Press Release

April 20, 2004

To: The Human Rights Commission, Geneva
The African Commission for Human and Peoples’ Rights, Banjul

The Sudan’ Crisis Needs Effective Human Rights’ Decisions:
International Fact-Finding Commission and Continuous Human rights’ Monitoring

In November 2003, Amnesty International said it had "compelling evidence" the Sudanese government was mainly to blame for the violence devastating western Sudan and warned the trouble could turn into a new civil war. There is compelling evidence that the Sudanese government is largely responsible for the human rights and humanitarian crisis in Darfur in the western Sudan." Returning from visiting refugee camps in neighboring Chad, AI affirmed, "The testimonies of scores of refugees describing attacks on rural communities by militias which included members of the (Sudanese) armed forces or other security forces has led us to the bleak conclusion that at least some elements in the army are encouraging this devastation.”

Since that date up to the present time, preponderating evidence by national, regional, and international sources confirmed: 1) DarFur Sudanese African-descent citizens have been subjected to acts of genocide and ethnic cleansing by government-supported forces; 2) the Sudan Government is largely accused of direct involvement in crimes against humanity; and 3) immediate humanitarian assistance is promptly needed, among other relevant procedures, to preserve the human rights of the victimized population, including the strongest pressure possible to get the government to comply with all obligations conferred upon State Parties to respect international human rights norms.

Aware that certain African States plan to release the Sudan Government from all international obligations towards the solution of DarFur Crisis for political reasons, the Sudan Human Rights Organization Cairo Office ascertains the African Charter for Human and Peoples’ Rights to which African States are legally committed is compelling to all African governments as United Nations’ human rights instruments are, irrespective of political systems, to respect the right to life and all other human rights and public freedoms for African peoples, indiscriminately.

Based on these clear international and continental obligations, the Sudan Government must immediately stop all military and/or repressive security actions in DarFur against civilian population. The government must not obstruct humanitarian assistance or impose censorial activities upon UN/NGOs to the detriment of the victimized population. Sudan Government must protect the human life and dignity of all citizens with additional consideration to protect the lives and properties of the assaulted African-descent citizens. Government must take without hesitation or partisan planning all other humanitarian measures, as is required by the Sudan Laws and international norms, to restore normal life to the region. The failure of the government to carry out effective regular response to all these duties is legally accountable by Sudanese, continental, and international norms.

The Sudan Human Rights Organization Cairo Office calls on both the Human Rights Commission and the African Commission for Human and Peoples’ Rights to coordinate their good efforts to put the strongest pressure possible on the Sudan Government to:

• Account for all crimes committed against the African-descent indigenous people of DarFur since beginning of the government-militias’ offensive last year to the present time;
• Receive with full respect and collaboration high level fact-finding judicial committee jointly-assigned by the Human Rights Commission and the African Commission with full allowance to NGOs observer status, as well as collaboration with independent Sudanese judges and/or lawyers, to conduct thorough investigation of all allegations raised against the Sudan Government or the other warring groups in the Region of DarFur;
• Publish in all UN languages results of the international fact-finding mission;

While it is encouraging the Sudan Government agreed today (April 20, 2004) to cooperate with UN peace delegates, SHRO-Cairo strongly believes that elusive attempts by concerned party harmfully evaded necessary intervention by such this important mission. The government’s elusiveness further caused unprecedented tortures, in addition to huge losses of lives and property, to the powerless victims of DarFur.

The Organization looks forward to the next HRC session to decide firmly on this urgent matter with effective human rights measures rather than piece-meal approaches or media assurance.

The Sudan Government must be firmly addressed with international human rights obligations: reinstating Human Rights’ Reporter activities besides disqualification for HRC membership are necessary measures to guarantee government respect to Sudanese human rights in DarFur or elsewhere.