Press Release

German charity alarmed by plight of displaced people in south Sudan

March 28, 03

This a most touching humanitarian cry that should command the most urgent and highest attention of the People of Sudan, the United Nations, and the rest of the world.

While the war in Iraq is drifting all attention away from the other top armed conflict areas, of which Sudan is in the very top for decades, the Sudanese, more than all other peoples, must never lose sight of the workaday genocide of the Upper Nile Sudanese by the criminal rule of the brutal tyrant Omer al-Bashir and his Muslim Brotherhood mujahideen.

Sudan Government should be strongly condemned for the full responsibility, and yet full negligence and ruthless dehumanization of the citizens of Upper Nile.

At the time Sudan Government is dehumanizing the Sudanese in Upper Nile, crushing by force peaceful demonstrations in Khartoum, and crowding up armies to brutalize the people of DarFur, France and other so-called democracy nations are feverishly supporting the same Sudan Government in their evil endeavor to enjoy the status of non-violator in the UN human rights commission, a decision that, if ever applied, would help this terrorist regime to assume the status of the free nationa that are founded and are functioning on the deep respect of human rights and civil freedoms, at least for their own citizens.

Shame on France and all those deliberatley, for the sake of selfish political interests, sell out their so-called commitment to democracy and human rights.

Mahgoub
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----- Original Message -----
From: Mohamed Nagi
To: SUDAN-L@LISTSERV.CC.EMORY.EDU
Sent: Friday, March 28, 2003 11:17 AM
Subject: German charity alarmed by plight of displaced people in south Sudan

German charity alarmed by plight of displaced people in south Sudan

NAIROBI, March 28 (AFP) -- The head of a German charity on Friday voiced concern on the plight of thousands of people who have been forced out of their homes in southern Sudan to make room for the drilling of oil.

"The humanitarian and human rights conditions among the people displaced from the oil-rich regions in Western Upper Nile is very disturbing," Reimund Reubelt, the Executive Director of Hoffnungszechen (Sign of Hope), told AFP in an interview after visiting the region.

"Those internally displaced people do not have access to healthcare, their sanitation is pathetic, most children are suffering from malnutrition. Surely they need help," said Reubelt.

He said his organisation delivered some 10 tonnes of relief supplies to the affected people this week.

Thousand people have been displaced from the oil fields Bentiu, Koch, Old Fangak and Leer in the West Upper Nile to create room for oil exploitation and construction of a road linking Bentiu to Adok, on the shores of River Nile.

"We fear that many other people might be displaced before the road reaches Adok," said Klause Stieglitz, Hoffnungszechen's commissioner for human rights.

Stieglitz said he heard witness accounts of how Khartoum's armed forces and allied militia attacked villages using armoured vehicles and helicopter gunships soon after the government and and rebel Sudanese People's Liberation Army (SPLA) signed a ceasefire agreement in October.

"Many people were killed, others were displaced and about 12 kidnapped," he added. He urged Khartoum to "facilitate the release of those kidnapped by militiamen".