Treatment of members of political opposition parties, as well as (perceived) supporters of

government

Members of political opposition parties/(perceived) supporters of such parties/political activists

A January 2019 UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner article reported that “Credible reports of the use of excessive force, including live ammunition, by State security forces against protestors across Sudan over the past month are deeply worrying [...] Authorities have also confirmed that up to 6 January [2019], at least 816 people were arrested in connection with the demonstrations. Reports indicate that these include journalists, opposition leaders, protestors and representatives of civil society”.²⁸⁸

A February 2019 report by the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies noted that the organisation had “received information on the arbitrary arrest and detention of 116 political activists between December 2018 and February 2019 for their participation or suspected involvement in the ongoing anti-government protests” across Sudan?. ²⁸⁹ The same source further noted that:

At least three detainees, including 1 female have been subjected to six-month detention under the emergency law in North Kordofan and North Darfur states. Authorities have targeted opposition party leaders and members who are actively involved in the ongoing protest. Many were arrested during protests and raids in private residences and party houses. [...] A reliable source informed ACJPS that former detainees have been able to identify the unknown masked individuals and have linked them to members of the National Popular Security Forces established by the ruling party, which include former Mujahedeen and party members. The unknown masked individuals, reportedly responsible for numerous arrests of peaceful protesters in cities of Fasher in Northern Darfur, Kassala State, Al-Dain in East Darfur and in the outskirts of Khartoum State have worked alone or in collaboration with NISS forces, making several appearances in NISS vehicles amongst NISS members. [...]

List of Political Activists detained incommunicado since December 2018, where information is available, dates and location of arrest and detention have been included. [...]

Amani Hassabo(f), the Chairperson of Sudanese Congress party, she was arrested from Alkfah Neighborhood of Elfashir in North Darfur on 11 January 2019. She has been sentenced to a six -months detention under the emergency law and is being detained incommunicado at El-Fashir prison.²⁹⁰

286 World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT), Sudan: Serious concerns after the arrest of 30 human rights defenders in violent crackdown against peaceful protests, 12 February 2019

287 Radio Dabanga, Visits to detainees denied, South Darfur journalist remains in prison, 12 February 2019

288 UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner, Reports of excessive force against Sudan protests deeply worrying – Bachelet, 17 January 2019

289 African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies, Sudan: 116 political activists detained incommunicado without charge amidst violent crackdown on the anti-government peaceful protests since December 2018, 19 February 2019

290 African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies, Sudan: 116 political activists detained incommunicado without charge amidst violent crackdown on the anti-government peaceful protests since December 2018, 19 February 2019

73 In March 2019 the same source reported on the release of 54 detainees from detention by the National Intelligence and Security Service.²⁹¹ Reportedly, “Detainees were arrested for their actual or suspected participation in the ongoing anti-government protests and spent at least 2 months in the custody of NISS without charge or appearance before a court to determine the legality of their detention”.²⁹² Members of the Sudanese Doctors Committee were also released, including

“Mohamed Adam(m), was released on 7 March 2019 from Shala Prison in North Darfur. He was arrested in February from Eltahir in North Darfur”.²⁹³

The African Centre for Peace and Justice Studies reported in an April 2019 report on protests in the Darfur region that “On 1 April 2019, NISS of Khartoum arrested Mr Ibrahim Mohamed Ali Temias, the vice of the general secretary of Uma national party from his house located in Khartoum Bahari”.²⁹⁴

Reporting on the use of enforced disappearances against political opponents generally in Sudan, the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies reported in June 2019 that:

The crime of enforced disappearance is one of the gross human rights violations that has been committed with impunity for decades in Sudan, in a variety of context including; civil war, internal conflicts and quelling political dissents. It is regularly used not only to silence political opponents, journalists and human rights defenders, but also used as a tool to intimidate citizens. Lack of accountability by the government has left thousands of families unaware of the fate of their relatives to date. *…+

In the recent years, there has been increased use of “short-term” disappearances where victims are detained incommunicado for a period of time and, eventually freed. Between 19 December 2018 and 12 April 2019, hundreds of peaceful protesters, students, human rights defenders, political opponents, journalist and doctors were allegedly subjected to torture and inhumane conditions while detained incommunicado for months by the National Intelligence Security Services(NISS) in NISS detention centres, NISS controlled sections of prisons and in unknown locations. Although many were released on 13 April 2019 by the head of the Transitionary Military Council(TMC), Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, credible sources have reported that some are still missing even after the TMC stated that all political prisoners were released. Many families have continued the search for family members, relatives and friends previously detained by NISS on social media.²⁹⁵

Radio Dabanga reported early June 2019 that “Three people were killed in an attack on Alliance for Freedom and Change (AFC) protestors in Um Tajok in Kireinik locality in West Darfur”.²⁹⁶ In July 2019

“A group of 16 lawyers affiliated with the Darfur Bar Association (DBA)” demanded that Sudan’s National Human Rights Commission intervene “in the case of 28 people who were detained in Gireida in South Darfur without being charged in June *2019+”.²⁹⁷ According to the same article

