Urgent petition from South Sudanese to UN and GOSS

URGENT PETITION FROM SOUTH SUDANESE TO UNITED NATIONS AND GOVERNMET OF SOUTHERN SUDAN (GOSS)

Date: January 3, 2006

– Kofi A. Annan
– United Nations Secretary-General
– United Nations Headquarters
– New York, USA

Cc:
A. Government of South Sudan

– Salva Kiir Mayardit
President of South Sudan
Juba, South Sudan
– The SPLM Party Leadership
– All Other Sudanese Parties and MPs

B. World Leaders and Human Rights Organizations

– US President George Bush
– UK Prime Minister Tony Blair
– Presidents of Canada and Australia
– AU, EU and Arab League Leaders
– Other World Leaders and Legislators
– Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch
– International Committee for Red Cross
– All Other Human Rights Organisations

Ref: Condemnation of Egypt over December 30, 05 Cairo Massacre of Refugees
and Appeal for Immediate Humanitarian Intervention

We, South Sudanese and friends world-wide are outraged and shocked by the barbaric massacre of over 265 Sudanese refugees, according to our representatives, by the Egyptian police forces in Cairo on December 30, 2005 and completely agree with your recent statement that the massacre is a “terrible tragedy that cannot be justified”, plus the statement by UN High Commissioner for Refugees Mr. Antonio Gueterres, that “there was no justification for the violence and loss of life”. Similarly, we concur with Human Rights Watch deputy director Joe Stork for stating that “a police force acting responsibly would never have allowed such a tragedy to occur” before correctly asserting that “the high loss of life suggests the police acted with extreme brutality.” Nevertheless, these words alone are not enough unless accompanied by practical and legal measures to save our vulnerable people in Egypt and ensure non-repetition of such tragedies elsewhere in the World.

Indeed, the Egyptian Government’s use of excessive force on the Sudanese refugees with rising number of deaths is an out right serious violation of the 1951 UN Convention on Refugees and their right to life and liberty and asylum as per 1948 UN Declaration on Human rights. Such brutal massacre is barbaric, callous, inhuman and absolutely illegal. It is also undiplomatic act of a supposedly highly valued government in the Middle East against unarmed and defenseless refugees and asylum seekers whose only crime they committed was to stage a 3-month non-violent sit-in protest in front of a UNHCR office in Cairo.

Sadly, the fact that this massacre happened with UNHCR simply watching terribly reminds us of massive Srebrenica and Rwanda Massacres. Over the years Egypt collaborated with the oppressive regimes in Khartoum to exploit continuous silence of the international community and treat the marginalized people of “New Sudan” as animals and massacre them. They should not be allowed to get away anymore with their barbaric and brutal acts. They must be universally condemned and held accountable for their crimes.

The “coincidence” of the visit of Foreign Affairs State Minister, Mr. El Kerti and the Egyptian army declaration of War against a peaceful sit-in protest that had continued for over two months, leaves much to be desired. Sudan National Congress Government is on record for excessive use of force against innocent citizens as happened at Soba Aradhi last June/July and following the riots after the death of first SPLM Chairman Dr John Garang. The Minister’s departure on the day of the killings shows no concern for the citizens at best or complete disregard for their lives and wellbeing. When the Minister adds that there was no “excuse for seeking asylum” in the first place, it implicitly implies no sympathy for their condition and fate. We request an international investigation commission when formed to probe the relationship between the Ministers’ visit and the timing of the massacre as this may reveal a significant link such as masterminding of the brutality.

Of utmost urgency is the need to care for the wounded, protect the detainees and stop deportations. We understand that over two thousand detainees with the wounded and unknown number of missing including 30 children are taken to undisclosed locations and we are alarmed by the news that UNHCR have been denied access to them by the Egyptian Government. We genuinely fear that their safety and welfare is seriously compromised. Over 600 who run the risk of being arrested, tortured or killed by Sudan Army are now being deported to Khartoum. The first 100 of them are expected in Khartoum shortly and more will follow without UN intervention.

We are also concerned about possible disrespect and mishandling of the dead. Some of us who studied and lived in Egypt are well aware of the fact that South Sudanese who are killed by Egyptians are later found in most cases without internal organs. This is because our dead people in Egypt are treated as an open source for organ donations for their sick relatives. The looting of internal organs may be happening at the moment to the bodies of our people massacred in Cairo within various mortuaries in Cairo while awaiting postmortem

Last but not least we would like to briefly explore the original dispute that triggered these tragic crises, namely the UNHCR resolution of June 2004 to stop registering all Sudanese asylum Seekers for Refugee Status Determination (RSD) interviews in light of the current Sudan Peace Agreement. We feel that this UNHCR resolution is defective in the following ways:

