November 17, 2019
Sudan: Justice Needed for Protester
Killings
Hold Leaders Responsible; Seek Expert Assistance
(Nairobi,
November 18, 2019) – Fatal attacks on protesters in Sudan in
June were planned and could amount to crimes against humanity, Human Rights
Watch said in a report released today. Sudan’s transitional authorities should
commit to genuine accountability for unlawful violence against protesters since
December, in which hundreds were killed.
The
59-page report “‘They Were Shouting ‘Kill Them’’: Sudan’s Violent
Crackdown on Protesters in Khartoum” documents Sudanese
security forces’ attacks on the protesters’ sit-in camp in Khartoum on June 3,
2019 and in days following in other neighborhoods of the capital and
neighboring Bahri and Omdurman. Human Rights Watch also documented attacks on
protesters leading up to the June 3 crackdown and a subsequent attack on
protesters on June 30 in Omdurman.
(Nairobi,
November 18, 2019) – Fatal attacks on protesters in Sudan in
June were planned and could amount to crimes against humanity, Human Rights
Watch said in a report released today. Sudan’s transitional authorities should
commit to genuine accountability for unlawful violence against protesters since
December, in which hundreds were killed. “Sudan’s
new government needs to show it is serious about holding those responsible for
the lethal attacks on protesters to account after decades of violent repression
and atrocities against civilians,” said Jehanne Henry, associate Africa
director at Human Rights Watch. “They should start by pursuing justice for the
brutal attacks on protesters since last December, ensuring that all
investigations are independent and transparent, and conform with international
standards.”
Human Rights Watch interviewed more than 60 people, including
victims of a range of crimes such as sexual violence and witnesses to the
abuses. Human Rights Watch conducted research in Sudan and remotely by phone
between June 29 and August 11, and also analyzed photographs, videos, and
social media posts.
Just
before dawn on June 3, the last day of Ramadan, large numbers of security
forces led by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) deployed near the sit-in area and
opened fire on unarmed protesters, killing many instantly. The forces raped,
stabbed, and beat protesters, and humiliated many, cutting their hair, forcing
them to crawl in sewer water, urinating on them, and insulting them. The forces
also burned and looted tents and other property in the area. Human Rights Watch has documented brutal attacks on
civilians by the RSF in Darfur, Southern Kordofan, and Blue
Nile since 2013.
Credible sources estimate that at least 120 people were killed
on June 3 and in following days. Hundreds were injured and dozens more are
missing. Witnesses said they saw security forces throwing bodies into the Nile.
At least two were retrieved from the river with bricks tied to their bodies and
gunshot wounds to their heads and torsos.
Countrywide
protests started outside Khartoum in mid-December 2018. Triggered by price
increases, these quickly evolved into protests against Sudan’s president of 30
years, Omar al-Bashir, and his administration. The protests culminated in a
sit-in near the army headquarters in April that resulted in al-Bashir’s ouster
on April 11. A transitional military council took power, led by General Abel
Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, General Mohamed “Hemedti” Hamdan Dagalo, the
commander of the RSF.
Both
are members of the current transitional government’s “sovereign council,” sworn
in in
August following a power sharing
deal between military and civilian groups.
After the military council takeover, the protesters maintained
the sit-in, calling for the military to hand power to civilian leaders. As
tensions rose, the military council deployed the RSF to disperse protests. The
forces repeatedly used excessive force including live ammunition, killing
protesters in April and May. The most violent crackdown was on June 3
and the following days.
The European Union and the Troika governments – the United States,
United Kingdom, and Norway – condemned the attack, saying the military council
ordered it. United Nations experts urged the UN Human
Rights Council to set an independent investigation into violations against
protesters since the start of the year. The African Union called for an independent investigation and
on June 6 suspended Sudan, urging its leaders to transfer power to
civilian rule.
The government’s response was to initially deny the attacks. The
military council spokesman said the operation was only to clear an area
adjacent to the sit-in where authorities said illegal activities were taking
place. Later, the spokesman admitted the operation to disperse the sit-in was
planned and apologized for “mistakes.”
Authorities also rejected opposition calls for an international
investigation. On June 3, the then-attorney general formed an investigation committee, which
later put the death toll at 87, a finding the opposition rejected.
The committee recommended detaining eight officers responsible for attacking
the sit-in and charging them with crimes against humanity and other crimes.
Negotiations resumed in July, and on August 17, military and
opposition leaders agreed on a transitional government headed by a “sovereign
council” of military and civilian members. The council’s military members will
lead for the first 21 months, followed by civilian members. The council members
and Sudan’s new prime minister, Abdallah Hamdok, were sworn in on August 21.
As provided in the agreement, Hamdok formed a new committee on September 21 to
investigate the June 3 violence. Victims’ groups have raised
concerns about the committee’s lack of independence, with members including
officials from the Interior and Defense Ministries, both of which oversee the
armed forces. The committee does not include women or experts on sexual
violence.
Since December 2018, security forces cracked down violently on protests numerous
times, using excessive, lethal force to disperse protestors. Security forces
violently arrested and rounded up thousands and detained hundreds without
charge, who also suffered from ill-treatment and harsh conditions. Monitors on
the ground estimated that more than 100 people were killed between December and
al-Bashir’s ouster on April 11. No one has been held responsible for the abuses during this period.
The transitional government should revise the investigation
committee or replace it with one mandated to investigate and collect evidence
for all crimes since December, with the authority to refer cases for prosecution
based on international standards, Human Rights Watch said. The investigation
should not hesitate to identify all those it concludes are responsible,
including at the highest levels of government, such as Hemedti and other
military leaders who are sovereign council members, and take steps to bring
anyone identified to justice.
The government should swiftly enact legal reforms to bring
national laws in line with international standards and ratify
key human rights treaties including the Convention Against Torture and the
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. It
should form the commissions envisioned in the August agreement, particularly
those related to law reform, human rights, and transitional justice.
The government should also hand over Omar al-Bashir and four
other men with arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court (ICC) for
crimes committed against civilians in Darfur.
“Sudan’s leaders should immediately follow up the important step
of establishing a committee to investigate the crimes against protesters to
ensure it meets international standards of fairness and independence,” Henry
said. “To this end, they should urgently request expertise from Sudanese,
regional, and international bodies, including from experts in investigating
sexual violence and serious crimes.”
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