Sudan
26.08.02
Urgent Interventions
Sudan: continuing wave of arbitrary arrests and detentions in Darfour
Case SDN 180602.2 / SDN 180602.2.ESCRC
Urgent Appeal / Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Concern
Arbitrary arrests and detentions / Torture
Geneva, August 26th, 2002
The International Secretariat of OMCT has received new information concerning the following situation in Sudan.
New information
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Sudan Organisation Against Torture (SOAT), a member of the OMCT network, of the continuing wave of arbitrary arrests and detentions in Darfour, Sudan.
According to the information received, during July and August 2002, 66 people from the Four tribe have been arrested in Zalingei, Tour, Nartati and Golou in Jebel Mara province. The 66 people have not been formally charged, but are suspected by the Government of working to form an opposition group, calling themselves the “Darfour Liberation Front”. The arrested men were initially detained in various detention centres in Darfour, but 42 of them have now been moved to Nyala prison. A list of their names can be found below.
According to the report, 11 of the men who were transferred to Nyala prison were seriously ill including Nasia Al din Ahmed Tambour and Ahmed Ibrahim Azrag, who were arrested while they were lying in hospital beds. 51-year old teacher Mr. Nasia Al din Ahmed Tambour only has one kidney and was taken from his hospital bed on July 15th 2002, to Zalingei detention centre, before being transferred to Nyala prison on August 16th 2002. 79-year old merchant Mr. Ahmed Abrahim Azrag was reportedly taken from his hospital bed on July 15th 2002 to Zalingei, where he was deprived of medical attention. The whereabouts of Mr. Azrag remain unknown. 33-year old advocate Mr. Abdel Wahid Mohamed Ahmed Nour is reportedly not receiving adequate health care in Nyala prison - he only has one lung and suffers from diabetes.
According to the information received, the detainees in question were tortured after their arrests. Moreover, the detainees are being held in conditions that constitute ill-treatment. The food provided consists of a badly cooked Sorghum porridge, which is given once or twice a day. Furthermore, the detainees are held in small, overcrowded cells, which are full of mosquitoes and lack adequate ventilation. The detainees cannot go to the toilet when they need to, but only when the prison guards feel its necessary, as a result of which the conditions in the cells are becoming a health hazard.
The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of the afore-mentioned detainees, in particular Mr. Nasia Al din Ahmed Tambour, Mr. Abdel Wahid Mohamed Ahmed and Mr. Ahmed Abrahim Azrag, given their reported ill-health More generally, OMCT is concerned by the reported worsening human rights situation in Darfour, which includes mass arrests, harsh detention conditions and the continuing persecution of the people from the African tribes native to the region.
Brief reminder of the situation
Human rights violations have been on the rise due to tribal conflicts that have been provoked by the drought, forcing the tribes to fight over the little viable land that remains. The whole of Dafour is reportedly affected and almost 1 million people risk starvation. So far 56 Four villages in the region have been depopulated following attacks by militia from Arab tribes. Although the authorities are aware of the situation, they are not taking any action into the events, leaving the perpetrators to enjoy impunity and reinforcing claims that the Government of Sudan is in fact training and supporting militia from the Arab tribes.
The following detainees, that were the subject of the previous urgent appeal concerning this case, were arbitrarily arrested on July 11th 2002 - no new information has been provided as to their situation:
Abdel Moula Aam Abdel Moula (farmer); Gialani Omer (driver); Mohamed Ahmed Abdel Moula (teacher); Amir Bahr elDin (farmer); Abdo Harran (farmer); Abbo Hassan (Shartai – tribal leader); Abdel Karim Mohamed Abkr (Ommda); Abdalla Muhagir (Sheikh – tribal leader).
The following names were arrested on July 15th, 2002- no new information has been provided as to their situation: Ali Shogar (health worker in Nartiti); Mohamed Ismael (pharmacist at Zalingei hospital); Adam Ahmed (transport commission agent).
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Sudan urging them to:
i. Ensure that Mr. Nasia Al din Ahmed Tambour, Mr. Abdel Wahid Mohamed Ahmed and Mr. Ahmed Abrahim Azrag are given appropriate medical assistance as a matter of urgency;
ii. take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of the afor-mentioned detainees;
iii. order that these persons be released immediately in the absence of valid legal charges or, if such charges exist, bring them before an impartial and competent tribunal and guarantee their procedural rights at all times;
iv. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of these events, specifically the reports of the use of torture, and guarantee that those responsible are brought to trial and that the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions are applied as provided by law;
v. put an immediate end to the harassment of members of the Four tribe;
vi. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms, including economic, social and cultural rights, throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights laws and standards.
