Item 2: Question of the human rights violations and fundamental freedoms

Question of the human rights violations and fundamental freedomsincluding practices of racial discrimination and segregation, in all countries, with particular reference to colonial and other dependent countries and territories: report of the Sub-commission under Commission on Human Rights on Human Rights resolution 8 (XXIII)

The Case in Sudan

Dear Chairman,

I would like to call the attention of the Sub-Commission, to the situation of continuous and systematical violation of human rights, especially the aerial bombardment of civilian population, committed by the Sudan government towards its civilian population in the south.

Mr. Chairman as a matter of fact, Sudan has been deeply divided along racial and religious lines that have resulted into inequitable wealth, resources and development sharing and unfair power sharing among other forms of discrimination and policies of deliberate marginalisation and neglect. These had resulted in the ongoing civil war, which began in 1983. This war that pits the Islamic government in Khartoum against the peoples of South Sudan, and the rebel movement, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement and Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLM/SPLA), who are calling and struggling for religious freedom, and a secular democratic state with a full and effective participation of all people. During this conflict more than two million people have died, in addition it has resulted into 4.5 million internal displaced person, and 1.5 million refugees.

The government of Sudan continues to launch attacks on the civilian population in the south, especially in the areas of oil exploitation, as a mean of clearing the local population to secure existing or potential new oilfield in the south. There are a lot of massacres going on, aerial bombardment and helicopter gunship attacks, on innocent civilian and humanitarian aid workers.

Mr. Chairman, although recently Sudan government and SPLM/SPLA have accepted framework for peace and made breakthrough on 20th July 2002, however six days after signing the framework, it continues to launch attacks on its civilian population. On Friday 26th July 2002, the Sudan government killed a foreign humanitarian aid worker and some 1,000 civilians in a separate attack in the south. Moreover in the period between 7th June 2002 and 17th July 2002, (of only 40 days) the government of Sudan has carried 44 aerial attacks on civilian population in the south (see the attached document).

Finally Mr. Chairman, we request this Sub-Commission to safeguard the rights of the Sudanese people especially the people of south through imposition of No Fly Zone, inorder to stop the aerial bombardment and helicopter gunship attacks on innocent civilian population. As well as we request the Sub-Commission to appoint an expert to examine the situation with a fact-finding mission, and to report its findings to the Sub-Commission. Thank you for your attention.

Aerial Attacks on Civilians by Government of Sudan, June 2002

July 2002

* indicates exact number of bombs not confirmed

* The text was prepared for oral intervention but not officially presented due to time constraint.