Sudanese in The Hague demand investigation into chemical weapons use

Hundreds of Sudanese staged a demonstration in front of the Dutch Parliament in The Hague on Tuesday, in protest of Khartoum’s alleged use of chemical weapons against civilians in Darfur.

The demonstrators, many of whom are Sudanese citizens who live in the Netherlands, chanted slogans calling for a halt to the genocide, protection for the people of Darfur, and that the perpetrators be brought to justice.

The protesters handed a memorandum to the Parliament of the Netherlands, as well as the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), demanding an urgent investigation into the use of chemical weapons in Darfur, the Nuba Mountains and the Blue Nile, protection of civilians, and delivery of humanitarian assistance to the affected people. The memorandum also calls for pressure on Khartoum to stop the genocide, and the arrest of Sudan’s President Omar al Bashir so that he can be brought to justice at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.

One of the organisers, Siddig Abdelhafiz, told Radio Dabanga reporters said that “the Khartoum government has not only committed war crimes and genocide in Darfur, the Nuba Mountains and the Blue Nile, but has also committed violations against all the Sudanese people by impoverishing and ruining the El Gezira Scheme and the people and the civilisation of the North”.

The demonstration in The Hague follows similar demonstrations that took place in London, Paris, New York, and San Francisco over the past week.

Report

On 27 September, Amnesty International reported that at least 30 likely chemical attacks have taken place in the Jebel Marra area since January 2016. Based on testimonies from caregivers and survivors, the human rights watchdog estimates that between 200 and 250 people, many being children, may have died as a result of exposure to the chemical weapons agents. Khartoum denied the claims.

Hundreds more survived attacks but in the days after exposure to the chemicals developed symptoms including bloody vomiting and diarrhoea; blistering and rashes on skin; eye problems; and respiratory problems which were reported to be the most common cause of death.

The Sudanese government denied any use of chemical weapons. Sudan’s Ambassador to the UN Omar Dahab Fadul Mohamed denied the report’s conclusion. “The ultimate objective of such wild accusation, is to steer confusion in the on-going processes aimed at deepening peace and stability and enhancing economic development and social cohesion in Sudan,” he was quoted as saying.