Addresses
· His Excellency Lieutenant Omar Hassan al-Bashir, President of the Republic of Sudan, People's Palace, PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: + 24911 787676 / 783223.
· His Excellency Mr Mustafa Osman Ismail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PO Box 873, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: + 24911 779383.
· His Excellency Ambassador Mr. Ibrahim Mirghani Ibrahim, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Sudan to the United Nations in Geneva, PO Box 335, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland, Fax: +4122 731 26 56, E-mail: mission.sudan@ties.itu.int.
Please also write to the diplomatic representatives of Sudan in your country.
Geneva, August 26th, 2002
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
Case SDN 180602.2 / SDN 180602.2.ESCRC
Urgent Appeal / Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Concern
Arbitrary arrests and detentions / Torture
List of the detainees that have been transferred to Nyala Prison:
1- Mohamed Abdelrasoul Mohamed (43, teacher, arrested in Nyartiti, July 15);
2- Abdel Wahid Mohamed Ahmed Nour (33 Advocate, arrested Zalingei, July11
3- Adam Abdelrasoul Mohamed (50, Teacher, arrested Zalingei, July 11)
4- Nasir Aldin Tambour (51, teacher, arrested Zalingei, July 15)
5- Adam Ahmed Abu Jamal (52, Bus Conducter, arrested Zalingei, July 15)
6- Hassan M. Ahmed (28, Bus Driver, arrested Zalingei, July 15)
7- Adam Abakar (32, Bus Conductor, arrested, Nyartiti, July 20)
8- Adam Abdelrasoul Ahmed (45, Farmer, Nyartiti, July 13)
9- Mohmed Ismial Abd algadir (42, member of West Darfour Council, arrested Golou Jabal Mara ( JM), 14 July)
10- Haroun Musa Fata (62, farmer, arrested Golou (JM), July 14)
11- Abd Alrahman M. Abdelrahman (53, farmer, arrested Golou (JM), July 14)
12- Musa Adam Ahmed (43, farmer, arrested Golou, July 14)
13- Younis M. Salam (65, merchant, arrested Golou, July 15)
14- Mohamed. Is’hag Haroun (43, village sheikh, arrested Golou, July 15)
15- Haroun Abakar (22, farmer, arrested Golou, July 14)
16- Abdellatief Ahmed Madani (81, Mosque Imam, arrested Golou, July 22)
17- Adam Abakar (52, village sheikh)
18- Khalid Abdu Mohmaed (23, student, arrested Golou, August 1)
19- Abdelrahman Ibrahim (35, farmer, arrested Nyartiti, July 15)
20- Adam Abd Alrahman Alnafie (55, nurse, arrested Nyartati, August 10)
21- Mutasim Ismail Mohamed (25, employee for a local humanitarian organisation, arrested Nyartati, July 10)
22- Ibrahim Osman Adam (81, farmer, arrested Nyartati, July 10)
23- Omer Abdel Al banat (58, farmer, arrested Nyartati, July 10)
24- Musa Haroun (40, butcher, arrested Nyartiti, July 13)
25- Abdalla Haran Adam (Village Shiekh, arrested Nyartati, July 11)
26- Abdalgabar Abdalla Muhagir (65, farmer, arrested Nyartati, July 11)
27- Hassan Altahir Adam (27, farmer, arrested Golou, August 1)
28- Adam Mohamed (22, conscript (NFC), arrested Nyartati, August 10)
29- Ahmed Abdalla Is’hag (79, farmer, arrested Tour, August 13)
30- Haroun Adam (42, farmer, arrested Tour, August 13)
31- Abd Almoumin Adam (40, merchant, arrested Tour, August 13)
32- Daw Albeit Mohamed Daw AlBeit (36, farmer, arrested Tour, August 13)
33- Fadl Abdalla Arbab (63, farmer, arrested Tour, August 13)
34- Faisal Mohamadein Babiker (63, farmer, arrested Tour, August 13)
35- Osman Alhaj Babiker (35, farmer, arrested Tour, August 13)
All the below were arrested in Tour on August 13:
36- Abdallabakar Saied (50, farmer)
37- Abakar Ahmed Abdalmajied (49, farmer)
38- Yagoub AbdAll Yagoub (40, Merchant)
39- Sief Aldin Ibrahim (Farmer, 36)
40- Yahya Haroun Osman (75, farmer)
41- Ahmed Adam Ibrahim (40, merchant)
42- Khidir Abdalrahman (45, Ummda tribal chief)
The whereabouts of the following man is unknown:
43- Ahmed Ibrahim Azrag (79, merchant, arrested in Zalingei, 15 July)
Urgent Appeal / Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Concern
Arbitrary arrests and detentions / Torture
Geneva, August 26th, 2002
The International Secretariat of OMCT has received new information concerning the following situation in Sudan.
