Sudanese Armed Forces and Local Militias jointly attack a Fur Village in North Darfur

(3 September 2010) On 2 September at 11 AM, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) andlocal militias jointly attacked Tabra, a Fur village in North Darfur. Fifty eight people were killed, and eighty six injured. Survivors of the attack reported seeing members of the SAF in uniform, and identified the local forces as Arab tribal militias. Tabra is about 80 km outside of El Fashir, capital of North Darfur. Though UNAMID has a presence in Tawilla area, 25 km away, they were unable to protect and defend Tabra.

During the rainy season, much of the community in Tabra can only farm in the immediate areas outside of the village, despite much of the territory being insecure. Though the reasons for the joint attack were unclear and not precipitated by any action, the attack likely was an attempt on the Government’s part to destroy perceived support (both financial and through the donation of crops) to the Sudan Liberation Army – Abdul Wahid Al-Nur (SLA/AW), and for the local militias to gain land.

Read the full press release.

Sudan Human Rights Monitor, June - July 2010

(30 August 2010) The Sudan Human Rights Monitor includes an overview of incidents of arbitrary arrest and ill-treatment, lack of access to education, corruption, security concerns and lack of humanitarian access, unfair trials, the death penalty, restrictions on freedom of expression and access to information, and the freedom of movement and religion, respectively.

Also included in the monitoring report is an overview of the humanitarian and security implications of the blockade of humanitarian aid to Kalma IDP Camp, as well as the political context in which the initial insecurity in the camps occurred in.

Read the full report.

ACJPS Welcomes End to Pre-Print Censorship in Sudan; Calls for Greater Protection of Freedom of Expression

(10 August 2010) On 8 August 2010, the head of the National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS), Mohammed Atta, lifted the stringent pre-print censorship policy through which the content of Sudanese newspapers is reviewed nightly prior to publication by NISS agents. The practice, which has been used intermittently by security authorities since February 2008, has most recently been in place since May. Atta also affirmed that the NISS “reserves its constitutional right to reinstate censorship whenever the necessity arises”. His announcement of the end of censorship in Sudan came on the heels of a remark he made days earlier, on 6 August, that pre-print censorship would be halted “after the reasons that necessitated it have disappeared”.

Read the full press release.

Six Months Before Critical Referendum, Sudan Alarmingly Unprepared

Ahead of major summit, new report warns that inadequate preparation is harming chance of credible referendum

(14 July 2010) With six months until a referendum on Southern independence, Sudan is alarmingly unprepared according to a new report published today by a global coalition of 26 humanitarian and human rights organisations. The report calls for urgent action from African heads of state who will meet shortly at a major summit of the African Union in Uganda from 19 – 27 July. Ahead of the summit, international Sudan envoys will meet in Khartoum on 17 July.

In their new joint report Renewing the Pledge: Re-Engaging the Guarantors to the Sudanese Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the global coalition warns: “The clock is ticking fast towards what might be the most important date in modern Sudanese history – two referenda in Sudan that are likely to result in the breakup of Africa’s largest state.” In addition to the referendum on Southern independence, another vote will be held simultaneously in the area of Abyei, to determine whether or not it will join Southern Sudan.

 “The CPA has held North and South Sudan together and ended one of the deadliest conflicts of the 20th Century. A failed referendum could plunge Sudan back into war once more. The international community must now capitalise on the opportunity provided by the CPA and ensure that a free and fair referendum occurs,” said Osman Hummaida, Executive Director of the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies, a member of the coalition.

Read the full press release.

Read the full report.

Leading Sudanese Activist Prevented from Leaving Sudan and Detained

(15 June 2010) In the early morning of 15 June, Albaquir Al-Afif Mukhtar was detained in Khartoum International Airport and prevented from travelling to a conference in Spain. National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) agents attempted to confiscate his passport, but Dr. Mukhtar refused, arguing that they had no right as it was a British passport. He was released later that morning and received consular services from the British Embassy, who are following his case and have ensured that he has legal representation. The agents ordered him to report the Political Affairs section of NISS on 17 June.

Dr. Mukhtar is the Director of the Alkhatim Adlan Center for Enlightenment and Human Development (KACE), as well as the Tamam network, a coalition of over 120 civil society groups who monitored the elections. On 20 May, Dr. Mukhtar was also detained at the airport while attempting to board a flight to the United Kingdom, but was subsequently allowed to travel. On that occasion, Dr. Mukhtar’s name was announced over the airport intercom to report to the Director of the Airport Hall. He was asked for his travel documents by the Manager, who made photocopies and questioned him as to his political affiliation. In February, the Nyala offices of the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) were shut down following a training held in conjunction with KACE. SIHA’s staff was interrogated on its relationship with KACE and questioned about a book written by Dr. Mukhtar.

