Sudan: Civil Society Statement on Push Factors in Sudan and the Khartoum Process
Published: 20 Jun 2016
Civil Society Statement on Push Factors in Sudan and the Khartoum Process
20 June 2016
On World Refugee Day, we, the undersigned individuals and civil society organisations, wish to draw
attention to a number of the human rights violations serving as push factors for Sudan’s refugees and
internally displaced. In light of the recent EU-Horn of Africa Migration Route Initiative (also known as the
Khartoum Process) which has increased the EU’s cooperation with Sudan, we are deeply concerned that
Sudan is being treated as a partner in addressing migration despite the fact the country is producing
refugees itself and failing to respect international refugee law. It is critical that the EU does not, directly
or indirectly, contribute to the violations or create more refugees.
Sudan is the fifth1
largest source country of refugees worldwide. In 2015, over 150,000 people arrived by
sea2
to Italy with almost 9,000 of them originating from Sudan. Inside the country itself, over 3.2 million
people have been displaced and according to the UN,
3
roughly 20% of Sudan’s population are in need of
humanitarian assistance.
The reasons that Sudanese civilians are fleeing are numerous but one of the major reasons behind
displacement is the conflict situation in parts of the country. In Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states
alone, at least 1.7 million people have been forced to flee4
their homes due to the ongoing conflict
between government forces and the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Army. In both areas, through aerial
bombardments, government forces have attacked5
civilian areas and civilian objects including
humanitarian and educational facilities. For example, in June 2014, the Sudanese Air Force partially
destroyed6
a hospital run by Médecins Sans Frontières, killing two and injuring another three. Many
parents are not sending their children to school7
out of concern of what could happen on their journey
or whilst in school, a fear that is genuine given three schools in SK suffered damage in May 20148
and
two children were injured. In 2015 alone, human rights monitors verified9
309 attacks, an increase of
78% since 2012 and found evidence the government is using cluster bombs, despite their prohibition
under the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions. Further exacerbating the situation is the authorities
continued refusal to grant humanitarian assistance to certain areas. The situation has become so dire for
1
UNHCR, Mid-year trends 2015, http://www.unhcr.ch/fileadmin/user_upload/dokumente/06_service/zahlen_und_statistik/MidYear_Trends_2015.pdf
2
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) OCHA, Humanitarian Bulletin Sudan, February 2016,
https://docs.unocha.org/sites/dms/Sudan/Reports/OCHA_Sudan_Weekly_Humanitarian_Bulletin_2016/OCHA_Sudan_Weekly_H
umanitarian_Bulletin_Issue_09_%2822__28_February_2016%29.pdf?utm_source=OCHA+Sudan&utm_campaign=158ee39c5fSHB+Issue+09%2C+2016&utm_medium=emai
3
OCHA, Humanitarian needs reach US$982 million, July 2014, http://reliefweb.int/report/sudan/humanitarian-needs-reachus982-million
4
Sudan Consortium and NHRMO, “Human Rights Violations in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile: 2015 in Review,” 20 April 2016,
http://www.sudanconsortium.org/darfur_consortium_actions/reports/2016/2015ARFINAL.pdf 4
5
ACJPS, FIDH and IRRI, “Submission to the Universal Periodic Review of Sudan 2016,” September 2015
https://www.fidh.org/IMG/pdf/20150922_pj_joint_submission_upr_sudan_2016.pdf
6 MSF, Hospital bombed in Sudan, 17 June 2014, http://www.msf.org/en/article/msf-hospital-bombed-sudan
7
UNICEF, Education Under Fire, September 2015, http://www.unicef.org.uk/Documents/Media/Education%20Under%20Fire.pdf
8
Sudan Consortium and NHRMO, “Human Rights Violations in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile,” May 2014
9
See footnote 4
civilians that Yida camp10 (in war-torn South Sudan) is home to around 70,000 refugees. Already this
year, more than 7,500 refugees from Southern Kordofan alone arrived in Yida camp.
11
In Darfur, also affected by conflict, forced displacement continues. Over 138,000 people12 have been
displaced from Jebel Marra since the beginning of this year after the government carried out a series of
attacks. Tensions have now been reported13 in Sortony where people fled to for their safety and just last
month, on 9 May, six civilians including two children were killed outside an IDP camp.
Outside of the conflict, other push factors include President Bashir’s increasingly repressive regime
which has led to severe restrictions14 to freedoms of expression, association and assembly and the
increased use of arrests and arbitrary and incommunicado detention, torture and ill-treatment against
government opponents, civil society and other activists and human rights defenders.
15
The government
also continues to use excessive and lethal excessive force against demonstrators and public gatherings
by security services. In September 2013, more than 170 protesters were killed after security forces used
live ammunition. To date,16 there has been little accountability for those deaths. And just this April,
17
government security forces used live ammunition to disperse protests resulting in the deaths of two
students.
Despite the gross violations committed by the regime and the increasing repression, not to mention the
fact that the country’s president is wanted by the International Criminal Court, the EU has, under the
Khartoum Process agreed to give Sudan an estimated EUR 100 million to try and deal with the issue of
migrant trafficking, whilst conveniently ignoring the fact that Sudan is, itself, a massive generator of
refugees and displacement.
