Statement by Nada Al-Nashif United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights at the 50th session of the Human Rights Council – Enhanced Interactive Dialogue on Sudan – Sudan
Carolyn M. Pride
4 min read
FROM Geneva, Palais des Nations, Room XX
Mister President,
Excellencies,
I have the honor to present, on behalf of the High Commissioner, her report on the human rights situation in Sudan since the military coup of October 25, 2021.
The report underlines that the patterns of human rights violations observed since the coup remain of serious concern.
Significant progress made in human rights, transitional justice and the rule of law during the transition period has stalled. This has been accompanied by a marked deterioration in the socio-economic situation of the country, with the most vulnerable being hard hit. Since October 25, 2021, the prices of many basic products and services have increased significantly; the price of bread has increased by 100%, that of fuel by around 130% and that of electricity by around 2,500%. In addition, poor harvests are expected. It is estimated that the number of people facing acute hunger will likely double to more than 18 million by September 2022.
The people of Sudan – led by young people – continue to take to the streets, peacefully protesting for democracy and a return to civilian rule.
I welcome the initiative of the Trilateral Mechanism – the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan, the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development – to facilitate dialogue to resolve the current political impasse.
I take this opportunity to thank Adama Dieng, the United Nations human rights expert in Sudan, for his dedication, and the authorities for their cooperation with his mandate. Dieng visited the country for the second time from June 1-4.
And I acknowledge and thank the victims and witnesses of human rights violations, whose testimonies formed the basis of the comprehensive report I submitted to the Human Rights Council on the situation of human rights man in Sudan since the military coup.
Excellencies,
The report – covering the period from October 25, 2021 to April 10, 2022 – highlights the continued and excessive use of force by security forces in response to protests against the coup. This resulted in the death of 101 people (including a woman and 15 children) and more than 5,000 injuries, most of them in Khartoum State.
It was shocking to learn that in most cases the deaths of protesters resulted from head and/or chest wounds caused by live ammunition. Tear gas canisters fired directly at protesters left four people dead and about a third of the reported injuries.
A pattern of mass arrests and detentions of protesters and activists has also been observed. While protesters were usually released after a short time, protest leaders, resistance committee members and activists were usually held incommunicado for up to two months. This is emblematic of shrinking civic space, especially for women civil society activists, who increasingly face threats and harassment, including those providing support to survivors of sexual violence.
During the reporting period, sixteen incidents of sexual and gender-based violence committed by security forces or plainclothes armed men in Khartoum in the context of protests were verified by first-hand sources by the Joint Office. They included seven cases of gang rape by uniformed personnel.
Intercommunal violence has escalated since the coup, particularly in North and West Darfur, resulting in large-scale loss of life and destruction of property and livelihoods. The loss of at least 172 lives as a result of communal violence in Kerenik, West Darfur, from April 22-24, 2022, demonstrated the continuing gaps in the protection of civilians.
Excellencies,
In this context, I welcome the decision to lift the state of emergency and release all those subject to emergency legislation. I also acknowledge the progress of the judicial investigation into the allegations of human rights violations committed since October 25, and I encourage the authorities to make this progress public, to speed up the investigation and to hold the responsible.
I also strongly urge the authorities to take further steps, in particular to end the excessive use of force against protesters, revoke the emergency decree that expanded the law enforcement powers of the regular forces and the General Intelligence Service and grant them temporary immunity from prosecution, and end the practice of arbitrary arrests and detentions. I call on them to respect and protect all human rights, in particular the rights to life, to freedom of opinion and expression and to freedom of assembly and association, and to actively prevent violations by all state actors, in particular the joint security forces.
The protection of civilians is paramount. The Juba Peace Agreement and the National Plan for the Protection of Civilians must be implemented without delay.
Finally, I call on the international community to support initiatives aimed at bringing about a lasting political solution in Sudan and to continue to support the work of the Expert and the Joint Office.
The calls of the Sudanese people for their fundamental rights are clear and must not go unanswered. Any political solution to the current impasse must place human rights, including accountability for recent and past violations committed in the country, at the forefront.
Thanks.
