Reports

The Sudanese Human Rights Quarterly, Issue No. 3, April 1996

In a special interview undertaken by the Sudan Human Rights Organization Cairo Branch after meetings of the Leadership Council of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) with General Fathi Ahmed Ali, the Commander-in-Chief of the Legitimate Command of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAFs) told SHRO-Cairo President that:

"As earlier announced at the Forum on the Future of Peace and Democracy in Sudan in London, 29-30 November, 1955 the ruling Front worked actively to replace all of the disciplinary units of the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Sudan Police Force with the so-called Popular Defense Forces. These contain militias of the ruling Front and the chaotic elements it generated to spread about chaos and destruction inside and outside the country."

General Fathi emphasized: "With betrayal and deception, the insurgent officers of the ruling Front launched a severe attack on the Armed Forces using extra-judicial killings, enlarged illegal dismissals, and horrific massacres. Foremost of these was the Ramadan (April) 1990 massacre and tortures of officers and soldiers together with civilians in ghost houses of the regimes, and the killing of all those opposed to the government in the war zones under a false banner of Jihad (holy war)."

He stated that, "Religion is completely innocent of all these atrocities against people of Sudan and the destruction of their inter4sts. More than that, the ruling Front started to recruit children under the age of 15 to compel them to take arms and fight."

The General affirmed: "The casualties of the civil war of Sudan have been so heavy upon all parties in the war that they were actually seen as genocide of the whole populace, civilian or military. It is a direct threat to the security of our neighboring States. In truth, all people of Sudan have been gravely harmed by the civil war, especially the women, children, and the handicapped in the South and in the West. These regions have been directly victimized by air bombardment, burning of villages and the attacks launched against the civilian inhabitants, besides famine."

He confirmed: "The number of victims is well above a million. Those who are in urgent need for food, as they are almost living in starvation, exceed another million. The size of victims forced to live in displacement or refuge in other places and countries is not less than 4 million Sudanese people, according to the best estimates on record."

In a commentary on Human Rights’ Watch Report on Child Slavery in the Sudan, a report on which SHRO-Cairo launched a campaign protesting atrocities by Sudan Government and other groups against the rights of children in the Sudan, General Ali remarked that:

"The Report is comprehensive and constructive. The recommendations addressed in the Report to all warring parties, concerned States and governments, in addition to regional and international organizations, are objective. As Vice President of the NDA, as well as Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces, I am fully supportive of the recommendations. I call upon all warring parties to respect the rights of civilians in the war zone, especially the women and children, and to prohibit slavery of children."

The Commander-in-Chief reiterated the Resolution of the NDA Leadership Council (dated January 15th, q996) that, "The Leadership Council notes with appreciation all efforts by the International Community to condemn the NIF regime for violating human rights. The LC also notes with special appreciation the United Nations’ General Assembly Resolutions passed by a great majority last December concerning the placement of international observers to monitor human rights violations in the Sudan, and of condemnation of the regime for its engagement in slavery practices."

SHRO-Cairo was also informed in Asmara (1996) of a statement issued by Dr. John Garang de Mabior, Chairman of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, Commander-in-Chief of the Sudan people’s Liberation Army (SPLM/SPLA) during meetings of the NDA Leadership Council. The statement denounced the crimes committed by the NIF with respect to child conscription and the engagement of those children in the war without any military training or preparation.

SHRO-Cairo renews its deep concerns about child slavery and conscription and supports all recommendations of the Human Rights Watch on the need to respect the International Agreement on the Right of the Child and al international human rights norms by Sudan Government, as well as the other warring parties.