In addition to subjecting its own citizens to gross human rights violations, Sudan has failed to uphold its
obligations under the 1951 UN Convention relating to the status of refugees as a refugee host. Just last
month, Sudan arrested at least 313 Eritreans and after convicting them of “illegal entry”, forcibly
returned
18 them back to Eritrea. Given conditions in Eritrea, there is serious reason for concern that this
action may have resulted in refoulement of genuine refugees. This is not the first time this has
happened and, unless the international community speaks out strongly against it, will not be the last.
10 UNHCR, 5 years into Southern Kordofan conflict, refugees are still fleeing, June 2016,
https://www.ecoi.net/local_link/325039/451239_en.html
11 UNHCR, South Sudan Information Sharing Portal, https://data.unhcr.org/SouthSudan/region.php?country=251&id=26
12 UN Security Council, Peacekeeping Chief, Briefing Security Council, Blames Intensified Fighting for Rapidly Deteriorating
Situation, Large-scale Displacement in Darfur, 6 April 2016, http://www.un.org/press/en/2016/sc12317.doc.htm 14 OCHA, Jebel
Marra Fact Sheet, 24 March 2016,
13 OCHA, Humanitarian Bulletin, 8 May 2016,
http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/OCHA_Sudan_Weekly_Humanitarian_Bulletin_Issue_19_%282_-
_8_May_2016%29.pdf
14 See footnote 5
15 ACJPS, Sudanese human rights defender detained on baseless charges and others at risk after armed raid on Khartoum training
centre, 18 April 2015, http://www.acjps.org/sudanese-human-rights-defender-detained-on-baseless-charges-and-others-at-riskafter-armed-raid-on-khartoum-based-training-centre/
16 ACJPS< Protestors calling for justice for victims of 2013 protest killings beaten and detained by Sudan’s security agency in
Khartoum, 10 February 2016, http://www.acjps.org/protestors-calling-for-justice-for-victims-of-2013-protest-killings-beaten-anddetained-by-sudans-security-agency-in-khartoum/
17 Joint civil society letter, Open Letter concerning excessive use of force by Sudanese authorities, May 2016,
http://www.refugeerights.org/Publications/PR/2016/3%20May%202016%20Letter%20concerning%20excessive%20use%20of%20force.pdf
18 UNHCR, UNHCR concerned by expulsions from Sudan, 2 June 2016,
http://www.unhcr.org/574fed7d4.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
Within this context, the the EU is providing support to Sudan to train border police and set up detention
camps. The EU’s current approach fixates on curbing migration and securing borders but fails to
consider Sudan’s human rights record. Given allegations that its own security services have facilitated
traffickers instead of arresting them,19 there is little to suggest that Sudan will be a reliable partner in
dealing with migration and trafficking. There is also a huge risk that the EU’s support may worsen the
situation for Sudan’s citizens and those fleeing from other countries seeking safety. As Oxfam has
stated20 “[t]he EU needs to reconsider very carefully exactly how much it is willing to sacrifice on the
altar of migration, because right now, they are headed down a road where they will have a foreign
policy that consists of a single objective. And they will be bargaining with regimes that they have held at
arm’s length.”
On World Refugee Day, the government of Sudan needs to:
Respect the prohibition on refoulement and ensure all law enforcement authorities are suitably
trained to ensure they are notified of Sudan’s obligations concerning individuals in need of
international protection;
Ensure that its own forces immediately end all deliberate and indiscriminate attacks against
civilians in Southern Kordofan, Blue Nile and Darfur;
End arbitrary detention, torture and other abuse of individuals – particularly those who criticise
the authorities;
Grant full freedom of expression, association and assembly;
Allow unrestricted access to humanitarian aid to all populations in need;
Ensure that security forces refrain from using excessive force against peaceful demonstrators
and such violations are thoroughly investigated;
Furthermore the EU needs to:
Condemn Sudan’s actions against its civilians and ensure it is not directly or indirectly
contributing to the human rights violations committed by Sudan against its people and those
seeking refuge in the country;
Commit to respecting the core principles of refugee law and share the burden of hosting
refugees;
Publish full details relating to the specifics of the Khartoum Process
Set benchmarks to measure progress of the Khartoum Process which takes into account human
rights standards.
This joint statement is signed by the following individuals and organisations:
Darfur Refugees Association
Face Past for Future Foundation (FP4F)
Human Rights and Development Organisation (HUDO)
International Justice Project
19 Human Rights Watch, Egypt/Sudan: Traffickers Who Torture, February 2014,
https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/02/11/egypt/sudan-traffickers-who-torture
20 The Guardian, EU considering working with Sudan and Eritrea to stem migration, June 2016,
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jun/06/eu-sudan-eritrea-migration
International Refugee Rights Initiative
National Human Rights Monitors Organisation
Skills for Nuba Mountains
Sudan Consortium
Waging Peace
Ahmed A. Saeed, Civil society activist
Majid Maali, Human rights lawyer
Mohammed Ishag, Human rights activist