Sudan’s National Human Rights Commission: Junta played no role in June 3 massacre

The Sudanese National Human Rights Commission published a report on the massacre during the break-up of the sit-in in front of the army command on June 3 that denies the junta played a role in it. The Association of Families of December Revolution Victims firmly rejected the report.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, the head of the association, Farah Abbas, described the commission's report as a clear fraud, that obscures the facts and consists of bare lies. He said that all indications show that it was the junta that made the plan to dismantle the sit-in.

Abbas pointed to reports about the forces that broke up the sit-in. They had allegedly been trained for two months at the El Safat and El Rayyan military camps in Omdurman.

During the violent break-up of the sit-in more than 100 demonstrators were killed and many demonstrators were raped.

Former regime

Mohamed Badr, father of Saeed Mohamed who was killed at the sit-in on June 3, condemned the report of the commission. He considers it a provocation to the families of the demonstrators killed and an open attempt to negate their rights.

It is a major scandal that this report comes from a commission that is supposed to defend human rights, he said. He accused the commission of being part of the former Al Bashir regime.

He added that the National Human Rights Commission should have monitored the facts and should have spoken to those affected, rather than to rely on reports which are meant to ‘prove’ the regime had nothing to do with the massacre.

He pointed out that the then ruling Transitional Military Council held a meeting to draw up a plan to break up the sit-in. The head of the judiciary and the attorney general participated in that meeting, he claimed.

He stressed that the 700 men that broke up the sit-in committed crimes of murder, torture and rape.

Fierce attack

Abubakr El Imam, father of Abdelazim Abubakr who was also killed at the sit-in on June 3, also launched a fierce attack on the report of the commission. He considers it to be a defence of the killers, that disregards the victims.

He expressed surprise that the report claims that those who broke up the sit-in were actually supposed to raid the nearby area called ‘Columbia’, where there is said to be a lot of drugs dealing.

An investigation in June by the then ruling Transitional Military Council already reached the same conclusion.  

El Imam pointed out that nobody stopped the attack, which lasted for four hours. The army denying the demonstrators access to the army command during the attack is evidence that it was planned, he said.

He said that the way this commission has operated indicates that the former regime still exists. He demanded that no investigation committee should rely on this report.

Abubakr El Imam also said that they presented their reservations during a meeting with Sovereign Council member Mohamed El Faki.

Independent commission of inquiry

The Association of Families of December Revolution Victims expressed reservations about the representation of the Ministries of Defence and Interior in the independent commission of inquiry on the June 3 massacre announced by the Prime Minister on Sunday. It pointed out that these two ministries are under indictment and that an accused can not participate in the committee investigating the crime.

They pointed out that the position of the independent investigation commission is still premature. They also warned for an escalation in the case that the commission reaches unsatisfactory results.

The association said the Democratic Lawyers Alliance has by now received the files of 75 per cent of the demonstrators killed during the December Revolution. The alliance is waiting for the appointment of the Chief Justice and Attorney General to start legal procedures, as it does not trust the current institutions.

SLM-AW

The Sudan Liberation Movement under the leadership of Abdelwahid El Nur (SLM-AW) rejected the report of the National Human Rights Commission on the June 3 massacre.

It said that the commission's report is meant to block any impartial and serious investigation to find out who perpetrated the massacre and how many demonstrators were killed, wounded and missing.

The movement described the commission as one of the tools of the former regime to cover up crimes and to falsify facts. It demanded its immediate dissolution.

The movement also claimed it is necessary to form an international committee to investigate the massacre at the sit-in, as it does not trust any independent national commission.

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