35 African civil society organisations call for strong AU response to popular uprising in Sudan.

— OPEN LETTER —

6 February 2019

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Excellencies, Representatives of the AU Peace and Security Council Member States, H.E. Chairperson Mr. Moussa Faki, African Union Commission,

Your Excellencies,

We, the undersigned African civil society organisations, write with deep concern about the deterioration of the situation in Sudan. The combination of long term repression and economic mismanagement has led to an uprising in which the Sudanese people are calling out for democracy, good governance and human rights, in line with the values of the African Union.

Unfortunately, the government of Sudan has responded not by seeking to engage with the concerns of the protesters, but rather by seeking to repress them and to limit their ability to exercise their internationally guaranteed right to freedom of expression. Thousands of Sudanese citizens have been detained, about 50 have been killed and hundreds injured by security apparatus, according to civil society reports. Members of professional associations have been killed. Among the dead are a medical doctor, teacher, students and elders (more details in the background). If urgent action is not taken, it seems likely that violations of the rights of activists and protesters will continue.

The AU Peace and Security Council is mandated to promote democratic practices, good governance, the rule of law, protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms and respect for the sanctity of human life. These are the very aspirations being articulated by the Sudanese people. Yet expressions of solidarity from the African Union have not been forthcoming. In other contexts, however, African states have shown that they can act effectively to address emerging crises where the political will is present. For example, the 2017 intervention of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in the Gambia which prevented violence from escalating.

Given the size, extent and unity of protesters and activists in this uprising, it seems likely unlikely that the status quo can continue. Although precise contours of the change are unclear, there is an urgent need to lay the groundwork for a peaceful and comprehensive transition to ensure that chaos does not take root. This will be particularly critical given Sudan’s significant regional role. With shared borders with seven countries and with a long history of interference with its neighbors, chaos in Sudan would likely have a significant impact on the entire region.

In this context, we call upon your Excellencies to take urgent action to respond to the ongoing situation by:

• Expressing solidarity with the people of Sudan and denounce violations of their human rights and excessive violence;
• Requesting the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights conduct a fact-finding mission to establish the facts and circumstances of the alleged recent human rights violations committed in the Sudan, including excessive use of force and killings of peaceful demonstrators, torture and ill-treatment of detainees by the government of Sudan, with a view to ensuring full accountability for perpetrators and justice for victims;

• Requesting that the fact-finding mission present its findings to the AU Peace and Security Council as soon as possible and to heads of state at the next AU Summit in July 2019;
• Ensuring that the situation in Sudan is urgently placed on the agenda of the AU Peace and Security Council and that the Commission is requested to continuously monitor the situation and update the Council; and

• Creating an appropriate structure to examine the country’s situation and facilitate inclusive dialogue to agree on a framework for peaceful political transformation and to support it implementation.

The African Union has an opportunity to play positive role in this critical moment in Sudan’s history and stand up for the rights of fellow African men and women in Sudan.

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