Summary:
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One of 125 people who have died since protests began more than 16 months ago, one in five of whom have been children under the age of 18, was a 17-year-old protester who was shot and killed by a police officer in the Sharq Alnil neighbourhood of Khartoum, the UN rights chief noted during an update to the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
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The High Commissioner also noted that since October 2021, 9,096 people had suffered permanently altered injuries from live ammunition, rubber bullets, tear gas canisters, and other weapons arbitrarily fired by the security forces.
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He encouraged Sudanese efforts to ensure accountability for human rights abuses.
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Harmony in DarfurThe Juba Peace Accord must be fully implemented, Mr. Türk said, referring to the Darfur region where hundreds of thousands died during bloody combat between Sudanese Government troops, militia groups, and rebel militia after 2003. To address the root causes of conflict, he noted, vulnerable citizens still caught up in the unrest in the restive region require security assurances and political commitment.
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The UN rights head declared, “I stand in solidarity with the people of Sudan and share their hopes and demands for meaningful change, peace, democracy, and justice.
One of 125 people who have died since protests began more than 16 months ago, one in five of whom have been children under the age of 18, was a 17-year-old protester who was shot and killed by a police officer in the Sharq Alnil neighbourhood of Khartoum, the UN rights chief noted during an update to the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Brutality denounced
Opponents of the coup, which terminated a power-sharing arrangement formed when President Omar al-Bashir, who had governed for 30 years, was overthrown in April 2019, have led the ongoing violence.
Before now, the crackdown on anti-coup protesters has been denounced by independent rights experts appointed by the UN, who cited “continuous reports of protestors being killed, forcefully disappeared, maimed, tortured, and subjected to sexual and gender-based abuse.”
Key is prosecution
“It is crucial to ensure Sudan’s sustained transition to a genuine democratic civilian government, including high-level commanders accountable for these atrocities,” they continued.
The UN lauded the beginning of negotiations between Sudan’s political parties in January as a significant step towards restoring a civilian-led transition.
The High Commissioner also noted that since October 2021, 9,096 people have suffered injuries—many of them permanently altered—from live ammunition, rubber bullets, tear gas canisters, and other weapons arbitrary fired by the security forces. He encouraged Sudanese efforts to ensure accountability for human rights abuses.
As Mr. Türk maintained, “Victims perceive genuine measures of responsibility and transitional justice as a priority and, ultimately, a pre-condition for stability and democratic development.
By due process and without unreasonable delays, “all those responsible” for rights abuses and abuse must be brought to justice, he continued. He said that reviews of emergency legislation must ensure that any modifications comply with international law.
Harmony in Darfur
The Juba Peace Accord must be fully implemented, Mr. Türk said, referring to the Darfur region where hundreds of thousands died during bloody combat between Sudanese Government troops, militia groups, and rebel militia after 2003.
To address the root causes of conflict, he noted, vulnerable citizens still caught up in the unrest in the restive region require security assurances and political commitment.
“My Office is ready to strengthen its support, including for legal and institutional reforms to promote and defend human rights, the creation of a transitional justice system that is victim-centred, and to increase civic space,” the statement reads.
Dividend of peace
Although he admitted that changes were never simple, “enormous prospects” for advancement in all areas and more equitable sustainable development exist.
The UN rights head declared, “I stand in solidarity with the people of Sudan and share their hopes and demands for meaningful change, peace, democracy, and justice.