Read the full press release.

Sudanese Security Arrests Leaders of the Doctors’ Strike and Intimidates their Supporters

(4 June 2010) At 3 PM on 1 June, National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) arrested Dr. Walaa Alden Ibrahim and Dr. Alhadi Bakhiet, leaders of the recently established Sudanese Doctors’ Strike Committee. The two doctors were immediately arrested outside the Doctors’ Guest House in Khartoum following the announcement of a nationwide strike to begin on 2 June. In the past year, doctors have amplified their criticism of the government, whom they claim owes them millions in back wages, and have demanded that they be compensated their pay retroactively, receive raises and improvement in their working and housing conditions. In March, President Bashir issued a directive to the Ministry of Health to fire any doctor who went on strike, after failed negotiations. However, this order was later retracted.

Dr. Ibrahim and Dr. Bakhiet were briefly released later that day, but were rearrested by the NISS after they made public statements to the media detailing the conditions of their torture and arrest at NISS head offices in Khartoum. On the evening of 1 June, the NISS also arrested the head of the Sudanese Doctors’ Strike Committee, Dr. Alabwabi, from his home in Khartoum.

Read the full press release.

Activists Prevented from Travelling to the Rome Statute Review Conference

(KAMPALA, 31 May 2010) The African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the International Refugee Rights Initiative (IRRI) today condemned the decision of the Sudanese government to prevent the participation of respected Sudanese civil society activists and political commentators in discussions at the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court Review Conference in Kampala, Uganda (Review Conference)

Salih Mahmoud Osman, a respected human rights lawyer and recipient of the European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, Mariam Alsadig Almahadi, opposition politician and activist, and Professor Dr. Albukhari Abdalla Aljaali, leading international lawyer, were yesterday detained at the airport in Khartoum while attempting to take a flight to Kampala. They were questioned, their passports confiscated and they were detained until after their flight had left. Although the three experts were subsequently allowed to leave the airport, they have been asked to report to national security offices in one week in order to answer questions and to discuss recovery of their passports.  A fourth expert, Dr Amin Mekki Medani, the renowned human rights lawyer and former senior United Nations official, decided subsequently not to travel as a result of the incident.

Read the full press statement.

Sudanese Authorities Renew Use of Pre-Print Censorship to Suppress Political Opinion

(20 May 2010) In the evening of Wednesday, 19 May, three National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) officers visited the offices of the newspaper Ajras Alhurria, which is perceived as aligned with the SPLM. The officers demanded to see the following day’s edition.

The officers ordered that six out of 12 of the pages of the newspaper be deleted. This material included regular columns, general news, and opinion pieces. Ajras Alhurria could not publish a newspaper on Thursday as so much content had been removed. After their tour of Ajras Alhurria’s offices, they similarly censored Alsahafa and Al Sudani newspapers prior to the publication of Thursday’s edition. At Alsahafa, NISS agents demanded to see editorial material and opinion columns. Its editor, Al-Nur Ahmed Al-Nur, stated that the censorship constituted “a step backwards in the democratic transformation of the country”.

Much of the material censored by NISS agents regarded commentary on the arrest of Dr. Hassan Al Turabi, leader of the opposition Popular Congress Party, and the closure of the Rai Alshaab newspaper and arrest of members of its staff. Other articles censored included news critical of the attack on civil liberties in Sudan and about Dr. Khalil Ibrahim, leader of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM).

Read the full press statement.

Opposition Leader Arrested in Khartoum; Newspaper Closed

(17 May 2010) On 15 May, national security forces in three armed cars arrested Dr. Hassan Al Turabi, the leader of the opposition Popular Congress Party (PCP), from his home in the Manshya area of Khartoum at 11:30 PM. His family indicated that they were unaware of the reason for his arrest, but his son Sidiq speculated that it might have been sparked by an interview with Akhbar Alyoum newspaper in which Turabi accused the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) of rigging the elections and corruption, and threatened to publish information proving these allegations.

