Life and Civil Strife in Sudan: A Degradation of Human Rights

In 2003, Sudan emerged on the international community's radar because of the violent warfare and civilian casualties taking place in Darfur. The Darfur Peace Agreement was signed in 2006 between the government and the largest rebel group, the Sudan Liberation Movement- but factions within the rebels have prevented the agreement from achieving peace. Today, violence has spread from this region to encompass Southern Sudan, where the conflict may have already caused more casualties than the ethnic warfare in Darfur. In February 2010, a referendum in South Sudan will determine whether it will remain a part of Sudan or declare independence.

Arab and African tribes have fought for land and resources since generations. Tribal, regional, and religious divisions have been the basis for mass killings, rape, torture, looting and vandalizing.

The Perpetrators and Their Victims

The Sudanese government has sponsored much of the violence, and backs the Janjaweed militia which has acquired a notorious reputation for human rights abuses. The Sudanese Vice President has declared: "The jihad is our way and we will not abandon it and will keep its banner high." Rebel groups care little for the life and dignity of all those outside their tribes, and enact gruesome crimes. Humanitarian aid workers are blocked by the government, and rebels often terrorize, kill and steal resources from them.

The conflict has displaced over two million civilians and killed over 400,000. Many live as refugees in substandard conditions. The neighboring country Chad is also at risk of violence because of the large number of Sudanese who have fled there. Within Sudan, too, food and sanitation are sparse.
Locals impart their own brand of arbitrary and unjust punishment, including crucifixions. Death sentences are distributed widely through an unfair judicial system. Within the Justice and Equality Movement- an Islamist rebel group protesting against the structural inequalities of the government- over 100 members have been sentenced to death, including a 16 and 17 year old. Enslavement by civilians and the government has also been reported, and estimates of the number of slaves in Sudan range from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands.

Recruitment of child soldiers is common. After the demobilization of 20,000 child soldiers in 2001, there have been reports of over 17,000 more, fighting for both the government and the rebels. These children carry large weapons on the front lines, go out to detect mines, spy, and engage in suicide missions. Most are forced to join as soldiers through violence and deceptive means.

Awaiting Justice

In 2005, the U.N. appointed the International Commission of Inquiry on Darfur, which found that crimes against humanity and war crimes had been committed in Darfur by the Sudanese government and rebel forces. On these grounds, the U.N. Security Council referred the situation to the International Criminal Court (ICC) , which investigated human rights violations in Sudan. In March of 2009, the ICC ordered the arrest of Sudanese President, Omar Al- Bashir, for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Sudanese government has declined to cooperate with the ICC, but the warrant for Bashir is a significant acknowledgement of the part he played in the violence. Some African countries that are members of the ICC have declined to cooperate with the arrest of Bashir, and so negotiations and diplomatic pressure is needed to enlist the cooperation of other states in order to bring Bashir to justice.

Officials of the U.N. have noted that some positive steps have been taken by the Sudanese government. These include the ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the passing of the Human Rights Commission Act. Human Rights Forums for Darfur and other areas have also been created. Yet, arbitrary arrests, torture and censorship remain grave concerns. The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillai, has reported evidence of looting, rape and murder conducted by the Sudanese army and Arab militia. The expulsion of N.G.O.'s has also caused worry. Following the ICC's arrest warrant for the Sudanese President, 13 aid groups, aiding about 5 million people, were expelled. The U.N. special rapporteur on Sudan explained that U.N. missions on the ground do not have sufficient resources to compensate for the expulsion of other NGO's. The U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees has provided assistance to over 126,000 refugees in Sudan. The U.N. Human Rights Council voted in 2009 to continue its investigation of human rights abuses in Sudan, thus extending the post of the U.N. special rapporteur on Sudan that was created in 1993. The special rapporteur has worked with the Government of National Unity and the Government of Southern Sudan to promote the respect for human rights, which if neglected, could hamper the scheduled February 2010 elections. The special rapporteur is the only U.N. or other independent international mechanism monitoring and reporting on human rights in all of Sudan, as of August 2009. Other missions have limited focus on Darfur. This increases the need to support the U.N.'s mission.

While the international community, including the U.S., has expressed grave concerns about the violence in Sudan, it has not engaged the country enough to end the violence. In this desperately poor region, cut across by divides and fueled by years of in-fighting, support is urgently needed to restore peace and human rights.

Resources
The U.N. Secretary General's report on Sudan
Human Rights First report on arms transfers to Sudan
Amnesty International's report