Email
Print
Save
July 29, 2020 (KHARTOUM) - Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged Sudan’s transitional government to remove militiamen of the Rapid Support Forces from a girls’ school in Kadugli of South Kordofan.
On 14th June 2020, Rapid Support Force (RSF) troops invaded Elzahraa girls primary school at Telu neighbourhood of Kadugli town, reported a local human rights group, HUDO, in a statement extended released earlier this month.
The office of RSF spokesman did not deny the news when reached by Sudan Tribune for comment on the claim but declined to confirm it. However, local sources confirmed the seizure of the school.
Alex Firth, an HRW Associate, Children’s Rights Division wrote an article condemning the move which affects the already fragile girls’ education in the war-hit South Kordofan state.
"Sudan endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration in 2015, which includes a pledge to protect schools from military use. Sudan was praised when it subsequently circulated a command order prohibiting military use of schools and vacated three schools," Firth wrote.
"Sudan’s new transitional government has committed to upholding rights and democratic principles. By not protecting all schools, it is failing to live up to these promises and risks unnecessarily prolonging the pandemic’s damage," he further stressed.
In an update about the situation of the school on 26 July, HUDO said that the South Kordofan military governor had pledged to address the issue in a meeting with Resistance Committee formed of youth who supported the revolution.
However, an activist recently informed the right group that pupils of Class Eight have been transferred to another school to perform the annual final examinations.
"This means that the state government is not willing or is not able to send away the RSF soldiers," said HUDO.
Prime Minister Abdallah Hamdok appointed civilian governments this week.
(ST)
Latest Comments & Analysis
Darfuris call for protection in vain 2021-01-21 06:45:46 By Mohamed Osman “It is the same as in the old days,” Adam Rojal, a coordinator in an internally displaced community in Sudan’s Darfur region told me recently, describing ongoing violence from (...)
Invisible female victims of armed militia attacks in Darfur 2021-01-08 15:19:56 By SIHA Network* On October 19th 2020, an armed group burned down the IDP camps of Oum Assal, Babanousa and Om Zegerat in Gerida locality. Gerida locality is composed of a number of villages (...)
Account Inventory for December Revolution in Sudan 2020-12-19 20:34:35 By Mahmoud A. Suleiman This article comes against the backdrop of Sudan's Third Revolution as some like to call it, two years later during which Much has been achieved but risks still remain, (...)
MORE