[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 6]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 7835-7836]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 AL BASHIR EXECUTES MARTIAL LAW TO SILENCE EL-FASHER UNITY: US AND UN 
                                UNSPOKEN

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. FRANK R. WOLF

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 11, 2010

  Mr. WOLF. Madam Speaker, I would like to share with our colleagues an 
article which ran last week reporting that Sudan's leader, the 
internationally indicted war criminal, Bashir, declared martial law 
inside El-Fasher, Darfur.
  What's remarkable is the headline: Al-Bashir Executes Martial Law to 
Silence El Fasher Unity: US and UN Unspoken.
  Silence in the face of martial law?
  Once again, I urge this administration to find its voice on Sudan.

                   [From Salem-News.com, May 4, 2010]

 Al-Bashir Executes Martial Law to Silence El Fasher Unity: US and UN 
                                Unspoken

                            (By Alysha Atma)

       ``I know there are many good, compassionate people in this 
     world, who will listen to us and help us''--Mohammed Yahya
       (EL FASHER/PORTLAND)--``Martial Law has been declared 
     inside El Fasher, Darfur. We have to stay in our homes; the 
     Police and Government Army are searching house to house 
     looking for people, cell phones, cameras and pictures,'' a 
     source on the ground there tells Salem-News.com.
       All communications have been severed, ``They are going to 
     cut the network, no email or cell phones. We will not be able 
     to communicate with anyone. We don't know how long this will 
     last.''
       The International Superpowers--US Government and China, 
     have all given their silent approval in support of the 
     Genocidal President of Sudan. Omar Al-Bashir is a wanted war 
     criminal who ran, and won the recent, rigged and fraudulent 
     elections. By standing silent the US Government has allowed a 
     continued reign of terror to besiege the people of Sudan. The 
     US government has chosen its path, to stand with the Sudanese 
     President while he targets the people and strips them from 
     their land, families and often their lives.
       The last several days have seen the tensions and terror 
     increase inside the state of Darfur; bombings, clashes and 
     protests have left many dead, injured or displaced.
       According to sources on the ground, this was to be 
     expected, with information beginning to leak its way out of 
     Darfur and their voices coming together in unity. The 
     government (GoS) is trouncing hard on the people of El 
     Fasher. Those inside report that the government is not only 
     stopping all communication they are confiscating cell phones, 
     cameras and computers in an effort to ebb the flow of 
     information leaving the state.

[[Page 7836]]

       Sources say to brace for more to happen, there have been 
     too many to count, arrested and beaten. Many of those being 
     taken are the same that stood in strength and protested 
     against the government's horror and deception.
       2 May 2010 in El Fasher, also known as Al Fashir
       The GoS Ponzi scam that was earlier reported not only stole 
     money from the hard working Darfuri's but also allowed the 
     GoS to compile a list of names and addresses. This list is 
     not being used not to repay those that the government owes 
     money, but to target with violence and harassment. Many on 
     this list have already been taken away or arrested; reports 
     Indicate they are being sent to Shalla prison.
       ``Shalla is a very bad, terrible place''.
       We previously reported over 300 people were arrested in the 
     two days following the protest.
       Our source says, ``Over 100 arrested today and still 
     arresting more based on the governor's order this evening.''
       Sources indicate this may be a very long lockdown; they 
     cannot leave their homes and the market has been shut down. A 
     majority of people inside El Fasher do not have running water 
     and rely on every day trips to the market to feed their 
     families.
       ``How are we going to survive if we can't get food and 
     water, we can't last a week? If we leave our homes we are 
     arrested or killed.''
       Omar Al-Bashir has been known in the past to use starvation 
     as a weapon of war. The goal and ideology has been consistent 
     within this government; to clear Darfur of its people.
       ``They can do anything that they want and get away with it, 
     anything beyond your imagination, that is what they can do,'' 
     Reporter Mohammed Yahya said.
       Oil, gold, copper and uranium are all found in ground of 
     Darfur. Omar Al-Bashir's actions suggest that the Sudanese 
     people are dispensable; wipe out the people and the land is 
     his, this equals money. He has successfully managed to wipe 
     out over 80% of the villages. El Fasher is one of the largest 
     towns in Darfur with a population of over 250,000, how many 
     will survive?
       The citizens of El Fasher no longer having anything to 
     lose; with no other direction and with many facing death or 
     imprisonment, the U.S. and UN still stand silent. Their hope 
     is for world to hear them and not allow another hundred 
     people to disappear into Shalla prison today and thousands to 
     starve while Al-Bashir smiles for the camera during his re-
     election photos.
       Mohammed Yahya said, ``I know there are many good, 
     compassionate people in this world, who will listen to us and 
     help us.''

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