Nuba Mountain peace demonstration in NYC, USA

In New York City, Beja Congress representative Ibrahim Tahir holds a handmade sign that says, "Beja Congress and Beja people call for international protection for Nuba Mountain people." Jewish Rabbi Steve Gutow challenges the crowd to support the Nuba people, using the bible story of the murder of Abel by Cain; "There is no hiding from murder." You can watch the video.

The Sudanese government forces has been fighting in the Nuba Mountains against the civilian population. Fighters from that region have fought back. Many people think this is unacceptable, and are calling on the government forces to cease their atrocities. Many people together in public can create awareness of troubled regions, and gain publicity for their cause.

A crowd of Sudanese activists from a variety of American lobby groups demonstrated outside the Sudanese Consulate in New York City on Friday, August 5, 2011. Speeches were made outside the United Nations site. A petition to the United Nations and the African Union was released.

As they marched, the demonstrators chanted "Bashir must go, Bashir must go," and "We need our freedom."

In the video below, Ibrahim Tahir, the Beja Congress representative based in Washington DC makes a short speech, calling on the United Nations to protect the civilians in the Nuba Mountains, and for people who like freedom to apply pressure on behalf of the people living in the Nuba Mountains.




A series of videos of the speakers at the Sudan Rally by SudanUnlimited is available on youtube. The activists work together, though they have regional interests; the central Sudanese government typically fails to support outlying regions of the country. So the Beja participate in calling President Bashir to account.

A petition signed by over a dozen groups was submitted to the United Nations. It urges "the United Nations to support lasting change in Sudan by pressuring the National Congress Party to step aside." After pointing out the belligerent activities of the Bashir regime, the petition calls for implementation of the International Criminal Court arrest warrants, and the creation of a no-fly zone over the Nuba Mountains to protect the civilian population.

A report of the demonstration was published, in Arabic, on Sudanjem.com   It notes that some of the speakers were able to make a presentaiton before the US Council on Foreign Relations the day before the demonstration.