Sudan: Internal conflict causes humanitarian crisis in Darfur

LONDON, Mar 02, 2004 (Amnesty International) — While peace talks are underway to resolve the 20-year-old civil war in southern Sudan, more than a hundred thousand civilians from Darfur, western Sudan, have been forced into seeking refuge in Chad since April 2002. They have fled an invisible, vicious internal armed conflict between Sudanese government forces and two armed political groups, the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM).

The SLA and the JEM took up arms in February 2003 to protest at what they perceive as the lack of government protection of the settled population against attacks by nomads and at the underdevelopment and marginalisation of Darfur.

According to information collected by Amnesty International in the past year, including during a mission to eastern Chad in November 2003, the Sudanese armed forces and government-allied militia called “Arab” militia or the Janjawid (armed men on horses) bear prime responsibility for attacks on civilians. Civilians have been deliberately or indiscriminately bombed by the Sudanese air force and also killed, wounded, tortured, raped and abducted by the Janjawid and government soldiers in ground attacks.

Many of the villages that have been attacked have been burnt to the ground and cattle looted. The devastation is fuelling a humanitarian crisis. More than 700,000 persons are said to be internally displaced within Darfur, with little or no aid. Humanitarian agencies only have limited access to Darfur, due to government restrictions and insecurity.

Amnesty International is asking the Sudanese government to cease support to the Janjawid or to establish strict control over them. It is also calling for international human rights monitors to be sent to the region and for the establishment of an international Commission of Inquiry, to examine the complex human rights crisis in Darfur.