Documento - Sudan: The Council must establish a robust monitoring mandate for the Independent Expert under item 4: Oral intervention at the 21st session of the UN Human Rights Council
Sudan: The Council must establish a robust monitoring mandate for the Independent Expert under item 4. Oral intervention at the 21st session of the UN Human Rights Council (10-28 September)
AI Index: AFR 54/048/2012
17 September 2012
Item 4�: General Debate
Oral statement on the human rights situation in Sudan�
Madam President,
Over the past year the human rights situation in Sudan has continued to deteriorate with ongoing conflict in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states, and intensified repression of media, activists and largely peaceful demonstrations throughout Sudan.
Due to indiscriminate aerial bombardments by the Sudanese Air Force that have killed and injured many civilians, 600.000 persons have been displaced or severely affected in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile and some 200.000 have fled to neighbouring South Sudan and Ethiopia.
The Sudanese authorities continue to clampdown on freedom of expression through new forms of censorship. They endeavour to control independent Sudanese media. Journalists are frequently subject to arrest and specious criminal charges.
Extensive powers of arrest and detention without charge granted to the National Security Services by the 2010 National Security Act perpetuate a climate of impunity and fear.
Mostly peaceful demonstrations were systematically repressed between June and August 2012 – including through the routine use of excessive force against demonstrators that resulted, inter alia, in the killing of ten protesters in Nyala, as well as torture and prolonged detention of persons arrested during the demonstrations. The repression reached segments of civil society, such as known political activists and human rights defenders, not involved in the demonstrations.
Most concerns raised in this Council about Sudan remain outstanding. This Council must do everything it can to end the gross and systematic human rights violations in Sudan.
The Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in the Sudan is the only human rights mechanism available to this Council to monitor all of Sudan. Given the Government of Sudan’s outright refusal to undertake essential human rights reforms, the Expert should receive a robust monitoring mandate under agenda item 4, and his mandate should be extended for three years. The Council should request the Independent Expert to report annually to the General Assembly and biennially to it.
Madam President,
The Government of Sudan has repeatedly fooled this Council, shame on Sudan. If it continues to fool this Council, shame on this Council.
Thank you Madam President.
� Item 4 on the agenda of the Human Rights Council: Human rights situations that require the Council’s attention.
� See also Amnesty International written statement to the 20th session of the Human Rights Council, Sudan: Human rights situation continues to deteriorate (Index: AFR 54/026/2012), available at � HYPERLINK "http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AFR54/026/2012/en" ��http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AFR54/026/2012/en