INTERVIEW: Suliman Giddo, Darfur Peace and Development Organization

Citizens for Global Solutions’ Herbert Scoville Peace Fellow, Julia Fitzpatrick, recently spoke with Suliman Giddo, the co-founder and president of the Darfur Peace and Development Organization (DPADO), based in Fort Wayne, Indiana.  Founded in 2002, DPADO’s mission is to provide humanitarian relief to victims of the genocide in Darfur, to facilitate just governance and to enable Darfurians to effectively rebuild and develop their homeland. 

Where are you from in Darfur?  What brought you to the United States?

I am from a village near the town of Kuttum in North Darfur.  Kuttum is the largest town in North Darfur after El-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur.  I came to the United States in 1998 to study in the United States and earned several graduate degrees.  I moved to Fort Wayne, IN in 2005 to continue my studies at Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne and to be closer to my people living in Fort Wayne.

One of the largest populations of Darfurians in the United States lives in Fort Wayne, IN.  Why did so many Darfurians choose Fort Wayne as their home?

Darfurians in Fort Wayne are refugees, permanent residents, citizens and some seek asylum.  The first Darfurians moved to Fort Wayne in 1994-1995, with an influx of Darfurians moving to Fort Wayne in 2003.  Most came to Fort Wayne because they have relatives or people they know from Darfur already living in Fort Wayne.  As the Darfurian community grew, other Darfurians discovered several companies and factories in Fort Wayne where Darfurians can easily get jobs with reasonable pay and without any high-level technical or communication skills.

New York City is the first step for many Darfurians when they come to the States but the next step is always Indiana; it is easier in Fort Wayne for Darfurians to stop anyone on the street and ask a question, advice or direction.  Many Darfurians appreciate the slower pace of life in Fort Wayne because it reminds us of our home. 

What inspired you to found the Darfur Peace and Development Organization?  

I founded DPADO in 2002 in Richmond, Virginia with Omer Ismail to gather Darfurians in the United States to help our people in need in Darfur.  I became involved with community organizations while at intermediate school in Kuttum.  I began to see the signs of war in Darfur in 1986.  When I came to the United States, I wanted to continue to work for my people and knew I could easily play a role in supporting education and the community as whole in Darfur.

What do you think is the most important aspect of your work?

Building and sustaining schools in Darfur is most important as there is a lack of educational opportunities in Darfur since the conflict began.  Through our advocacy efforts, I can be a bridge between those in the United States who want to help the people of Darfur and those who need help by providing education and supporting schools in Darfur.  I have also held meetings with rebel leaders in Addis Ababa and London supported by other Darfur activists from U.S. and Sudan to end this fragmentation among the rebels under “Breaking the Impasses of the Darfur Conflict Project.” 

What is the most important action that Americans can take for the people of Darfur?

There are two major ways Americans can make a difference in Darfur: advocacy and relief.  It’s important that we keep Darfur at the top of the list of the U.S. administration’s priorities because the people of Darfur need protection more than anything else.  With 3 million Darfurians in internally displaced persons’ camps, there is always a need to support humanitarian relief efforts to provide food, health services, shelter and education.

What is your hope for Darfurians in the United States?

I believe Darfurians must be united – both in Darfur and in the United States – so that we have a clear message to the world about our situation.  Darfurians in the U.S. must work very hard and always be mindful of our relatives back in Darfur because they pay a lot for us.  Not everyone in Darfur can go to school, but most of my Darfuri brothers and sisters in the U.S. will receive an education, so let us not forget our future generations.

In your opinion, what will bring peace to Darfur?

We must address the root causes of the conflict in Darfur; this is why I think educating the next generation of Darfurians is so important.  We must protect the people of Darfur now by sending U.N. troops and by pressuring Khartoum to disarm the Janjaweed and the rebels to disarm.  It’s necessary to put pressure on allies of Khartoum, including China, Russia, Egypt and other Muslim countries to pressure Khartoum as well.  Also, the people who committed crimes in Darfur must be held accountable or we will see a continuing cycle of war in Darfur.  Last, we must compensate those that have lost everything and ensure equal justice in wealth distribution in the aftermath of a peace deal.