South Kordofan: The International Community Must Take Action Now
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International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)
African Center for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS) + Sudan Human
Rights Monitor (SUHRM)
Conflict in South Kordofan:
The International Community Must Take Action Now
The Parties Must Immediately Put an End to Serious Violations
Nairobi, Kampala, Paris, 25 July 2010 – FIDH and its Sudanese member
organisations, the African Center for Justice and Peace Studies
(ACJPS) and the Sudan Human Rights Monitor (SUHRM), are deeply
concerned about the serious violations of human rights and
humanitarian law being perpetrated in South Kordofan. Our
organisations call upon the international community to take all
necessary measures to ensure that the parties immediately cease
hostilities in the region.
Violence erupted in South Kordofan on 5 June 2011, pitting the
Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) against members of the Sudan Peoples’
Liberation Movement – Northern Sector (SPLM-N). The attacks have
resulted in significant loss of life and have caused the forced
displacement of over 70,000 civilians. Despite reaching a framework
agreement on 28 June between the parties regarding political and
security arrangements, fighting has escalated in different cities and
serious violations of human rights and humanitarian law continue to be
perpetrated against civilians, mostly based on ethnicity and perceived
political affiliation.
According to testimonies collected on the ground, areas densely
populated by members of the Nuba group have been subjected to aerial
bombings by the SAF, accompanied by ground attacks by the SAF with the
support of affiliated paramilitary groups such as the Popular Defence
Forces (PDF), the Central Reserve Forces and the National Intelligence
and Security Services (NISS). These attacks include targeted summary
and extrajudicial killings against perceived supporters of the SPLM-N
and members of the Nuba ethnic group, arbitrary arrests and
detentions, house-to-house searches, enforced disappearances, acts of
torture, destruction of churches, and looting. Recent reports also
indicate the existence of mass graves in Kadugli. Humanitarian access
remains severely circumscribed, with aid distribution restricted to
national organisations, many who lack capacity to reach South
Kordofan’s displaced communities. Local host communities have been
prevented from distributing aid by police and the NISS. There have
also been reports of displaced communities being coerced to return to
their homes in Kadugli.
“ The crimes being perpetrated since 5 June against civilians in South
Kordofan may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity”
declared Souhayr Belhassen, FIDH President. “ There is an urgent need
for international action to ensure the parties put an immediate end to
these atrocities. The international community has the duty to attain a
comprehensive and sustainable solution of the conflict, which
addresses both political and military matters,” she added.
Omar al Bashir, President of Sudan, and Ahmed Haroun, newly elected
governor of South Kordofan, have publicly supported and encouraged the
SAF’s military actions in South Kordofan. FIDH, ACJPS and SUHRM recall
that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants
for both al Bashir and Haroun for war crimes and crimes against
humanity perpetrated in Darfur, as well as an additional arrest
warrant for al Bashir for genocide perpetrated in the same region.
They remain at large. “ The role played by Omar al Bashir and Ahmed
Haroun in the ongoing violent attacks in South Kordofan is reminiscent
of their role in the Darfur conflict. This is an unbearable example of
the threat to peace and security which can emanate from the failure to
address accountability” declared Osman Hummaida, ACJPS’ Executive
Director. “ In this context, execution of the outstanding arrests
warrants is critical for the sake of both justice and peace,” he
added.
In addition, FIDH, ACJPS and SUHRM are deeply concerned over
information regarding the reinforcement of SPLM-N troops in the region
and the decision of the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) to fight
alongside them. JEM participation in the ongoing conflict in South
Kordofan could not only jeopardize the peace process in Darfur, but
could also have the potential to seriously deteriorate the security
and human rights situation throughout the country.
FIDH, ACJPS and SUHRM call on :
The SAF, SPLM-N and other armed groups which are parties to the
conflict in South Kordofan to immediately put an end to the serious
violations of human rights and humanitarian law perpetrated against
civilians, including aerial bombings from the SAF;
The Government of Sudan and the authorities of South Kordofan to allow
full and unhindered international humanitarian access to victims ;
The African Union Peace and Security Council, the African Commission
on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) to publicly condemn the serious
violations being perpetrated in South Kordofan, as well as recalling
to the State of Sudan its primary responsibility to protect civilians
and to warn those responsible for serious violations that they will be
held accountable before competent bodies;
The League of Arab States to publicly condemn the serious violations
being perpetrated in South Kordofan, to call upon the parties to allow
humanitarian access to the affected areas, to recall the State of
Sudan its primary responsibility to protect civilians and to warn
those responsible for serious violations that they will be held to
account before competent bodies ;
The United Nations Security Council to ensure an international
investigation is deployed, with unfeterred access to the region in
order to shed light into violations of human rights and international
humanitarian law committed in South Kordofan; and to ensure those
responsible be arrested and brought to justice before competent
mechanisms ;
The States Parties to the Rome Statute and UN Member States to fully
cooperate with the ICC to ensure execution of the arrest warrants.
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