Africa: Condemnation of arrests of human rights activists in Sudan
"The Open Society Justice Initiative has condemned the arrest of human rights and pro-democracy activists in Khartoum on Sunday, January 22, 2006. Approximately 30 activists, including eight foreign nationals, were arrested by Sudanese security forces and interrogated for several hours before being released. The activists were participating in a civil society consultation on the crisis in Darfur organized in conjunction with the Sixth African Union Summit of Heads of State and Government, taking place in Khartoum this week." Please click on the link to read the rest of this statement, as well as other statements about the harassment of civil society activists.
JUSTICE INITIATIVE CONDEMNS ARRESTS OF HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISTS IN SUDAN
Crackdown Comes as Sudan Campaigns for African Union Presidency
New York, January 24, 2006 —The Open Society Justice Initiative today condemned the arrest of human rights and pro-democracy activists in Khartoum on Sunday, January 22, 2006.
Approximately 30 activists, including eight foreign nationals, were arrested by Sudanese security forces and interrogated for several hours before being released. The activists were participating in a civil society consultation on the crisis in Darfur organized in conjunction with the Sixth African Union Summit of Heads of State and Government, taking place in Khartoum this week.
Sudanese Security Police raided the meeting-which was organized by the Darfur Consortium and its local partners, the Sudan Social Development Organization and the Sudan Organization Against Torture-at around 4:00 p.m. local time, arresting every person inside the meeting room. The Security Police also seized all laptops and meeting materials and have yet to release them.
The Darfur Consortium is an international coalition co-convened by the Open Society Justice Initiative and the International Refugee Rights Initiative. It comprises about 40 organizations working for effective justice and civilian protection in Darfur.
The arrests came just hours before the opening of the African Union (AU) summit and form an ironic backdrop to Khartoum's campaign for the presidency of the 53-member AU. Sudan has nominated itself for the year-long position as head of the AU, but rights groups have voiced opposition, citing Khartoum's involvement in mass violations of human rights in Darfur.
"The timing and scope of these arrests are intended to send a message," said James A. Goldston, executive director of the Open Society Justice Initiative. "In its desperation to secure the AU Presidency, the Sudanese government has added to a long record of abuses and confirmed doubts about its suitability for this responsibility. African leaders should send a clear message that such conduct will not be rewarded."
The activists were charged with "organizing an illegal meeting," despite having already obtained the Sudanese government's written approval for the consultation.
Salih Mahmoud Mohamed Osman, an internationally acclaimed Sudanese lawyer and rights activist, and Deirdre Clancy, co-director of the International Refugee Rights Initiative and one of the meeting's chief organizers, were among those arrested, along with four British nationals, two Zimbabweans and an Italian activist. Sudanese authorities initially tried to release just the foreign nationals while continuing to detain the Sudanese citizens. When the foreign nationals refused to be separated from their Sudanese colleagues, all the activists were released together. However, some of the activists arrested Sunday claim that since their release they have been followed and their activities monitored by Sudanese security forces.
"The Darfur peace process will be jeopardized if African leaders elect a president for the African Union who is a party to the conflict there. It creates a clear conflict of interest," said Alioune Tine, secretary general of the Senegalese non-governmental organization RADDHO and one of the leaders of the Darfur Consortium. "The people of Darfur in particular need an AU president capable of taking a strong and independent stand on behalf of peace and justice."
Sudan Organisation Against Torture
International Refugee Rights Initiative
Khartoum Centre for Human Rights and Environmental Development
Press Release
End harassment of civil society groups working to support and promote the principles of the African Union
Khartoum (23 January 2006) Leading international and Sudanese human rights organisations today called on civil society to be allowed to contribute to the work of the organs of the African Union without harassment.
Yesterday evening at the close of an open civil society forum on working with the African Union in central Khartoum, 35 participants in the final session were harassed and detained for more than three hours at the conference venue. Representatives of the European Union and the UN, and a Sudanese Parliamentarian were also held. A number of those detained were searched, verbally abused and assaulted. The conference working documents, laptop computers, files, personal papers and other equipment were confiscated. There was also an attempted arrest. The forum had been organised to promote closer support for, and engagement with, the key objectives and institutions of the African Union by Sudanese and regional NGOs.
Speaking on the day following the incident, and the subsequent overnight arrests of two local members of the organising committee, participants of the forum expressed their anger and disbelief at the action by the Sudanese authorities. “This was a serious interference with the rights of freedom of expression and information and a severe violation of the Sudan Interim Constitution” said Salih Mahmoud, a member of the National assembly (the Interim Parliament) who was among those detained.
Ibrahima Kane, working on the African Union system, spoke of his anger that an open meeting dedicated to assisting NGOs in making a contribution to the AU summit was so disrupted. “Civil society has an integral role in the development of the institutions of the AU” he said. The forum had been organised as an independent event in the context of the failure of the host country to accommodate a formal civil society forum.
Today representatives of the detained civil society groups finalised the draft resolution and statement which were under discussion when their meeting was interrupted. The resolution calls on the AU summit to combat impunity and strengthen justice in African States, improve the access of civil society to the institutions of the AU, and ensure strong and independent leadership at the head of the African Union. Their statement highlights the challenges now facing the African Union in the light of the continuing marginalisation of NGOs from the AU institutions.