The same NISS agents that arrested Turabi later invaded and occupied the premises of Rai Alshaab newspaper, seen as aligned with the Popular Congress Party. This operation was carried out under the orders of NISS Director General Mohamed Atta, under Articles 25(d) of the National Security Act of 2010 and Articles 26 (a and b) of the Press and Publications Act of 2009. NISS agents broke down the doors, closed the building, confiscated materials and prevented journalists from entering. Security agents arrested Alnagi Dahab, Rai Alshaab’s executive manager, and editors Ashraf Abd Alaziz, Abazer Ali Alamin, and Abo Bakr Alsamani. These four have not been charged, and remain detained in an unknown location. In addition, General Atta issued a decree to the NISS to seize the property and liquidate the assets of Alnawda for Media and Press Company, the publisher of Rai Alshaab. Kamal Omer, political secretary of the PCP, confirmed that all of Rai Alshaab’s assets had indeed been seized. On the morning of 16 May, the newspaper’s staff was not allowed to enter their offices and Sunday’s paper was not published.

Read the full press release.

29 April 2010 - The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and its member organisations from Sudan, Sudan Human Rights Monitor (SHRM) and African Center for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS), support the efforts made by the Prosecutor of the  International Criminal Court (ICC) to receive a stronger cooperation on its investigation in Sudan.

The organisations welcome the first request submitted by the Prosecutor to the Pre-Trial Chamber for a finding of non-compliance to cooperate by the Government of Sudan in the implementation of the arrest warrants and its overall investigation in Darfur. The request relates to the execution of the arrest warrants issued in April 2007 against Ahmad Harun and Ali Kushayb, who are sought for 51 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. During this time period, not only did the Government failed to cooperate, but it had protected and promoted the accused persons.

Read the full press release.

Arrest of Newspaper Editor Violates Freedom of Expression

(19 April 2010) On 11 April 2010, Alhaj Warrag, a well known journalist, and Faiz Silaik, deputy editor in chief of Ajras Alhurria, were interrogated by Press and Publication authorities about an article written by Warrag. The article reflected on the withdrawal of Yassir Arman, the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement’s candidate for the presidency, from the race, saying it was “a message against surrender to farcical legitimisation.” The National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS) have filed a complaint against the two journalists under Article 66 of the Penal Code, which prohibits the publication of false news, and Articles 24 and 26 of the Press and Publications Act, which address guidelines for the licensing of newspapers and responsibilities of the Editor-in-chief, respectively. Warrag stated that the attorney showed him the article in question – with a paragraph describing the arrest and torture of Abdallah Mahdi, a member of Girifna, circled, and implying that this element of the story is the source of the false news charge.

Read the full press release.

Fourth Day of Voting is Accompanied by Violence, Intimidation, and Irregularities

(15 April 2010) The fourth day of elections in Sudan showed a continuation of the same tactics employed systematically by the National Elections Commission (NEC), accompanied by a spike in violence. Though it cannot be verified due to lack of capacity for comprehensive analysis, observers have noted that voting has slowed across the country. NEC officials believe that the decreasing rate of voting is due to the extension of the voting period, implying that most people have already voted. However, observers have also noted that obstacles to voting, including the exclusion of registered voters from the voter rolls and the fact that some voting centres have run out of ballots, may have contributed.

In addition, observers have continued to note instances where the transfer of ballot boxes has not been secure, candidate’s names have been dropped from the ballot or their symbols misrepresented. Entering the last day of voting, it is clear that the electoral process has been marred by procedural flaws and irregularities, corruption, violence, and severe restrictions on civil and political freedom.

Read the full press release.

NEC Inconsistencies and Suppression Persist on the Third Day of Voting

(14 April 2010) At the close of what was initially intended to be the last day of elections, the same technical irregularities and mistakes by the NEC as noted in the first two days continued. The African Centre for Justice and Peace studies documented the following violations which occurred in both yesterday and today’s voting. The violations followed patterns similar to those observed in the first two days.

Following the third day of voting, patterns of manipulation indicating systemic mechanisms to confuse the electorate and hinder engagement, such as the switching of symbols and manipulation of the registration list, are beginning to emerge. The African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies denounces these violations and urges international and national observers to thoroughly investigate these and other reported abuses.

Read the full press release.

ACJPS Condemns the Silencing of Political Activists

(19 March 2010) On 15 March, Abdallah Mahdi Badawi, an 18 year old accounting student at Ahlei University and member of Girifna was detained and tortured in Khartoum. Girifna is an election and civic education campaign started by Sudanese youth during the registration period, and is colloquial Arabic for “we are fed up”. The movement is calling for free and fair elections, and uses orange as its signature color to signify its commitment to nonviolence and peaceful democratic change.

