Attachments
Human Rights Abuses in Sudan over the Month of September 2016
Overview
Throughout the month of September 2016, SUDO (UK)’s network of human rights monitors have documented and verified 61 incidents of human rights abuses in Sudan involving eight Sudanese states. SUDO (UK) has assessed that 52 of the reports concern new instances of human rights abuses. The other nine reports concern five updates on ongoing court proceedings[2] and four reports on the release of civilians from containers in Blue Nile over the month of September.
Enclosed within the 52 reports, SUDO (UK) has assessed that forces under the direct control of the Government of Sudan were responsible for 21 human rights abuses, whilst forces categorised as Janjaweed (23) or pro-Government (2) were responsible for 25 such abuses. The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army – North were deemed accountable for four human rights abuses, unknown militias three and ethnic forces[5] two such abuses. In several situations the above actors colluded to participate in joint acts, notably pro-Government militias and Janjaweed forces.
The 52 reports detail the following: the known death of 44 civilians (a further suspected 43 killed in intra-tribal fighting in West Kordofan though no indication on whether any bystanders were killed); the injury of 49 persons (including one Policeman and one Janjaweed member over the formers attempt to arrest the latter); the rape of one woman; 21 incidents of kidnap including eight minors; five arrests; 33 incidents of looting; 20 occasions during which civilian settlements were directly targeted (six through aerial bombardments and 14 through ground incursions); four reported incidents of aerial bombardment utilising some 29 barrel bombs and 18 explosive bombs; and two reports of the recruiting of child soldiers by the Sudanese Armed Forces in Central Darfur.
During the above, monitors in Darfur stated that 18 incidents were reported to the Police, three to UNAMID and four to the Sudanese Armed Forces. Despite that, only one incident led to the arrest of the perpetrators in question. Furthermore, this arrest was the result of a vigilante group detaining the perpetrators and handing them over directly to the Police. There were two clear occasions during which the Police refused to act despite themselves knowing the identity and location of the perpetrators, whilst the Sudanese Armed Forces traced one group of perpetrators though withdrew following a brief exchange of fire. In another incident – related to intra-ethnic violence in West Kordofan – the Sudanese Armed Forces were forced to retreat due to the sophisticated weaponry utilised by both parties they were sent to the area to separate.