,
we simply must be victorious. Otherwise, corporate greed and avarice will go
unchecked. You can all obtain all the details about Talisman, the Harker
Report, the Campaign and Human Rights in Sudan, including view a video (an
incredible coincidence in an area cut off from the world where people don't
have even radios, someone returning to his village with a broken video camera!)
OF THE SUDAN GOVERNMENT BOMBING A SCHOOL! It needs to be seen to reinforce the
inhumanity of the most powerful annihilating the most weak. Please pass this
on, and visit www.mathaba.net/sudan for the latest updates in the campaign and
news from Sudan. Sincerely, editor. WWW.MATHABA.NET - Your Antidote to the New
World Order!
WWW.MATHABA.NET
- El Alternativa Nueva Orden Del Mundo!
WWW.MATHABA.NET - A Alternativa Ordem Nova Do Mundo!
WWW.MATHABA.NET - Ihre Alternative Neue WeltOrdnung!
WWW.MATHABA.NET
- L'Alternativa Nuovo Ordine Del Mondo!
WWW.MATHABA.NET
- Votre Alternative Nouvelle Commande Du Monde!
©2000
Sudan.Net
Bishop Calls For Day of Prayer For Victims of Kauda Bombing. NEW YORK, NY -- Exiled Sudanese Bishop Macram Max Gassis announced today that he plans to issue a call for a Day of Prayer in honor of the 15 Nuba children killed and the many seriously injured during the Feb. 8 government bombing raids on the Nuba Mountains in central Sudan.According to a press spokesperson, the legendary churchman and human rights activist is scheduled to preach at St. James Episcopal Church this Sunday, Feb. 20 at 11:15 AM, where, according to a statement issued today, he will ask fellow Christians, and all people of good will everywhere to "join with my 'forgotten' people in the most powerful form of solidarity - prayer and love." St. James Episcopal Church is located at 865 Madison Ave., New York. The bishop also indicated that he had dispatched an emergency medical team to the Nuba Mountains to care for Kauda's wounded,