New information
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Sudan Organisation Against Torture (SOAT), a member of the OMCT network, of the continuing wave of arbitrary arrests and detentions in Darfour, Sudan.
According to the information received, during July and August 2002, 66 people from the Four tribe have been arrested in Zalingei, Tour, Nartati and Golou in Jebel Mara province. The 66 people have not been formally charged, but are suspected by the Government of working to form an opposition group, calling themselves the “Darfour Liberation Front”. The arrested men were initially detained in various detention centres in Darfour, but 42 of them have now been moved to Nyala prison. A list of their names can be found below.
According to the report, 11 of the men who were transferred to Nyala prison were seriously ill including Nasia Al din Ahmed Tambour and Ahmed Ibrahim Azrag, who were arrested while they were lying in hospital beds. 51-year old teacher Mr. Nasia Al din Ahmed Tambour only has one kidney and was taken from his hospital bed on July 15th 2002, to Zalingei detention centre, before being transferred to Nyala prison on August 16th 2002. 79-year old merchant Mr. Ahmed Abrahim Azrag was reportedly taken from his hospital bed on July 15th 2002 to Zalingei, where he was deprived of medical attention. The whereabouts of Mr. Azrag remain unknown. 33-year old advocate Mr. Abdel Wahid Mohamed Ahmed Nour is reportedly not receiving adequate health care in Nyala prison - he only has one lung and suffers from diabetes.
According to the information received, the detainees in question were tortured after their arrests. Moreover, the detainees are being held in conditions that constitute ill-treatment. The food provided consists of a badly cooked Sorghum porridge, which is given once or twice a day. Furthermore, the detainees are held in small, overcrowded cells, which are full of mosquitoes and lack adequate ventilation. The detainees cannot go to the toilet when they need to, but only when the prison guards feel its necessary, as a result of which the conditions in the cells are becoming a health hazard.
The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of the afore-mentioned detainees, in particular Mr. Nasia Al din Ahmed Tambour, Mr. Abdel Wahid Mohamed Ahmed and Mr. Ahmed Abrahim Azrag, given their reported ill-health More generally, OMCT is concerned by the reported worsening human rights situation in Darfour, which includes mass arrests, harsh detention conditions and the continuing persecution of the people from the African tribes native to the region.
Brief reminder of the situation
Human rights violations have been on the rise due to tribal conflicts that have been provoked by the drought, forcing the tribes to fight over the little viable land that remains. The whole of Dafour is reportedly affected and almost 1 million people risk starvation. So far 56 Four villages in the region have been depopulated following attacks by militia from Arab tribes. Although the authorities are aware of the situation, they are not taking any action into the events, leaving the perpetrators to enjoy impunity and reinforcing claims that the Government of Sudan is in fact training and supporting militia from the Arab tribes.
The following detainees, that were the subject of the previous urgent appeal concerning this case, were arbitrarily arrested on July 11th 2002 - no new information has been provided as to their situation:
Abdel Moula Aam Abdel Moula (farmer); Gialani Omer (driver); Mohamed Ahmed Abdel Moula (teacher); Amir Bahr elDin (farmer); Abdo Harran (farmer); Abbo Hassan (Shartai – tribal leader); Abdel Karim Mohamed Abkr (Ommda); Abdalla Muhagir (Sheikh – tribal leader).
The following names were arrested on July 15th, 2002- no new information has been provided as to their situation: Ali Shogar (health worker in Nartiti); Mohamed Ismael (pharmacist at Zalingei hospital); Adam Ahmed (transport commission agent).
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Sudan urging them to:
i. Ensure that Mr. Nasia Al din Ahmed Tambour, Mr. Abdel Wahid Mohamed Ahmed and Mr. Ahmed Abrahim Azrag are given appropriate medical assistance as a matter of urgency;
ii. take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of the afor-mentioned detainees;
iii. order that these persons be released immediately in the absence of valid legal charges or, if such charges exist, bring them before an impartial and competent tribunal and guarantee their procedural rights at all times;
iv. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of these events, specifically the reports of the use of torture, and guarantee that those responsible are brought to trial and that the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions are applied as provided by law;
v. put an immediate end to the harassment of members of the Four tribe;
vi. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms, including economic, social and cultural rights, throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights laws and standards.
