Sudanese activist sues UK government for assisting SAF
July 10, 2015 (LONDON) – A Sudanese rights activist has filed charges against the United Kingdom’s government for providing military aid to the Sudanese army, saying the move violates the country’s human rights controls on foreign security and justice assistance.
The Sudanese lawyer, Ali Ajab, accuses the UK’s Defence Minister and the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of violating the local law pertaining to non-provision of aid which contributes to human rights violations, saying they are both responsible for providing aid to the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) since 2009 until now.
Ajab told Sudan Tribune that aid was provided in various forms of military training including training to control troops in the battlefield besides English language courses that has been taught in Khartoum and the UK.
He accused the UK’s defence ministry of failing to adhere to the government’s controls for the provision of foreign security and justice aid.
According to those controls, any government unit who intends to provide foreign aid in the security and justice domains must assess whether the aid would have direct and serious impact on human rights situation and the international humanitarian law.
“Aid has been provided to a military institution known for committing large and continuous human rights violations”, he said.
Ajab pointed out that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has accused the Commander-in-Chief of SAF of committing genocide and war crimes.
He was alluding to the two arrest warrants issued by the ICC against the Sudanese president Omer Hasan al- Bashir in 2009 and 2010 for alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide committed in Darfur.
“SAF includes the security forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) which are known for committing grave human rights violations and international crimes”, he added.
He underscored to Sudan Tribune that the UK government represented by the defence and foreign ministries has provided technical aid to develop the military skills of SAF’s commanders besides offering English language courses, stressing that assistance would continue until 2016.
It should be recalled that SAF and its allied militia have been fighting the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/North (SPLM-N) rebels in Blue Nile and South Kordofan since 2011 and a group of armed movements in Darfur since 2003.
(ST)