65th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights

Banjul, The Gambia:

Oral Statement on HRs Situation in Sudan

Presented by Abdelrahman Mohammed Al Gasim

Honorable Chairperson,

Honorable Commissioners,

Your Excellencies Representatives of the Governments,

Distinguished Representatives of the Governmental Organizations,

Distinguished Colleagues, Representatives of NGOs,

Ladies and Gentlemen

On behalf of Al-Khatam Adlan Center For Enlightenment and in collaboration with the Darfur Bar Association and Darfur Relief and Documentation Center we would like to thank you for giving us this opportunity.

First of all, allow me chairperson to congratulate you on your election to lead the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and we wish you all the success in your endeavors for the protection and promotion of the human rights in Africa.

In our country – Sudan- and after a thorny process, the constitutional document was agreed upon and the Council of Sovereignty and the Transitional Cabinet were formed, under the auspice of the African Union and mediation brokered by the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

Let me avail this opportunity to thank the representative of the African Union, Dr. Mohamed Al- Hassan Labat, and congratulate the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, H.E. Dr. Abiy Ahmed on the winning of the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize. This is an honor for Ethiopia in particular and Africa at large.

Honorable Chairperson

For the time being, Sudan is at a critical stage in which the post-revolution transition government inherited a completely empty treasury and economic sanctions imposed on the country in conjunction with the policies of the former regime. The people are now living very critical conditions while there is no a glimpse of hope for lifting economic sanctions and removing Sudan from the list of state sponsoring terrorism. It would require tremendous efforts to be exerted by the Transitional Government by holding accountable the terror cells and elements of the former regime who are still actively mobilizing their supporters in the mosques and disseminating fundamentalist beliefs and threatening to launch religious war – jihad – on any effort of reform or any attempt to transform the theocratic state system into a civil state.

In this regard, Sudan needs the concerted African efforts, spearheaded the African Union and its relevant institutions such as the African Commission on Human and people’s rights. The latter is requested to establish special mechanisms for Sudan and to help in paving the way for the transitional period to move smoothly towards a sustainable democracy.

Honorable Chairperson

During the period between June and the last few days of October, serious violations were committed against civilians in Darfur. For instance, a number of villages, including Mershing and Kidinir were attached. Torture leading to death cases were reported in Nyala besides the rape of three minors. Furthermore, the suffering of the internally displaced persons in IDP Camps is continuing.

In Kordofan State, assassinations and arbitrary arrests are still occurring. The informal mining activities that lack the required proper standards has led to environmental disasters and linked to distortions of embryos of pregnant women and the death of livestock.

Al-Khatam Adlan Center and the collaborating organizations request the following:

1. Call upon the African Union to continue its efforts in providing technical assistance to the Transitional Government by establishing an office in Khartoum and to continue the process of building national and state government institutions and to support the peace process.

2. Appeal to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to send a fact-finding mission to investigate the human rights violations took place in the post-revolution period and to investigate the violations in the war zones of Darfur, Blue Nile and Nuba Mountains.

3. Appeal to the Transitional Government, in its two components in the Sovereign and the Council of Ministers, to complete the establishment of independent institutions for all Sudanese people without discrimination on any basis.

4. Urge the Government to extradite the indicted war criminals to the international justice while allowing the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to follow the unfinished investigations of persons who have committed war crimes after the ICC finalized its first list.

5. Call upon the Transitional Government to establish peace throughout Sudan and activate the transitional justice process to heal the wounds and address all historical grievances.

6. Appeal to the Government of Sudan to ratify all international and regional conventions and their protocols which are yet to be ratified by Sudan.

Thank you for your attention