Addresses
· His Excellency Lieutenant Omar Hassan al-Bashir, President of the Republic of Sudan, People's Palace, PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: + 24911 787676 / 783223.
· His Excellency Mr Mustafa Osman Ismail, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PO Box 873, Khartoum, Sudan, Fax: + 24911 779383.
· His Excellency Ambassador Mr. Ibrahim Mirghani Ibrahim, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Sudan to the United Nations in Geneva, PO Box 335, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland, Fax: +4122 731 26 56, E-mail: mission.sudan@ties.itu.int.
Please also write to the diplomatic representatives of Sudan in your country.
Geneva, August 26th, 2002
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
Case SDN 180602.2 / SDN 180602.2.ESCRC
Urgent Appeal / Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Concern
Arbitrary arrests and detentions / Torture
List of the detainees that have been transferred to Nyala Prison:
1- Mohamed Abdelrasoul Mohamed (43, teacher, arrested in Nyartiti, July 15);
2- Abdel Wahid Mohamed Ahmed Nour (33 Advocate, arrested Zalingei, July11
3- Adam Abdelrasoul Mohamed (50, Teacher, arrested Zalingei, July 11)
4- Nasir Aldin Tambour (51, teacher, arrested Zalingei, July 15)
5- Adam Ahmed Abu Jamal (52, Bus Conducter, arrested Zalingei, July 15)
6- Hassan M. Ahmed (28, Bus Driver, arrested Zalingei, July 15)
7- Adam Abakar (32, Bus Conductor, arrested, Nyartiti, July 20)
8- Adam Abdelrasoul Ahmed (45, Farmer, Nyartiti, July 13)
9- Mohmed Ismial Abd algadir (42, member of West Darfour Council, arrested Golou Jabal Mara ( JM), 14 July)
10- Haroun Musa Fata (62, farmer, arrested Golou (JM), July 14)
11- Abd Alrahman M. Abdelrahman (53, farmer, arrested Golou (JM), July 14)
12- Musa Adam Ahmed (43, farmer, arrested Golou, July 14)
13- Younis M. Salam (65, merchant, arrested Golou, July 15)
14- Mohamed. Is’hag Haroun (43, village sheikh, arrested Golou, July 15)
15- Haroun Abakar (22, farmer, arrested Golou, July 14)
16- Abdellatief Ahmed Madani (81, Mosque Imam, arrested Golou, July 22)
17- Adam Abakar (52, village sheikh)
18- Khalid Abdu Mohmaed (23, student, arrested Golou, August 1)
19- Abdelrahman Ibrahim (35, farmer, arrested Nyartiti, July 15)
20- Adam Abd Alrahman Alnafie (55, nurse, arrested Nyartati, August 10)
21- Mutasim Ismail Mohamed (25, employee for a local humanitarian organisation, arrested Nyartati, July 10)
22- Ibrahim Osman Adam (81, farmer, arrested Nyartati, July 10)
23- Omer Abdel Al banat (58, farmer, arrested Nyartati, July 10)
24- Musa Haroun (40, butcher, arrested Nyartiti, July 13)
25- Abdalla Haran Adam (Village Shiekh, arrested Nyartati, July 11)
26- Abdalgabar Abdalla Muhagir (65, farmer, arrested Nyartati, July 11)
27- Hassan Altahir Adam (27, farmer, arrested Golou, August 1)
28- Adam Mohamed (22, conscript (NFC), arrested Nyartati, August 10)
29- Ahmed Abdalla Is’hag (79, farmer, arrested Tour, August 13)
30- Haroun Adam (42, farmer, arrested Tour, August 13)
31- Abd Almoumin Adam (40, merchant, arrested Tour, August 13)
32- Daw Albeit Mohamed Daw AlBeit (36, farmer, arrested Tour, August 13)
33- Fadl Abdalla Arbab (63, farmer, arrested Tour, August 13)
34- Faisal Mohamadein Babiker (63, farmer, arrested Tour, August 13)
35- Osman Alhaj Babiker (35, farmer, arrested Tour, August 13)
All the below were arrested in Tour on August 13:
36- Abdallabakar Saied (50, farmer)
37- Abakar Ahmed Abdalmajied (49, farmer)
38- Yagoub AbdAll Yagoub (40, Merchant)
39- Sief Aldin Ibrahim (Farmer, 36)
40- Yahya Haroun Osman (75, farmer)
41- Ahmed Adam Ibrahim (40, merchant)
42- Khidir Abdalrahman (45, Ummda tribal chief)
The whereabouts of the following man is unknown:
43- Ahmed Ibrahim Azrag (79, merchant, arrested in Zalingei, 15 July)