Sudan must end harassment of civil society groups
Jan 23, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — Leading international and Sudanese human rights organisations today called on civil society to be allowed to contribute to the work of the organs of the African Union without harassment.
Yesterday evening at the close of an open civil society forum on working with the African Union in central Khartoum, 35 participants in the final session were harassed and detained for more than three hours at the conference venue. Representatives of the European Union and the UN, and a Sudanese Parliamentarian were also held. A number of those detained were searched, verbally abused and assaulted. The conference working documents, laptop computers, files, personal papers and other equipment were confiscated. There was also an attempted arrest. The forum had been organised to promote closer support for, and engagement with, the key objectives and institutions of the African Union by Sudanese and regional NGOs.
Speaking on the day following the incident, and the subsequent overnight arrests of two local members of the organising committee, participants of the forum expressed their anger and disbelief at the action by the Sudanese authorities. “This was a serious interference with the rights of freedom of expression and information and a severe violation of the Sudan Interim Constitution” said Salih Mahmoud, a member of the National assembly (the Interim Parliament) who was among those detained.
Ibrahima Kane, working on the African Union system, spoke of his anger that an open meeting dedicated to assisting NGOs in making a contribution to the AU summit was so disrupted. “Civil society has an integral role in the development of the institutions of the AU” he said. The forum had been organised as an independent event in the context of the failure of the host country to accommodate a formal civil society forum.
Today representatives of the detained civil society groups finalised the draft resolution and statement which were under discussion when their meeting was interrupted. The resolution calls on the AU summit to combat impunity and strengthen justice in African States, improve the access of civil society to the institutions of the AU, and ensure strong and independent leadership at the head of the African Union. Their statement highlights the challenges now facing the African Union in the light of the continuing marginalisation of NGOs from the AU institutions.
For further information contact:
Osman Hummaida (SOAT) or Dismas Nkunda (IRRI) on 00 249 911352777/ 922576900
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Sudan Organisation Against Torture (SOAT)
– Argo House
– Kilburn Park Road
– London, NW6 5LF
– United Kingdom
– Tel: + 44 (0) 20 7625 8055
– Fax: + 44 (0) 20 7372 2656
– Email: [email protected]
– Website: www.soatsudan.org