Corporate report

Sudan - country of concern: latest update 31 December 2014

Updated 21 January 2015

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

Any incidents or events taking place after 31 December 2014 will be covered in future reports.

0.1 Latest Update: 31 December 2014

The human rights situation in Sudan was largely unchanged during the period October to December 2014, and remains deeply concerning.

Internal conflicts within Sudan have continued throughout the reporting period. There have been ongoing reports of aerial bombardments targeting civilians in Darfur and the Two Areas (Blue Nile and South Kordofan states). NGOs are reporting that over one million people are trapped in South Kordofan without access to humanitarian aid.

Following the adjournment of peace talks on Darfur and the Two Areas in early December, the Troika (the UK, the US and Norway) issued a statement on 23 December highlighting that the humanitarian situation continued to deteriorate. It is reported that over 430,000 people have been displaced by conflict in Darfur, with more than 100,000 in the Two Areas since the start of the year.

Coinciding with the adjournment of peace talks, a number of opposition and civil society figures were arrested on 6 December, some of whom had signed the “Sudan Call” declaration. At the time of reporting, all remain detained without charge, and have not been allowed visits from family or lawyers. A legal challenge has been accepted by the Constitutional Court. The UK has called for their immediate release – including jointly with our Troika partners and by raising the issue directly with the government of Sudan.

There have been other cases of arbitrary arrests and detentions during the reporting period. On 5 October, 70 female students from Khartoum University were forcibly evicted from their dormitories. Eighteen were subsequently arrested and detained but have now been released. In addition, on 8 December, Rashid Abbas, the last person who remained in detention following arrests relating to the anniversary of September 2013 protests, was released. There are ongoing media reports of students being arrested and detained.

During the past three months, there has been further reporting by media and NGOs of sexual violence in Darfur and the Two Areas. Most concerning is the allegation of a mass rape by Sudanese army personnel in the village of Tabit, North Darfur on 31 October. Although the United Nations – African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) received permission to visit Tabit on 9 November and initially reported finding no evidence, UNAMID later reported that staff had been accompanied by a heavy security presence. Despite subsequent calls by the international community, UNAMID has not been granted further access. The Foreign Secretary raised our deep concern over the allegations in a statement on 7 November. We have also raised our concerns with the government of Sudan. Shortly after the Tabit incident, the government of Sudan asked UNAMID to close its human rights liaison office in Khartoum.

Inter-tribal violence remains a serious concern. On 27 November, the media reported that at least 15 people were killed and 10 others injured when gunmen ambushed a vehicle carrying religious students and Imams in South Darfur state. During 28-30 November, clashes between rival clans of the Misseriya tribe in West Kordofan reportedly led to 156 deaths and 183 injuries. Photographs circulated after the violence suggested numerous human rights violations may have been committed. The UK called on the government of Sudan to hold an investigation.

There have been further instances of the confiscation of newspapers. The National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) confiscated copies of Al Majhar newspaper on 8 December, which reportedly contained an interview with a senior member of the Democratic Unionist Party and co-vice president of the Sudan Revolutionary Front. On 26 November, the media reported that the National Council for Press and Publications had suspended two sports newspapers, Al-Mushahid and Al-Asyad (the ban has subsequently been lifted). At least one journalist was detained during the reporting period, and there were a number of cases when the government of Sudan called in journalists for questioning over specific articles.

Civil society organisations continued to face pressure during the reporting period. On 10 November, the government shut down the Badya Centre for Integrated Development. On 21 December, NISS forces raided the offices of the Sudanese Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), an independent voluntary organisation monitoring human rights violations in Sudan. NISS personnel allegedly took away computers and documents.

Freedom of religion or belief continues to be restricted in Sudan. On 17 November, the house of the pastor of Bahri Evangelical Church was demolished following a decision of the Evangelical Church Council (ECC) to rent church land to private investors. Members of the congregation dispute the legitimacy of the ECC, claiming it to be an unconstitutional body appointed by the Ministry of Guidance and not the Church itself. On 4 December, the Anglican Church in Sudan was served with an eviction notice for one of its properties in Omdurman by the Ministry of Justice following a dispute over the ownership of the property. Both cases are being challenged through the courts and remained unresolved at the time of reporting.

The death penalty continues to be applied in Sudan. A teacher was executed on 10 December for raping a female student. On 3 December, the Darfur Crimes Court sentenced seven people to death by hanging. They were found guilty of attacking Sudanese regular forces and for stealing a government vehicle. A police officer was sentenced to death by hanging on 28 October for murder. These are only some of the more prominent cases that were reported by the media.

Sudan attended the ministerial launch of the “Khartoum Process” (an EU - Horn of Africa Migration Route Initiative) in Rome on 28 November. The initial focus of the initiative is to improve co-operation between the EU and countries of the Horn of Africa and Mediterranean transit countries in the fight against the trafficking of human beings and irregular migration.

On 5 November, Mr Aristide Nononsi was appointed as the UN Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in the Sudan. Minister for Africa James Duddridge wrote to Mr Nononsi to congratulate him on his appointment, and highlighted our deep concerns about human rights in Sudan.

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