News Release Issued by the International Secretariat of Amnesty International

AI Index: AFR 54/079/2003
29 August 2003

Sudan: Immediate steps to protect civilians and internally displaced
persons in Darfur

Amnesty International today called on all parties responsible for
intensifying attacks in Darfur, western Sudan, to immediately halt all
deliberate and indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian objects.
Hundreds of civilians, mainly from sedentary groups such as the Fur,
Zaghawa, Masalit and Tungur have been killed or injured and tens of
thousands displaced in the past few months. The attacks have been committed
by "bandits", armed militia or in the context of the fighting between the
Sudanese army and the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA), an armed opposition
group operating in the area since February 2003.

"The Sudanese government must take immediate steps to protect the lives of
civilians affected by the conflict, including displaced persons (IDPs) in
Darfur", Amnesty International said. "The Sudanese government must take all
measures necessary to ensure that those displaced by the unfolding conflict
receive adequate protection and humanitarian assistance without
discrimination."

The Sudanese government is responsible under international human rights and
humanitarian law for the protection of civilians. Its response to the
situation in Darfur should not include steps likely to cause more people to
flee their homes. It must publicly condemn the human rights abuses
committed in Darfur, which seem to target particular ethnic groups, and
take urgent steps to prevent further unlawful killings of civilians.

Such attacks are forbidden by international humanitarian law. The
deliberate and arbitrary killings of unarmed civilians is in clear
contravention of common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 which
prohibits "violence to life and person, in particular murder of all kinds"
against persons not taking active part in hostilities. International
humanitarian law also forbids forcible displacement and the destruction of
civilian property without absolute military necessity yet parties to the
conflict have committed such abuses.

Unlawful killings of civilians

In mid-August in the area of Wadi Salih, west of Kabkabiya, in West Darfur,
Masalit and Fur villages were attacked, reportedly by the Jenjaweed, an
armed group of "bandits" wearing government soldiers uniforms. In Bindisi,
at least 26 persons were killed in the attack and 60 persons injured.
In the past few days, Kornoy town and Tina, on the border with Chad, in
North Darfur were reportedly bombed daily by government Antonov planes.
Bombings of Kornoy, where civilians are still present, appeared to
disregard the principles of proportionality and the requirement to
distinguish civilian targets. Tina is reportedly under SLA-control but most
of its inhabitants are said to have fled to Chad. Barday village, near
Kabkabiya was reportedly bombed by government planes and attacked by ground
forces on 16 July, resulting in the killing of at least 58 civilians.

On 5 and 6 August, at least 42 civilians, including Ali Suleiman and Alsir
Ali Suleiman, were reportedly summarily killed in or outside their homes in
Kutum town, North Darfur, by Jenjaweed wearing government soldiers
uniforms. According to reports by civilians, those shot dead were
deliberately targeted because they were community leaders and businessmen
of Zaghawa, Fur and Tungur ethnicities. Civilians allege that the Jenjaweed
were armed and supported by the Sudanese army; the Governor of North Darfur
publicly denied this. The attackers then looted the market, civilian
properties and burnt shops. The attack occurred after the SLA withdrew from
the town on 3 August.

While the SLA was taking Kutum, armed militia allegedly supported by the
government attacked villages surrounding the town. In apparently deliberate
attacks, on 25 July, at least 15 civilians were killed, including Duda
Hassan Jabir and Yakub Khalifa Hassan, and nine injured in Kereinga. On 26
July, 38 civilians were reportedly killed in the village of Abu Jidad,
including Altigani Mahmoud Altayeb and Mohamed Abdulla Yaqub. On 27 July,
at least 43 civilians were reported killed in the village of Goor al-Naem,
including Makka Naser Mahmoud and Mohamed Mansour Nahar; a woman was
allegedly raped then killed by the attackers.