– It is premature as the peace agreement is yet to be fully implemented

– No prior arrangements are made for the security, safety and wellbeing of returnees

– It is generalized considering continuing hostility in Eastern and Western Sudan

– It aggravated the suffering of Sudanese refugees and asylum seekers in Egypt

– Sudan Human Rights Organization Cairo Office petitioned against it to UN Human High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres and recommended its suspension

– It encouraged Egyptians to mistreat Sudanese refugees culminating in this massacre

Mr. Secretary General, these acts of killing, looting of internal organs and illegal deportations of Sudanese refugees from Egypt in eyes of the whole world are a great scandal and mockery of all the international human right laws and values. They represent a sharp fall in the moral standards of leading world nations such as Egypt and are in dire contrast to the better way South Sudan has hosted and treated refugees from various countries like Eritrea, Somalia, Ethiopia, Zaire and Uganda plus Egyptian citizens over the years. It comes as a shame to all humanity that such barbaric and mindless acts still happen in our supposedly civilized and progressive 21st century’s world. Therefore, we the authors of this petition condemn Egypt in the strongest possible terms and appeal to you to intervene on behalf of UN and the world community to:

1. Call for immediate release of detainees and stop forceful deportations of Sudanese refugees from Egypt to Sudan

2. Allow access to the detainees and wounded by reliable humanitarian or human right organizations for care and safety as well as allow counseling of bereaved relatives

3. Ensure the identification of all the dead and postmortem to be conducted by an international team of doctors from non-partisan organizations or involving South Sudanese doctors before transportation of the bodies for burial in their own soil in South Sudan

4. Order an international investigation into the circumstances surrounding the Cairo Massacre including the role of Egyptian Police and Sudan Government in it and not allowing Egyptian authority single-handed investigation for cover-up

5. Demand that all those responsible for the crime are held accountable and brought to justice including full payment of compensation to affected victims and bereaved relatives following competent assessment by a team of international experts

6. Dismiss UNHCR staff who collaborated with Egyptian police

7. Revoke the June 2004 UNHCR resolution and replace the Egyptians with international interviewers

8. Call for interviewing of all new applicants and expedition of resettlement procedures to third countries

9. Ensure provision of legal protection and humanitarian support for all the refugees in Egypt

10. Order suspension of Egypt’s membership in UN and peacekeeping in Sudan pending full explanation for mistreatment and massacre of Sudanese refugees and asylum-seekers

By copy of this letter we would also like to appeal to our Government of South Sudan. While we condemn Egypt, we also view that the Sudan’s state minister on foreign relations statement on the incident and the Sudan’s ambassador in Cairo inaction to protect the refugees, warrant immediate relieve from their positions by the Sudan Government of National Unity (GONU). If no action is taken against the above officials then the Government of National Unity is nothing but the shadow government of the previous NIF regime.

We are also dismayed with the initial deafening silence of the Government of South Sudan (GOSS) and above all, one of our own who is at the helm of the foreign ministry for not condemning these unwarranted and unjustified killing of our people but was able to defend the position of NIF towards Chad. This to us is very sad indeed as the welfare and security of all South Sudanese anywhere is the responsibility of the Government of South Sudan, if not the Government of Sudan. We do not think it is fair for either Government to simply watch their people neglected, humiliated and now massacred without stepping in to at least give them necessary advice and guidance if not full protection in Egypt. However, the Government of South Sudan subsequent condemnation of Egypt is relieving and we would like to use the opportunity of this letter to appeal to South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayrdit to ensure that the following further steps are taken or implemented:

– Urging of Sudan Foreign Minister or President Omer el Beshir to also condemn Egypt

– Dispatching of an urgent delegation from South Sudan to Egypt to support the bereaved and wounded, facilitate funeral arrangements and protect our people there in liaison with humanitarian organizations and helpful nations

– Calling for Sudan GONU to take full responsibility to safely repatriate and accommodate refugees who are willing directly to their home areas in Sudan, not dumped in Khartoum

Mr. Anan, we appeal to your proven understanding of complex and intractable international issues, exceptional leadership skills, and supportive spirit and authority, together with those of all other world leaders and institutions of good will by copy of this petition to urgently intervene in order to save and protect basic human rights of all the Sudanese refugees and asylum seekers in Egypt whose lives and security have all been seriously jeopardized and compromised by recent tragic events in Cairo.

Without your immediate intervention, Sudanese refugees and asylum-seekers will continue to languish in the den of murderous brutality in Egypt and end up like the Tutsis in Rwanda and Bosnians in Serbia if not worse. Please save our people now.

Signed on Behalf of South Sudanese and Friends World-Wide by:

– Dr. Achier Deng Akol

Address: South Sudan Freedom, 21Francis Road – Harrow – HA1 2QY – UK

THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ENDORSING: