Rights group denounces targeting of Sudanese doctors and health facilities

April 5, 2019 (KHARTOUM) – U.S.-based Physicians for Human Rights(PHR) on Friday blamed Sudanese authorities forces for targeting medical workers and health facilities as part of its repression campaign on anti-government peaceful protesters.

As the protests in Sudan are in its fourth month, the right group said that Sudanese security agents who used excessive violence to quell the protests have killed 60 protesters including two medical students and a practising doctor. Also, 15 physicians are arbitrarily held in jail.

The police and other security organs “have carried out attacks on at least seven medical facilities in Sudan, arrested at least 136 health personnel, fired tear gas and additional weapons into hospital wards, said the report.

The PHR stressed that the targeting of Sudanese health care infrastructure and doctors have negatively impacted the health of civilians but also threatened “their right to access health care”.

“The abuse and attacks on doctors and medical facilities represent an egregious violation of human rights just when health care is most needed in Sudan,” said Rohini J. Haar, MD, MPH, medical expert and research and investigations advisor at PHR.

Despite the imposition of the state of emergency, the Sudanese authorities failed to end the four-month protests as the demonstrators call on President Omer al-Bashir and his government to leave.

The ICC-indicted president refuses to resign as he sought to ensure the support of the army for his regime and ordered the security forces to use violence to disperse the protests. However, under international pressure, he stopped the use of live ammunition.

(ST)

Click here for the full report “Intimidation and Persecution: Sudan’s Attacks on Peaceful Protesters and Physicians”