Corporate report

Sudan - Country of Concern: latest update, 30 September 2014

Updated 21 January 2015

This was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government

0.1 Latest Update: 30 September 2014

The human rights situation in Sudan has remained of serious concern during the reporting period.

Sudan was discussed at the 27th Session of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva. Minister for Human Rights, Baroness Anelay, highlighted the UK’s ongoing concerns about human rights abuses in Sudan in her closing statement.

The UN Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in the Sudan, Professor Mashood Baderin, presented his latest report (Ref A/HRC/27/69) to the UNHRC on 23 September. The report focused on the need to improve the practical protection of human rights, and called for the effective implementation of previous recommendations. The mandate of the Independent Expert was renewed by the UNHRC for one year to continue engagement with the government of Sudan in order to “assess, verify and report on the situation of human rights”.

In his report to the UNHRC, Professor Baderin called on the government of Sudan to “quickly institute an independent judicial public enquiry into the killings and other human rights violations that occurred during the September 2013 demonstrations in Khartoum”. In the lead-up to the first anniversary of these demonstrations, over 80 individuals who were planning events around the anniversary were reported to be detained by the government..

On 9 July, the EU and Norway issued a statement calling for the release of political detainees. On 11 July, three students detained since 12 May were released without charge. Over the reporting period, a number of opposition politicians were either prevented from travelling outside of Sudan or arrested upon their return. Mariam al-Mahdi, the deputy leader of Sudan’s National Umma Party was arrested on her return to Khartoum from Paris on 12 August, and held without charge until 9 September. Mohamed Abdalla El Duma, Chairman of the Darfur Bar Association and Deputy Chairman of the National Umma Party, was prevented from travelling to Paris on 7 August, and again to Nairobi on 26 September. Dr Hassan Babiker of the National Consensus Forces (NCF) was detained at Khartoum airport on 12 September following talks with the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SRF) in Addis Ababa. Siddig Yousef, NCF External Affairs Secretary, was prevented from travelling to the meeting on 4 September.

The reporting period has also seen a number of incidents involving the Sudanese Congress Party (SCoP). On 27 July, SCP offices in Omdurman were stormed by masked gunmen. Party members were attacked and belongings stolen. At least 15 SCoP members were held in detention under emergency laws in West Kordofan during the reporting period, whilst Party leader Ibrahim al-Sheikh was held for over three months. An EU statement was issued welcoming al-Sheikh’s eventual release on 16 September.

Censorship and restrictions on the media have continued. On 6 July, al-Saiha newspaper was suspended indefinitely. During the reporting period, there were at least nine separate incidents of print runs being confiscated, impacting six different publications. The most recent came on 24 September, just two days after the Minister of Information announced the government would stop all exceptional measures by the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) against print media.

The dangers faced by journalists were highlighted by the hospitalisation of al-Tayyar’s Editor in Chief, Osman Mirghani, after his offices were stormed by masked gunmen on 19 July. On 16 September, the journalist Hassan Ishag was released after three months of detention.

Civil society organisations have continued to come under a high level of government scrutiny, and many report routine harassment by security services. On 13 September, security agents prevented a meeting of the Confederation of Civil Society Organisations that was due to elect the independent body’s new executive committee. On 10 September, NISS officers raided the offices of the Regional Centre for the Training and Development of Civil Society. They occupied the building until 14 September, and confiscated office equipment including laptops and PCs. The equipment was returned and the offices re-opened on 28 September. Salmmah Women’s Resource Centre’s legal challenge over its forced closure on 24 June, by decree from the Ministry of Justice, continues through the courts.

Routine application of the death penalty continued across the reporting period, including the hanging of two members of the Justice and Equality Movement for the killing of five Chinese oil workers in 2008. Exact numbers of executions and death penalty sentences handed down in Sudan remain unclear, but hanging is acknowledged as a routine sentence for anyone convicted for murder.

Meriam Ibrahim, who had been sentenced to death for apostasy but was later reprieved, left Sudan on 24 July. Her departure was welcomed by Prime Minister David Cameron and also by the then Minister for Africa, Mark Simmonds, in a statement that called on the government of Sudan to “reflect on the lessons of Meriam’s case and ensure that [freedom of religion or belief] is upheld for all”. Professor Baderin has also urged the government to review, “as a matter of priority”, the legal issues around this case.

Religious minorities in Sudan continue to suffer harassment from the authorities. On 12 July, the Minister of Guidance and Religious Endowments re-affirmed that the government will no longer issue permits for the building of new churches in Sudan, claiming there were already sufficient churches for Christians.

On 22 July, the media reported the case of Hagag Osman, who was arrested in Port Sudan on 13 July and died in police custody the following day. Police opened an investigation and transferred his body to a pathologist to determine the cause of death. The deceased’s family are taking legal action as they believe that their son died as a result of torture. There were four further reports of death in police custody in the same city during the reporting period.

The final 12 individuals detained since last September’s protests were acquitted on 30 September. The judge noted that their confessions had been obtained under torture.

July marks the start of the rainy season in Sudan, which generally leads to a decrease in incidents of armed violence. Despite this, there have been continued reports of incidents. The African Union-UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) has recorded 500 fatalities in the last quarter, many due to inter-tribal fighting. In Darfur on 4 September, Kalma Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp was attacked by government forces; this reportedly led to eight deaths. According to the Darfur Bar Association, the claimed justification was that the camp had previously hosted armed movements. On 24 August, infighting between two armed factions of the SLA-AW (Sudan Liberation Army – Abdul Wahid) forced 65 people to seek refuge at the UNAMID team-site. In Blue Nile, the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies has documented an attack on Samsorah village, allegedly by members of the Sudanese Armed Forces and Popular Defence Forces. Amongst other abuses, this attack reportedly resulted in the rape of ten women and girls, and the detention of a local community leader.

On 22 September, the Office of the Special Prosecutor for Darfur Crimes concluded its first case relating to attacks on UN peacekeepers. Three men were sentenced for breaking into the property of three female peacekeepers, one of them receiving eight years for rape.

NGO reports have highlighted cases of civilians being arrested and then subjected to military trials. Lawyers have highlighted their concerns that such a process does not allow a fair trial.

Reports of rape by armed combatants in Darfur remain widespread, as do allegations of incidents within IDP camps on the outskirts of Khartoum. For example, on 20 September, there was a reported gang rape of two young women in East Jebel Marra by five men wearing military uniforms, and a reported rape of three women by three armed militiamen in Fina.

The UK welcomed the government of Sudan’s participation in the Girl Summit in London on 22 July, and its signature of the Summit Charter on Ending Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and child, early and forced marriage. It is important that Sudan implements these commitments.

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