Genocidal actions by government of Sudan must be stopped

The government of Sudan is reported to have been carrying out activities of torture and mayhem in the South Kordofan, which could best be described as ethnic cleansing. Many a time when the government of Sudan is exposed on human rights abuses, it employs the fact that there is a picture that it is not in the good books of the west, and therefore writes it off as western propaganda. This distraction has succeeded in confusing a lot of peace-loving and human rights activists. The past two weeks have seen fascist-like activities that have been characteristic of the tyrannical regime based in Khartoum being carried of South Kordofan. Some thought that the independence of South Sudan on 9 July would put to bed issues of xenophobia and ethnic cleansing in Sudan. As I said on a Press TV programme in January 2011, the struggle for democracy will even be further deepened in North Sudan despite the secession of the south. The security situation in Southern Kordofan has deteriorated. The fighting continues throughout the state with civilian casualties reported to be on the increase, including mass displacement of the civilian population.

The aggression in South Kordofan has not been limited to just the Sudanese population, it has also been extended to the United Nation Mission staff in the country as well. The targets in the aggression show that the Arabo-Islamic regime in Khartoum wanted to create destabilisation in Sudan on the eve of the independence of South Sudan so that the South Sudan breakaway will not lay a Arabo-Islamic regimes over the decades. The SPLM is going to be the ruling party in South Sudan. However, the SPLM operated in the whole of Sudan. The government of South Sudan attacked the home village of the deputy leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement – North, Abdel Azziz Al-Hilu on 10 June. This has caused majority of the civilian population to flee in fear. There have been attacks in the Al Rashad locality targeting the Tagoi ethnic group seen as of African-descent (Nuba). Reports have it that these armed attacks of aggression have been led by the Sudan Armed Forces and perpetrated by Arab Dar Faidand Salamati tribes. Similar actions of aggression took place in this same area on 14 April in the period before the Sudan elections. Members of families of prominent activists have been arrested a number of houses have been burnt during the attack. The Sheikh of the Tagio tribe was also arrested. His fate and that of others arrested is not known. People who transferred their support from the Democratic Unionist Party to the SPLM and participated actively in the 2-4 May have been arrested. In the Dilling locality, the village of Netil has had civilian casualties, which include deaths and injuries as well as attacks on livestock allegedly by the Sudan Armed Forces.

Non-Islamic institutions in the area have been caught in crossfire. The Catholic priest of the Kadugli Parish together with some parishioners were arrested at an airport checkpoint on 9 June by the Sudan Armed Forces. The parishioners were trying to flee to El Obeid following an attack on the Catholic Church by the Sudan Police and the Sudan Armed Forces. Whilst internally displaced persons are fleeing, there are reports of intimidation, attacks and killings of civilians at the airport junction check point along the Kadugli-Dilling road set up for Sudan Armed Forces security checks before civilians are allowed to pass.

It is alleged that the Sudan Armed Forces are planting land mines in densely populated areas of Kadugli especially in the Kalimu neighbourhood and also organising ongoing conscription of civilians to prevent the armed wing of the SPLM making any advances. Reports also claim that Arab young men have been armed and asked to witch-hunt and harass SPLM supporters in the town. It is also claimed that the Sudan Armed Forces visited a Sudan Red Cross Clinic on 10 June and picked up injured civilians for interrogation about their SPLM sympathies. There are also allegations of abductions and also mass graves. Abductions have even been reported to have taken place around the immediate surrounding perimeter of the United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS). Whilst UNMIS may relocate their International Staff the fate of National Staff could be problematic as they will be targeted by the Arabo-Islamic regime’s forces.

This situation demands solidarity and action from all peace-loving people and human right activists. I am, through this article, appealing to all readers to write to their elected representatives in legislatures wherever they are to raise this issue in their assemblies and initiate early day motions and organise solidarity events and also raise the issue with their governments. People should also write to local, national and international newspapers publicising this genocidal situation and calling on people to mobilise everywhere they are to put international pressure on the government of Sudan to stop this genocidal action. For further information contact:

www.enoughproject.org
www.SudanActionNow.org
www.kilombo.org.uk
www.ClaireBudd.co.uk

Read the latest Satellite Sentinel Project (SSP) report, ‘Strike Range : Apparent Deployment of Sudan Armed Forces Mobile Rocket Launchers Near South Kordofan’

View or download Digital Globe satellite images from SSP’s latest report.

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* Explo Nani-Kofi is the co-ordinator of Kilombo Community Education Project, London, UK, and Kilombo Centre for Civil Society and African Self-Determination, Peki, Ghana, which jointly publishes the Kilombo Pan-African Community Journal.
* Please send comments to editor[at]pambazuka[dot]org or comment online at Pambazuka News.