SHRO-C airo call for peaceful settlement condemns armed attacks

The Sudan Human Rights Organization – Cairo condemns the armed attack on Omdurman on May 10-11 by the Justice and Equality rebel group.

May 11, 2008 — The attack is seen by many observers as a reaction to the serie s of air bombardments and other forms of severe military action the Government o f Sudan has been exercising with a free hand against the civilian population of Darfur towns and villages, despite international and national obligations and hu manitarian appeals to end the conflict in Darfur by peaceful negotiations.

The Organization is deeply concerned for the unabated casualtie s among civilians, including scores of killings and grievous hurt besides the de molishment of residential areas, villages, and cities by government attacks on D arfur, as well as the casualties made yesterday by the Justice and Equality atta ck on the air base at Wadi Sayedna, police headquarters, the army engineers’ are a, and a few civilian residential areas in the outskirts of the city.

SHRO is particularly concerned for the imposition of emergency law in the National Capitol to unnamed period of time, according to the minister of interior most recent announcement, which might be largely used to hunt down suspects from among the displaced population in the shanty towns surrounding Omdurman and the ne ighboring cities.

The attacks occurred at a time all political parties and civil society groups have been actively pursuing electoral programs in preparation of the upcoming national elections.

The parties to the conflict are fully obligated to secure th e safety of citizens and property without discrimination on the basis of race, e thnicity, political alliance, or any other criteria;

We urge the parties in conflict to restrain from taking furt her military action;

The Sudanese authorities, in particular, are strongly urged to protect all civilians, in general, and the Darfuri retired disciplinary perso nnel or the sympathizers of Darfur movements versus the Government’s aggressive policies and practices in Darfur, in particular, from security retaliation, tort ures, or arbitrary arrest;

The Government of Sudan and the Justice and Equality group m ust resume peaceful talks on the national crisis of Darfur< /st1:place> in an all-Sudanese national conference with the full participation o f civil society and political groups, under auspices of the African Union and th e United Nations.

The parties to the conflict are strongly urged to ensure sus tainable political and humanitarian measures, in the meantime, to maintain the p eople’s right to exercise full civil rights and freedoms in Darfur and the National Capital, in accordance with the Interim Con stitution.