Call on OHCHR for independent mechanism to investigate abuses in Sudan

A group of 117 Sudanese, regional and international human rights organisations have called on the United Nations Human Rights Council (OHCHR) to establish an independent mechanism “tasked with investigating human rights violations and abuses committed by all parties and advancing accountability in Sudan, without delay”.

The group, which includes Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, submitted a joint letter to the permanent representatives of member and observer states at the UN Human Rights Council, based in Geneva, Switzerland on Friday.

They call for the adoption of a decision to establish an independent investigation mechanism into the human rights violations and abuses by all parties, to enhance accountability in the next session, starting September 11.

The joint memorandum stresses the need for a mechanism to conduct a “comprehensive investigation into all alleged violations and abuses of international human rights law”.

The letter points to the need to identify the individuals and entities responsible and to provide guidance on justice, including criminal accountability, reparations, and guarantees of non-repetition. The memorandum also stressed the mechanism’s need for “adequate technical, logistical and administrative support” in order for tasks to be effectively carried out.

War crimes

As previously covered by Radio Dabanga, Amnesty International reported in August that serious war crimes are being committed in Sudan as the conflict between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) ravages the country.

The report ‘Death Came To Our Home’: War Crimes and Civilian Suffering In Sudan documents “mass civilian casualties in both deliberate and indiscriminate attacks by the warring parties” in particular in Khartoum and West Darfur. The report, which focuses primarily on Khartoum and West Darfur, also details sexual violence against women and girls, targeted attacks on civilian objects such as hospitals and churches, and extensive looting.

Signatories:

1. Act for Sudan
2. ActionAid
3. Action by Christians for the Abolition of Torture in the Central African Republic (ACAT-RCA)
4. African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies (ACDHRS)
5. African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS)
6. AfricanDefenders (Pan-African Human Rights Defenders Network)
7. Algerian Human Rights Network (Réseau Algérien des Droits de l’Homme)
8. Amnesty International
9. Angolan Human Rights Defenders Coalition
10. Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)
11. Atrocities Watch Africa (AWA)
12. Beam Reports – Sudan
13. Belarusian Helsinki Committee
14. Belgrade Centre for Human Rights
15. Borderline-Europe – Menschenrechte ohne Grenzen e.V.
16. Burkinabè Human Rights Defenders Coalition (CBDDH)
17. Burundian Coalition of Human Rights Defenders (CBDDH)
18. Cabo Verdean Network of Human Rights Defenders (RECADDH)
19. Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)
20. Cameroon Women’s Peace Movement (CAWOPEM)
21. Central African Network of Human Rights Defenders (REDHAC)
22. Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) – Mozambique
23. Centre de Formation et de Documentation sur les Droits de l’Homme (CDFDH) – Togo
24. CIVICUS
25. Coalition of Human Rights Defenders-Benin (CDDH-Bénin)
26. Collectif Urgence Darfour
27. Confederation of Sudanese Civil Society Organizations
28. Consortium of Ethiopian Human Rights Organizations (CEHRO)
29. CSW (Christian Solidarity Worldwide)
30. DefendDefenders (East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project)
31. EEPA – Europe External Programme with Africa
32. Ethiopian Human Rights Defenders Center (EHRDC)
33. FIDH (International Federation for Human Rights)
34. Fikra for Studies and Development
35. Forum pour le Renforcement de la Société Civile (FORSC) – Burundi
36. Gender Centre for Empowering Development (GenCED) – Ghana
37. Gisa Group – Sudan
38. Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect
39. Gulf Centre for Human Rights
40. Horn of Africa Civil Society Forum (HoA Forum)
41. Human Rights Defenders Coalition Malawi
42. Human Rights Defenders Network – Sierra Leone
43. Human Rights House Foundation
44. Human Rights Watch
45. Institut des Médias pour la Démocratie et les Droits de l’Homme (IM2DH) – Togo
46. International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI)
47. International Commission of Jurists
48. The International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA) Africa
49. Interfaith International
50. International Refugee Rights Initiative (IRRI)
51. International Service for Human Rights
52. Ivorian Human Rights Defenders Coalition (CIDDH)
53. Jews Against Genocide
54. Journalists for Human Rights (JHR) – Sudan
55. Justice Africa Sudan
56. Justice Center for Advocacy and Legal Consultations – Sudan
57. Kamma Organization for Development Initiatives (KODI)
58. Libyan Human Rights Clinic (LHRC)
59. Malian Coalition of Human Rights Defenders (COMADDH)
60. MENA Rights Group
61. Mozambique Human Rights Defenders Network (MozambiqueDefenders – RMDDH)
62. NANHRI – Network of African National Human Rights Institutions
63. National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders – Kenya
64. National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders – Somalia
65. National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders-Uganda (NCHRD-U)
66. Network of Human Rights Journalists (NHRJ) – The Gambia
67. Network of the Independent Commission for Human Rights in North Africa (CIDH Africa)
68. Never Again Coalition
69. New Sudan Council of Churches
70. Nigerien Human Rights Defenders Network (RNDDH)
71. Pathways for Women’s Empowerment and Development (PaWED) – Cameroon
72. PAX Netherlands
73. PEN Belarus
74. Physicians for Human Rights
75. POS Foundation – Ghana
76. Project Expedite Justice
77. Protection International Africa
78. REDRESS
79. Regional Centre for Training and Development of Civil Society (RCDCS) – Sudan
80. Rencontre Africaine pour la Défense des Droits de l’Homme (RADDHO)
81. Réseau des Citoyens Probes (RCP) – Burundi
82. Rights Georgia
83. Rights for Peace
84. Rights Realization Centre (RRC) – United Kingdom
85. Salam for Democracy and Human Rights
86. Society for Threatened Peoples
87. Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (Southern Defenders)
88. South Sudan Human Rights Defenders Network (SSHRDN)
89. Stop Genocide Now
90. Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA)
91. Sudanese American Medical Association (SAMA)
92. Sudanese American Physicians Association (SAPA)
93. Sudanese American Public Affairs Association (SAPAA)
94. Sudanese Defenders Center for Legal Aid
95. Sudanese Human Rights Initiative (SHRI)
96. Sudanese Human Rights Monitor (SHRM)
97. Sudanese Lawyers Democratic Front
98. Sudanese Women Rights Action
99. Sudan Evangelical Community Council
100. Sudan Human Rights Hub
101. Sudan NextGen Organization (SNG)
102. Sudan’s Doctors for Human Rights
103. Sudan Social Development Organisation
104. Sudan and South Sudan Forum e.V.
105. Sudan Unlimited
106. SUDO UK
107. The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP)
108. Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition (THRDC)
109. The Institute for Social Accountability (TISA)
110. Togolese Human Rights Defenders Coalition (CTDDH)
111. Tunisian League for Human Rights (LTDH)
112. Waging Peace
113. Women Civil & Political Groups (Mansam)
114. World Council of Churches
115. World Evangelical Alliance
116. World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT)
117. Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights