Sudan: AU session on human rights in Sudan
The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights will convene in Pretoria, South Africa, an extraordinary session to examine the situation of human rights in Darfur, Western Sudan. Since it began in 1987, this will be the third extraordinary session to be convened by the Commission. The African Commission is the main human rights oversight body in the African Union. It comprises eleven eminent independent experts charged with the protection and promotion of human rights in Africa and monitors the compliance of African governments with provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights. The treaty gives powers to the Commission to investigate human rights violations and to issue official denunciations of such violations.
PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
EXTRA-ORDINARY SESSION OF THE AFRICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN AND PEOPLES’ RIGHTS
ON THE SITUATION OF HUMAN AND PEOPLES’ RIGHTS IN DARFUR, SUDAN.
18TH – 19TH SEPTEMBER 2004
PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA
Pretoria, South Africa: The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights will convene in Pretoria, South Africa, an extraordinary session to examine the situation of human rights Darfur, Western Sudan. Since it began in 1987, this will be the third extraordinary session to be convened by the Commission.
The African Commission is the main human rights oversight body in the African Union. It comprises eleven eminent independent experts charged with the protection and promotion of human rights in Africa and monitors the compliance of African governments with provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The treaty gives powers to the Commission to investigate human rights violations and to issue official denunciations of such violations.
In May this year, at its 35th Ordinary session, the Commission considered the allegations of massive human rights abuses in Darfur, Western Sudan. Following extensive deliberations, the Commission decided to send a fact-finding mission to Darfur. The Commission’s mission to Darfur visited the region from 9 – 18 July and comprised:
· Her Excellency, Salamata Sawadogo, the Chairperson of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights;
· Commissioner Angela Melo, Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa;
· Commissioner Bahame T. M. Nyanduga, Special Rapporteur on Refugees, Displaced Persons and Asylum Seekers in Africa;
· Commissioner Mohammed Abdellahi Ould Babana, Commissioner responsible for human rights promotion in Sudan; and
· Mr. Robert Kotchani, Legal Officer at the Secretariat of the African Commission.
The Commission visited camps for internally displaced persons, where it interviewed survivors. Government officials and other persons affected by the situation in Darfur.
Pending the examination and adoption its report on the Mission, and in conformity with Article 111(3) of the Rules of Procedure of the African Commission, the Chairperson of the African Commission sent a request to the President of the Republic of Sudan, His Excellency Omar El Bashir, impressing on the Government of Sudan the necessity to take urgent provisional measures relating to questions of security, the protection of women from rape and violence, access to displaced persons and the supply of humanitarian assistance, the need to reassure the safe return of displaced persons to their villages, the deployment of human rights observers and the to ensure the right to fair trial for political prisoners.
Following the fact-finding mission and the continued reports of human rights abuses in the region, the Commission has decided to convene an extraordinary session on Darfur. The Commission will adopt the draft report containing its views and recommendations on the fact-finding mission to Darfur. The Session will be attended by member States and civil society human rights observers.
Pretoria, 15 September 2004
Contact Person:
Germain Baricako, Secretary, African Commission on Human & Peoples’ Rights
Tel: +27 12 322 7500, Rm 829