Daily Darfur: Peace Talks, Refugees and Weddings

by Martha Heinemann Bixby · 2009-06-22 05:49:00 UTC
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Peace Talks Postponed

AFP reports that peace talks in Doha, Qatar which began in February, then again in May have been suspended for two months.  Rebels are demanding a prisoner exchange, while the Government of Sudan wants a ceasefire agreement in place.

"The talks are suspended or postponed ... the goodwill agreement has to be implemented before we go forward," senior JEM official Tahir al-Feki told AFP.

World Refugee Day Round-up

Saturday was World Refugee Day, and if you missed the live webcast check back at UNCHR's site www.refugeedaylive.org within the next few days to find archived clips, or see behind the scenes from Stop Genocide Now's participation in the event from Chad.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton marked the day, noting:

Around the world today, millions of people endure war, genocide, famine and natural disasters. Often, they are forced to flee in search of safety, seeking temporary shelter until they can return home and rebuild their lives. But for many refugees and other displaced people, the homes they loved are gone forever...

In the coming months, we will continue our efforts to end urgent refugee crises, such as those in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Chad, the Central African Republic, and Darfur. We are encouraged by the progress being made to resolve long-standing refugee situations in Liberia, South Sudan, Burundi and Bhutan. And we call upon the entire global community to strengthen our efforts to ensure that refugees have access to the resources and protections they need to survive.

Supporting refugees is not only the purview of governments and NGOs. It’s a job for all of us.

Queen Noor highlighted the security concerns:

The global displacement crisis is both a humanitarian and a security issue. History shows that mass migrations pose a serious threat to regional stability, as we have seen in Palestine, Afghanistan, Somalia, Sudan and West Africa. The Middle East is particularly vulnerable as ongoing tensions are further strained by such large scale displacement.

Watch Angelina Jolie's PSA.

Darfuri perfume

Catholic Relief Services' blog has a lovely entry about Darfuri wedding and pregnancy traditions.

Now I have a little bit of Darfur that is returning home with me to Nairobi: a small bottle of perfume that will bring back memories of amazing women.

Photo of women collecting water in a refugee camp from Stop Genocide Now.

Martha Heinemann Bixby
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