July 17, 2002

On June 22nd, 2002, the Sudan Human Rights organization Cairo Branch (SHRO-Cairo) issued a statement condemning Sudan Government for harassing, arbitrarily arresting, and unlawfully detaining Dr. Toby Maduot, the well-reputed political leader of the Sudan African National Union (SANU), and distinguished member of the Sudanese Group for Human Rights (SGHR).

The Sudan Historical Dictionary (Fluher-Lobban et al, 2002) informs that Dr. Maduot was born in 1939. He became a doctor, human rights activist, and political leader in The Sudan. He was elected to Parliament for a Bahr al-Ghazal district in 1968. He was an active member of the Khartoum-based SANU, working closely with his brother-in-law, William Deng, one of Sudan's most important nationalist leaders in the post-independence Sudan. After the 1969 October's Revolution, Dr. Maduot served in the cabinet and then was named Commissioner for Bahr al-Ghazal province (1971).

After the Addis Ababa Agreement of 1972, Maduot became a member of the Southern Region High Executive Council and was elected to the Regional Peoples Assembly. With the April's Uprising that overthrew the Nimeiri's repressive regime, Dr. Maduot figured out as a political leader and human rights activist. He became leader of SANU - a constituent of the Union of Sudan African Parties (USAP) that is member of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the main opposition body of the Sudanese nation versus the NIF terrorist rule.

There is no doubt that the Government of Sudan has been targeting Mr. Maduot as an enemy of the Islamic Front's regime since it came up to this moment. Dr. Maduot is a principled human rights activist, secularist thinker, and strong opponent of the war, enslavement, and other disasters that the government has been escalating against the People of Sudan.

The Organization has consistently rejected the regime's anti-democratic attempts to outlaw, harass, and divide-and-rule Sudanese opposition parties. The NIF rulers have been harassing the human rights and democracy leaders, including Dr. Maduot, the Honorable Abel Alier, journalist Alfred Taban, lawyer Mustafa Abdel-Gadir, lawyer Ali Al-Sayed, and many other democratic leaders or professionals who honestly and publicly criticize the regime's repression, war mongering, and non-democracy.

Our Organization accuses the government of performing unconstitutional acts of racism and vengeance by flatly abusing State authority against opposition leaders in gross violation of international human rights norms and Sudan law. The case of the prisoner of conscience, Dr. Toby Maduot, provides clear evidence, as is documented below.

Last May, 2002, before his most recent arbitrary arrest and unlawful detention, Dr. Maduot was harassed by the authorities that allegedly connected him with the celebration organized by the southern students of Al-Neelain University at Khartoum for the 19th anniversary of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM).

After a short release, still under intensive security surveillance, Dr. Toby Maduot was most recently detained on Wednesday June 19, 2002 by the regime's security elements in Khartoum. Mr. Maduot was repeatedly harassed by the security forces that wanted him to sign summon for security interrogation. Dr. Maduot has insistently refused to comply with the security unlawful procedure, which flagrantly violates international human rights law.

On June 28, SHRO-Cairo issued a follow-up report addressed to the High Commissioner of Human Rights (Geneva), the African Commission on Human Rights (Banjul), and the other human rights organizations. Reliable reports informed SHRO-Cairo that the government plans on extending Dr. Maduot's unlawful incarceration irrespective of his urgent need to medical attention and immediate release to perform his significant role as a national political leader, strong critic of government's terrorism, and a well-reputed human rights activist.

Until today, July 17th, 2002, the government unlawfully continues to detain Dr. Maduot with no charge, in poor prison conditions, despite his significant role in the peace process, human rights movement, and civil society activities in Khartoum and the other parts of the country.

The most recent report received from SHRO-Cairo correspondents inside the country affirms that Dr. Toby Maduot is suffering poor health conditions in detention. The Organization is gravely concerned for the life of Dr. Maduot's. The NIF government is clearly planning to eradicate Dr. Maduot's life in prolonged unlawful incarceration terms. SHRO-Cairo earlier condemned the Government of Sudan for the discrimination applied against southern students who peacefully performed student activity inside their university campus. The organization protested the sentences of court because they were discriminatory and grossly unfair.

• The harassment, surveillance, arrest, and detention of Dr. Madut is another measure that the government applied in furtherance of acts of racism, discrimination, and rotten political purposes for which the NIF June military junta is notoriously known.
• SHRO-Cairo condemns in the strongest terms possible the continuous harassment, arrest, and detention of Dr. Toby Madut.
• The Organization asks the Government of Sudan to immediately release the respectable Dr. Toby Madut with full guarantees for his activities as human rights activist, as well as political leader, in addition to full provision for his health.
• The Government of Sudan must pay full compensation for the unlawful arrest and detention and waste of Dr. Maduot's time as a distinguished doctor, human rights activist, and political leader.

UN Commissioner for Human Rights
African Commission on Human Rights
The National Democratic Alliance (Sudan)
Amnesty International
Human Rights Watch (Africa)
Arab Organization for Human Rights
Arab Program for Human Rights Activists
All Sudanese Human Rights and Democracy Groups