That afternoon, Mahdi received a call from “Hassan”, one of the newest members of Girifna. Hassan requested that Mahdi meet him at Khartoum University. When Hassan did not arrive, Mahdi entered the University; however, Hassan called moments later and the two met. Hassan was accompanied by another young man, and the three walked to a local café to discuss Girifna activities and plans. On their way, in an empty alley behind the café, Hassan and the other man pulled out pistols and forced Mahdi to follow them to an office.  He was taken to a small room which had photos of Salah Gosh (the former Director of the National and Intelligence and Security Services, NISS) and tortured. He was beaten by 13 men with sticks, hoses, and electric wires, and interrogated as to the Girifna movements’ activities and sources of funding, and was taunted as to what he was “fed up” about. The agents placed a pistol near his head and pretended to squeeze the trigger, and threatened to make him drink a liquid that they claimed had a virus that would kill him. Mahdi was told that they were the same people who had killed Mohamed Musa, the Darfuri student found murdered in Omdurman in February.

Sudanese Authorities and the NEC React to Peaceful Elections Campaigns through Arrest and Circumscribing Civic Rights

(4 March 2010) Yesterday, 4 March 2010, police and security services in Khartoum broke up a peaceful election campaign at a bus stop in central Khartoum held by Girifna, a group currently conducting a massive voter education campaign across Sudan and colloquial Arabic for “we have had enough”. Three members of Girifna were arrested and were taken to Khartoum Shimal Police Station in Khartoum. They were charged with causing “public noisiness” under Article 77 of the Criminal Act of 1991. They are still in prison and have yet to be released.

Participatory, political, and civic rights are critical to the holding of free and fair elections in April that will decide the leadership of the country on the parliamentary and presidential level, but yesterday’s events (and other incidents monitored by the Centre) illustrate that these ongoing violations are a pattern to silence dissident voices and limit access to information. The nature of crackdowns and the suppression undertaken by Sudanese authorities on peaceful efforts by civil society to conduct voter education and engage the public undermines free and fair elections. The responses undertaken by police forces and the NEC exemplify the extent to which the authorities are unwilling to tolerate any other voices on the road to democratic transformation.  

Sudanese Civil Society Strategic Meeting on Monitoring Elections

(Nairobi 17 February 2010) On the initiative of the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS), a workshop was held in Nairobi Kenya from 12-14 February 2010. The workshop focused on strategies for Sudanese civil society to observe the upcoming elections. Thirty six individuals from the South, North, East and Darfur regions participated. The participants included members of the four main networks accredited to monitor the elections (Tamam, Shams, SuNDE, and SuDEMOP) along with human rights lawyers, journalists and representatives of other civil society groups.

The participants discussed ways to enhance collaboration and networking between the groups and also to set priorities for civic education and observation of the election, as well as the means of using technology for election observation. The workshop concluded by setting up three coordination groups one of accredited elections observers, another for media and journalists and a third of lawyers. Finally, the session emphasised that the observation of the elections in Sudan, of such critical importance and taking place over such a large area, require coordination of efforts and resources.

Read the full press release.

Building on a Cracked Foundation: An Analysis of the Election Registration Process in Sudan and its Impact on the Potential for Free and Fair Elections

(9 February 2010) On 1 November 2009, registration for national elections slated to be held in April 2010 began throughout Sudan. Originally intended to end on 30 November, the process was extended one week until 7 December as many election stakeholders requested the National Elections Commission (NEC) to extend the registration period. The registration – a critical first step in the electoral process – occurred against the backdrop of a contentious political environment marked by political obstruction of peaceful political activities and human rights abuses, and an overall tightening of restrictions on civil and political freedoms.

Indeed, despite the successes of the process in carrying out an extensive registration, there were a number of serious flaws in the process. These flaws undermine the potential for successful elections in April by both undermining public confidence and building the electoral process on a flawed structure.

Police Forces Use Excessive Force to Disperse Peaceful Political Protests

(24 January 2009)  On Tuesday the 19th, supporters of Hamad Mohammad Ali, an independent gubernatorial candidate from the Amarar ethnic group in Red Sea State for the April 2010 elections, organised a peaceful demonstration and rally in support of his candidacy. Mr. Ali was formerly a member of the National Congress Party (NCP), but when he did not receive his party’s nomination began a campaign on an independent platform.

The peaceful protests were soon curbed by police on the pretext that they had not registered for a permit to demonstrate. Protestors were dispersed using tear gas, electrical batons, and water hoses. 27 people were arrested, and subsequently taken to Al-Awsat police station in Port Sudan.   12 of the protestors were released at 12 PM, and the remaining detainees -- most of whom are members of the Bani Amir tribe -- face criminal charges under the 1991 Criminal Code. The case has been docketed as Case No. 311/2010.

Read the full press release.