‘July witnessed at least 56 human rights abuses in Sudan’: Sudo-UK

During the past month, human rights monitors of the UK-branch of the Sudan Social Development Organisation (Sudo-UK), have verified 56 specific incidents of human rights abuses in Darfur, Blue Nile, and South Kordofan.

Sudo-UK recorded the deaths of 221 people, 35 victims of rape, 19 victims of abduction, and the arrest and torture of one individual in these incidents. Additionally there were 20 incidents of pillaging, 17 incidents of direct attacks on villages and civilian infrastructure, and six incidents of displacement resulting in some 12,000 newly displaced people, the human rights organisation states in its July Situation Report.

According to the report, 41 of the 56 incidents were committed by largely pro-government militias, six by government forces or officials, and three by the armed opposition, ethnic militias, and unknown bandits respectively.

The month of July witnessed a clear trend of government and pro-government militia attacks on farmers in Darfur cultivating their farms in order to provide food for themselves, the report reads. Ten such attacks were recorded by Sudo monitors.

Furthermore, at least 178 people were killed in tribal clashes between Zayadiya and Berti in North Darfur, and Rizeigat and Habaniya in East Darfur.

The report further states that “Blue Nile state again witnessed what appears to be a consorted effort by government forces to continually harass the Ingasana ethnic group – amongst others deemed as supporters of the armed opposition”.

According to Sudo-UK some 7,500 people in the Ingasana Mountains were displaced in Blue Nile state in July as a result of such attacks by the Sudan Armed Forces and Military Intelligence.

“These attacks were characterised in reports for their ferocity and brutality with comments that soldiers were involved in acts of rape, summary executions, as well as the destruction of civilian infrastructure including schools and health and water facilities in order to prevent re-settlement.”

Recommendations

On the basis of reports submitted by its monitors throughout Sudan, Sudo-UK calls on the Sudanese government to “halt all direct, indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks on the civilian population by its armed forces”, and on the rebel movements to “cease their attacks on the civilian population and civilian infrastructure”.

Khartoum should also “immediately facilitate urgent humanitarian assistance for displaced civilians”.

The human rights organisation further urges the government to “fulfil its obligation to protect civilians by disbanding, investigating and holding to account all government militias, including the Rapid Support Forces and the Janjaweed, for human rights violations they have committed in the war-torn areas of Darfur, South Kordofan, and the Blue Nile.

In addition, Sudo-UK appeals to Unamid to “take action in order to fulfil its mandate .. and prevent attacks against civilians, within its capability and areas of deployment, without prejudice to the responsibility of the Government of the Sudan”.

The headquarters of Sudo in Khartoum were closed by the Sudanese authorities in 2009.