The Machakos Protocol, signed on 20 July 2002 by the government of Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement / Army, the main armed opposition group in the south of the country, and promising a future peace agreement, gave a new hope to the people of Sudan. This Amnesty International report is primarily about human rights violations by government security forces and the administration of justice in the areas under the control of the government of Sudan. It also looks at human rights violations in the context of the emerging conflict in the Darfur region, western Sudan. The report highlights the continuing existence of human rights violations in government-controlled areas, despite promises by the Sudanese authorities.
