Sudanese politicians, MPs activists form a committee to defend Khartoum’s Darfuri
May 24, 2008 (KHARTOUM) — Sudanese politicians, MPs, journalists, and human rights activist announced today the formation of the National Committee for the Protection and Defence of individuals and Groups affected by 10 May events.
Following a foiled attack by the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) on the Sudanese capital on May 10, the Sudanese government staged a large-scale campaign of arrest against Darfuri in Khartoum. The number of arbitrary detained Darfuri estimated at 3000 people.
In a statement endorsed among others by the Senior Presidential Assistant and chief of a former SLM faction, Minni Minawi, and SPLM Deputy Secretary General for north Sudan, Yasir Arman, the signatories said they decided to form this committee “in response to the urgent need to protect innocent civilians who were affected by the violence and its aftermath which was took place in Omdurman and the national capital.”
The committee intends to provide legal protection to “those who are detained and those who will face trials and advocate and provide support for victims and those affected by May 10 events, which includes also to work to reduce ethnic discrimination and to patch the social and national fabric.”
The committee denounced the violence enforced against Sudanese citizens — whether in the capital or in other areas of conflict. They signatories said “aware of the government’s responsibility to maintain security”, however they also asked the government.”
They further urged the government to implement its responsibilities to bring peace to Darfur. “This includes providing protection for civilians, safe return for displaced persons, compensation, and bringing to justice those who committed crimes,” the committee said.
The Sudan Human Rights Organization (SHRO) denounced a lawlessness climates enforced in Khartoum saying Sudanese authorities exercise a large-scale racist campaign against all Darfuri residents in the National Capital in the aftermath of the foiled rebel coup.
Aegis Trust reported eyewitness accounts of a Zahawa woman shot by security men because she protested against their attempt to arrest her brother who was walking down the street with her, in Omdurman suburb of Ombada.
Darfur Centre for Human rights and Development (DCFHR) reported this week that more than 3000 people have been detained, the overwhelming majority from Darfur. Most of those detained have no links to JEM and were arbitrarily arrested and detained as a result of unsubstantiated allegations made in the wake of the attack.
Some of them were stopped without proper cause at roadblocks in the city on account of their ethnicity. Others have been turned in to interrogators as a result of malicious phone calls from local residents following the Ministry of Interior public announcement that people should notify the authorities if anyone is seen to be acting suspiciously, the DCFHR said.
In a separate communiqué, the committee condemned a statement by President Omer al-Bashir saying that the work of the security and intelligence services will not be limited to information gathering but will exercise the work of the armed forces to protect the country from conspiracies.
The committee further said this statement contravene the text of the Interim constitution of 2005 including article 121 which sets the task of the security apparatus to focus on information collection, analysis and advice to state agencies.
The Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), a Darfur rebel based armed movement, attacked Khartoum on May 10. The attack marked the beginning of a new phase of the conflict in Darfur, with a rebel group reaching the edges of the capital for the first time since the conflict’s inception in 2003.
Many members of the JEM were reportedly killed during the attack and scores were arrested. Sudan accused Chad of being behind the attack and severed diplomatic ties with the neighboring country.
(ST)