13 Apr 2008 – Survivors, activists and celebrities united for rallies in 35 capital cities around the globe on Sunday to demand an end to the destruction of childhood in Darfur. An estimated three thousand took part in a demonstration outside the Sudanese Embassy in London, coordinated by a coalition of organisations including the Aegis Trust.
In the morning, a delegation of child survivors from Darfur handed in drawings to Shahid Malik, Under-Secretary of State for International Development, at 10 Downing Street before joining thousands of protesters outside the Sudanese Embassy.
The global day, the fifth since the conflict began in 2003, is backed by children’s authors including J.K. Rowling, and Judy Blume who released a letter demanding the world bring back childhood to Darfur, and celebrities including actor Matt Damon and Thandie Newton who were been pictured destroying emblems of childhood to highlight that childhood is under attack.
The UK rally was hosted by writer and broadcaster Jonathan Freedland, with speakers including Andrew Mitchell MP, Shadow International Development Secretary; Nick Clegg MP, Leader of the Liberal Democrats; Dr Giles Fraser, Vicar of Putney; Henry Grunwald QC, President of the Board of Deputies; Imam Adam Tordjok from Darfur; Wes Streeting, President of the NUS; Rwandan survivors Eugene Uwanyirigira and Beatha Uwazaninka; Holocaust survivor Dr Martin Stern; Ikhlass Mohammed, Darfuri survivor; and Abdul Jabar Adam, President of the Darfur Union. Music was performed by the Bobby McGees and Hadar Manor.
‘These kids are drawing pictures of villages burning’
“Last night we were in The Holocaust Centre in Nottinghamshire when we were commemorating the genocide in Rwanda,” Beatha told the crowd. “It has been 14 years since the genocide happened in Rwanda and although it’s 14 years, it feels like it happened yesterday. Tomorrow, on 14th, that’s when I remember my mother, that’s when she was drowned in the river, when they said she was being sent back to Ethiopia. I’m standing here in the name of my mother. I’m standing here as evidence to say that these thing are happening, and they’re still going on.
“When I went to Chad I saw Darfuri women who had been raped, children who had been raped, and all I could see was myself in them. And when I came to Europe, I met Martin Stern. His story of the Holocaust is horrific. And yet where is everyone? In Rwanda it was 100 days! Where was the World? And where is everybody now in Sudan?”
Actor Jason Isaacs, who has starred in films from ‘The Patriot’ and ‘Black Hawk Down’ to the Harry Potter films as Lucius Malfoy, was among the demonstrators. Referring to the Darfuri child survivors, he said, "These kids are drawing pictures of dismembered bodies and villages burning and slaughter - my kids are at home drawing princesses and ponies and so how dare I not be here? As soon as I saw the drawings that the children had done, I was instantly involved."
Child’s letter of hope
Marking the call for protection of Darfur’s children, the Aegis Trust smuggled the letter of an 11-year-old boy, ‘Adam’, out of an IDP camp in South Darfur. His words were taken down by an aid worker, who fears that despite Adam’s greatest hope – to see his father again – it will never happen, due to the scale of destruction in Adam’s home area.
Adam’s letter follows.
Today things are difficult for my family. My sisters and brothers and me go to school in the camp and the school is good. I also have many friends here who were my friends from before. But it is very different now. I have not seen my father for a long time as he is at home looking after our house. My mother misses him a lot and so do my brothers and sisters.
It is ok because my uncle is here, but he is old and he has to look after lots of people when their fathers are away.
My mother has told me we will be in the camp for a long time because the men who attacked us are still around. They also attacked the villages near ours. They attacked all of my family and that is why we are all here.
My mother tells us they attacked us because they don’t like us and they want our land and for us to go.
It makes me sad to remember when we had to leave home. My father pushed us out of our home and told my mother to head to the jebel (mountain). He did not come with us. And from a distance we saw our village being burned and heard men shooting.
We stayed in the jebel for four days before we had to move again, as my mother was told to move by one of the sheikhs. He said we would be attacked again.
Before we left, my mother and some other women went back to the village. They were very sad when they returned to us and they brought back nothing but some damaged mats and tools.
I asked my mother why my father was not with her and she told me he would follow us to the camp later, so I am waiting for him to come every time there is a new truck.
We used all our money to get a ride to the camp so when we got here we had nothing. For a week we slept under a tree, but some women in the camp brought us food and water. After that we were given shelter and some mats and a plastic sheet, but we are seven all sleeping in one place.
Now we have been here almost two years I think, and things now have got hard again with khawajas (white people – NGOs) not coming as much. My mother says they are being attacked by the Government like we were.
I hope I can go home soon or that my father comes to the camp, as I want to show him how my reading is now. There are lots of people who are coming, so he will be one on one of the trucks, I am sure.
I don’t really know about what people think about us. I hope that people will help us be safe. There are still soldiers who beat us in the camp.
If I could ask for anything now, I would ask for more food each day and more water. I also want someone to help my mother more, as she is very tired and sad, and she cries a lot at night.
But most of all, I am looking forward to seeing my father again.
Adam Musa Mohammed, 11, South Darfur, Nyala, Kalma Camp (false details for the purpose of protection)
