UN rights expert to Sudan warns against fallout of Abyei tension,
raises multiple concerns
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March 14, 2011 (NAIROBI) – The UN-appointed human rights expert on
Sudan, Mohamed Chande Othman, has painted a grim picture of the
situation in the country in terms of curtailed civil liberties,
deteriorating conditions of refugees in Darfur region and surge of
violence in southern Sudan as well as in the contested area of Abyei,
warning that dispute over the latter could disrupt peace between north
and south Sudan.
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UN expert on the human rights situation in Sudan Mohamed Chande Othman
In a statement he issued on Monday following the conclusion of his
eight day visit to Sudan, the second since being mandated by the
Geneva-based Human Rights Council in November 2009, Mohamed Chande
Othman noted with concern the “continuing deterioration of the
situation in the Abyei region.”
The status of the oil-producing territory of Abyei is a major point of
contention in the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement
(CPA) which ended nearly half a century of intermittent civil wars
between north and south Sudan in 2005. Under the deal, south Sudan
chose in a landslide vote in January to secede from the north and form
an independent state which will come to being when the deal expires in
July this year.
Both north and south Sudan claim ownership of Abyei where overlapping
of the north-backed Misseriya nomadic tribe and the south-linked group
of Dinka Ngok fuelled several incidents of violent clashes. A
referendum was supposed to be held in Abyei in January to decide
whether it should join north or south Sudan but the plebiscite has
been held hostage to disagreements between north and south Sudan over
whether members of Misseriya should be allowed to vote.
A recent spate of violent clashes north of Abyei between local south
Sudan police and armed Misseriya tribesmen has resulted in several
death cases and massive displacements, prompting mutual accusations
between north and south Sudan over reasonability for the violence.
Analysts attribute the surge of violence to the onset of the migration
season during which members of Misseriya traverse the borders into
Abyei to graze their cattle.
Chande warned in his statement that "Abyei still remains a flashpoint
which could potentially derail the entire peace process,” urging the
CPA partners to take “immediate action” to remedy the situation and
investigate reports of violence against citizens.
He noted that "tension in the region has been high due to the delayed
referendum for Abyei and restrictions on the movement of Southerners
who returned to cast their ballots in the Southern Sudan referendum."
Similarly, the UN expert expressed concerns about what he described as
the violation of fundamental rights and freedom, including freedom of
assembly and expression, by law enforcement authorities in north
Sudan.
Chande pointed out that the government of Sudan continues to hold in
detention a number of opposition figures and anti-government activists
without charge or a right to challenge their detention in a court of
law. He revealed with regret that the director general of Sudan’s
National Intelligence and Security Services (NISS), Mohamed Atta, has
refused to meet him to discuss these concerns.
Sudan has recently cracked down on several opposition activities and
protests by civil society actors, exhibiting growing sensitivity to
dissent after popular uprisings toppled deeply-entrenched governments
in Tunisia and Egypt earlier this year. There have been reports that
the detainees were subjected to torture and sexual harassments.
With regards to south Sudan, which voted overwhelmingly in a
referendum in January to secede from the north and form an independent
state, whose official existence is due in July this year, Chande noted
with concerns “the increasing loss of lives, and displacements of
civilians caused by criminality, cattle rustling, inter-communal
violence,” as well as fighting between the SPLA and militia groups.
“The lack of accountability and impunity associated with these
incidents will continue to adversely impact on the peace, stability
and security of the region,” his statement read.
Heavy fighting erupted last month between South Sudan army the SPLA
and forces loyal to its renegade general Gorge Athor in the
oil-producing state of Jonglei, leaving as many as 200 people dead,
including women and children, and displacing thousands.
Chande urged all parties involved in South Sudan violence to refrain
from actions that violate the rights of citizens and hinder flow of
humanitarian assistance.
The UN expert also deplored the situation of refugees displaced by
intensified violence between government and rebel factions in Sudan’s
western region of Darfur, saying that the continuing impact of these
hostilities is “unacceptable.”
He said based on his first-hand experience when he visited camps for
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in north Darfur that the situation
of refugees could reach “catastrophic levels” without immediate
humanitarian assistance.
Sudan expelled a dozen of international NGOs operating in Darfur
following the issuance in March 2008 of an arrest warrant for its
President Omar Al-Bashir by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on
charges of masterminding war crimes, crimes against humanity and
genocide allegedly committed during the course of the conflict which
the UN says killed 300, 000 and displaced over 2.7 million since it
erupted in 2003.
Chande said he had discussed the issue of impunity and accountability
in Darfur with justice ministry officials who alleged that the
government is undertaking investigations into recent criminal acts
that occurred in the region. However, Chande noted that crimes
committed in Darfur date back to the beginning of the conflict in
2003, in an apparent reference to those committed during the
government’s harsh counterinsurgency campaign against rebel groups.
"I am afraid that violations of human rights will continue to occur in
Darfur if the issues of justice and accountability are not effectively
addressed," he pointed out.
UN SAYS ITS PEACEKEEPERS DENIED ACCESS TO SOME AREAS IN ABYEI
In a related development, a statement released on Monday by the
spokesman of the UN’s Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said that
peacekeepers of the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), which is mandated to
monitor the CPA, had been “consistently refused access” to areas of
conflict in Abyei and “considerably restricted” in their movement.
UNMIS has deployed an extra group of peacekeepers north of Abyei to
defuse tension amid reports of burning of local villages by unknown
militias.
Ban Ki-Moon called on north and south Sudan to allow UNMIS
“unhindered" access to these areas in order to assess the situation
and immediate needs on the ground.
The statement voiced Ban Ki-Moon’s deep concern "by the continued
tension and violence in the Abyei area.” He further urged north and
south Sudan leaders to restrain local communities in Abyei and to
implement the provisions contained in a UN-mediated accord signed in
Sudan’s town of Kadugli to defuse tension in the area.
Leaders of Misseriya threatened this month in a meeting with north
Sudan officials to enter Abyei “by force” if they are denied access to
grazing land.
(ST)
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