Other large-scale killings of civilians are reported but difficult to
confirm due to the absence of independent observers in the region,
government-enforced restrictions on telecommunications and transport, and a
black-out on news on Darfur imposed by the security forces on the Sudanese
press in the capital. Amnesty International fears that the death toll in
Darfur is much higher than that which is currently reported.

Population displacement triggered by the conflict

Attacks and threats of attacks have caused tens of thousands of civilians
to flee and become internally displaced in Darfur or take refuge in
neighbouring Chad. In a region chronically affected by drought, the
displacement of civilians mostly dependent on farming for subsistence,
increases the potential for a humanitarian disaster. The situation is
further compounded by the fact that fields have been burnt, grains and
other means of subsistence looted during attacks, and water wells destroyed
by government bombings. Either concerns about insecurity or government
restrictions have limited access by humanitarian agencies to the affected
populations.

"Like all Sudanese citizens IDPs enjoy rights under national and
international law. The government must ensure that it respects and protects
their human rights without discrimination, including access to adequate
medical treatment, food and shelter," Amnesty International said.

Scores of civilians have fled to Kabkabiya town in the past few months.
Reports allege that 300 villages have been attacked or burnt to the ground
in the area. Many reportedly live in the open or in the local school. They
have very little or no access to humanitarian aid. For instance hundreds
have fled after an attack on Shoba, a Fur village situated 7 km south of
Kabkabiya on 25 July, by armed militia wearing government army uniforms, in
which at least 51 Shoba villagers, including many elders, were killed. No
casualties among the attackers were reported. They were reportedly
prevented for two days from returning to Shoba, to assist the injured and
bury their dead, by a road block organized by government soldiers.

Thousands of civilians have now fled Kutum and taken refuge in surrounding
villages or unknown places or have tried to reach El-Fasher, the capital of
North Darfur, situated some 80 km south-east of their town. Although a few
are said to have reached El-Fasher, most are reportedly stranded in Kafut,
a village halfway between both towns, because the Sudanese army stopped
more civilians from taking refuge in El-Fasher. Civilians are reportedly
living under trees, without any means of subsistence and are in desperate
need of food, shelter and clothing. A preliminary assessment of their
situation was reportedly made by the government Humanitarian Aid Commission
and other relief organizations. Amnesty International fears that many other
displaced are still unaccounted for.

"Amnesty International welcomes any positive move, such as the reported
preliminary assessment in Kutum, by the Sudanese authorities to address the
security and humanitarian needs of the displaced in Darfur. However, the
organization condemns the targeting of IDPs by the Sudanese security
forces, whether it is bombings, restrictions on access to safer areas, or
arbitrary arrests and detentions of persons on the grounds that their
ethnicity or social position renders them suspected of supporting the SLA."

The organization further calls on the international community to condemn
the numerous attacks on civilians in Darfur and to press the Sudanese
authorities to take urgent steps to protect civilians and IDPs in the region.

Background

Over the past few years nomad groups from the area have killed hundreds of
civilians from sedentary agricultural groups in Darfur, such as the Fur,
Zaghawa and Masalit, burning homes and looting cattle and goats. In
February 2003, the SLA took up arms in protest at the perceived lack of
government protection against attacks on sedentary groups and the
marginalisation and underdevelopment of Darfur.

Amnesty International called on the government not to respond to the crisis
by violating human rights and to resolve it by inclusive discussions with
leaders of different ethnic groups in Darfur. It then called on the
Sudanese government to establish an independent Commission of Inquiry into
the deteriorating situation in Darfur. When this opportunity was lost,
Amnesty International called for the establishment of an international
Commission of Inquiry into Darfur. The organization also asked for Darfur
to be included in the agreement on the protection of civilians established
as part of the internationally-sponsored peace process to resolve the
long-standing civil war in southern Sudan and for human rights monitors to
be sent to investigate attacks on civilians. Amnesty International
continues its calls.

View all documents on Sudan
http://amnesty-news.c.tclk.net/maaboKvaaZ9S1bb0iygb/

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