Journalists Network: ‘Stop crimes against humanity in Sudan’

The Sudanese Journalists Network has made an “urgent call for an international solidarity campaign to stop the crimes against humanity committed by military forces and militias in Sudan”.

The appeal, following the killing of seven demonstrators, and injury to more than 100 others, by security forces suppressing the March of Millions in Khartoum yesterday, is addressed “to all free people of conscience and the peace-loving peoples of all the world, to entities and groups that raise the slogans of justice, freedom and the rule of law, and to all organisations working in the field of human rights, regionally and internationally.

The appeal highlights that “this massacre is not the first, but it is an indication of the coup authorities increasing repression and aggression. It is an extension of a series of crimes against humanity involving members of the armed forces, the police, the forces of the General Intelligence Service, and the notorious ‘popular security’ militias of the former regime which support military coup d’état of October 25 2021.

‘This massacre is not the first, but it is an indication of the coup authorities increasing repression and aggression’

This is in addition to the Sudan Rapid Forces (previously known as the Janjaweed militias) support of the coup d’état, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) led by Gibreel Ibrahim and the Sudan Liberation Movement led by Minni Arko Minnawi. These are allied with the coup d’état and their members were identified within the joint forces formed by the coup authorities,” the network says.

The network points out that “these joint forces, which were granted absolute powers by the coup leader, General Abdelfattah El Burhan to deal with demonstrations (including shooting to kill, extra-judiciary arrests, arrest, search and confiscation of property and assets), have established legal immunity by decree in accordance with the Emergency Decree issued by the coup leaders to avoid accountability. These forces have committed a series of crimes against humanity and war crimes since the beginning of the coup d’état. To date, 75 peacefully-demonstrating martyrs, along with hundreds of injured.”

The network says that it has monitored violations including:

* Deployment of fully-armed military forces and militias with military equipment, brought in by the coup d’état authority to suppress peaceful demonstrations.

* Use of military vehicles to run over demonstrators.

* Use of prohibited military weapons against peaceful civilian demonstrators, such as the Dushka machineguns and Kalashnikov assault rifles.

* Use of munition types that explode and spread inside the bodies of the injured, according to reports of the Central Doctors Committee.

* Deadly use of tear-gas canisters and rubber bullets, resulting in the loss of demonstrators ‘eyes and hands and permanent disabilities.

* Snipers systematic targeting by physical liquidation (all martyrs shot in the head, chest and abdomen).

* Raiding hospitals and brutally beating doctors and nurses, arresting the wounded and injured, and throwing tear gas canisters, posing a threat to the lives of hundreds of hospital patients.

* Preventing the injured from reaching hospitals, and chasing ambulances and motorcycles for paramedics.

* Raiding houses, brutally beating and abused citizens.

* Soldiers involved in looting peaceful demonstrators and unarmed citizens found after the demonstrations.

* Documented rapes of a number of female detainees, sexual abuse and harassment.

The Sudanese people face crimes against humanity, carried out by militias and criminal gangs that are in breach of all values, customs and religions, wearing military uniforms. Their actions pose a grave threat to the lives of the Sudanese and are protected by coup leaders, the journalists’ network’s statement concludes.

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