291 African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies, Sudan: NISS releases fifty-four detainees as seventeen peaceful protestors join hundreds who remain in detention, 19 March 2019

292 African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies, Sudan: NISS releases fifty-four detainees as seventeen peaceful protestors join hundreds who remain in detention, 19 March 2019

293 African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies, Sudan: NISS releases fifty-four detainees as seventeen peaceful protestors join hundreds who remain in detention, 19 March 2019

294 African Centre for Peace and Justice Studies, Darfur region: NISS targets peaceful protestors with arbitrary arrests and prolonged detention, 5 April 2019

295 African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies, Sudan: End enforced disappearances and account for hundreds of political dissidents disappeared since December 2018, 19 June 2019

296 Radio Dabanga, Three protestors killed in West Darfur, 3 June 2019

297 Radio Dabanga, 28 protestors still detained in South Darfur – Human Rights Commission asked to intervene, 12 July 2019

74

“Accused of being members of the Alliance for Freedom and Change, the detainees were taken from their homes and offices or at the market, and transferred to prison cells in the army garrison in the South Darfur capital Nyala”.²⁹⁸

In July 2019 Radio Dabanga reported that “five youth members of the opposition FFC [Forces for Freedom and Change] were arrested in Katila in South Darfur. They had participated in in a demonstration two days before demanding the resignation of the locality commissioner, branding him “a figure of the former regime”, and criticising his failure to manage the locality”.²⁹⁹

Students

The UN Security Council report on the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) covering the period from 4 October 2018 to 3 January 2019 noted that “In South Darfur, on 23 December [2018], the security forces also used tear gas to confront approximately 300 students demonstrating in Kass”.³⁰⁰

In March 2019 Radio Dabanga reported that “Hanafi Ismail, Nureldin Mohamed, and Abdallah Omar, students at the Sheikh Yousef Mustafa Koran Institute at El Jeer district in Nyala, capital of South Darfur, were reportedly detained by men in military uniforms, under the pretext that the students were violating the State of Emergency regulations, the director of the institute, Mohamed Yousef Mustafa, told Radio Dabanga. When they reached Nyala valley, the gunmen attempted to seize the students’ phones, but the three students resisted. When Hanafi Ismail exchanged blows with one of the robbers, another opened fire, killing him instantly. His companions Nureldin Mohamed and Abdallah Omar were wounded”.³⁰¹

In mid-September 2019 an article published by the Sudan Tribune reported that “security forces in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state, [...] used tear gas to disperse a demonstration by school student[s] against bread and transport shortages. Nyala has been experiencing a severe bread and transport crisis, as students experienced difficulties to reach their schools in addition to the general bread crisis”.³⁰² Darfur 24, a local news website, reportedly cited “medical sources saying that more than 20 protesters that have fainted from the tear gas, were admitted to Nyala Teaching Hospital”.³⁰³

Reporting on the use of enforced disappearances against political opponents generally in Sudan, the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies reported in June 2019 that “In the recent years, there has been increased use of “short-term” disappearances where victims are detained incommunicado for a period of time and, eventually freed. Between 19 December 2018 and 12 April 2019, hundreds of peaceful protesters, students, human rights defenders, political opponents, journalist and doctors were allegedly subjected to torture and inhumane conditions while detained incommunicado for months by the National Intelligence Security Services (NISS) in NISS detention centres, NISS controlled sections of prisons and in unknown locations. Although many were released on 13 April

298 Radio Dabanga, 28 protestors still detained in South Darfur – Human Rights Commission asked to intervene, 12 July 2019

299 Radio Dabanga, Three injured in RSF shooting in Omdurman, opposition members held in South Darfur, 18 July 2019

300 UN Security Council, African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur Report of the Secretary-General, 14 January 2019, para. 20

301 Radio Dabanga, Student dead in South Darfur armed robbery by ‘soldier and fake troops’, 17 March 2019

302 Sudan Tribune, South Darfur police fire tear gas to disperse protesters, 23 September 2019

303 Sudan Tribune, South Darfur police fire tear gas to disperse protesters, 23 September 2019

75 2019 by the head of the Transitionary Military Council (TMC), Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, credible sources have reported that some are still missing even after the TMC stated that all political prisoners were released. Many families have continued the search for family members, relatives and friends previously detained by NISS on social media”.³⁰⁴

The International Crisis Group reported that on 22 September 2019 In Nyala in South Darfur state,

“security forces fired live rounds and tear gas to disperse students protesting high prices and bread shortages”.³⁰⁵ According to Radio Dabanga reporting on the same incident “four students were wounded and some passed out due to the tear gas”.³⁰⁶

Lawyers

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies noted that “Mohamed Bagan, a lawyer, was arrested on December 25, 2018 and he is being detained incommunicado, for three months in Eldien, East Darfur under the emergency law”.³⁰⁷

The UN Security Council report on the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) covering the period from 4 January to 3 April 2019 noted that “Four lawyers were arrested on 9 and 10 January in Nyala, South Darfur, for attempting to present a written petition to the Governor, but were released on 11 January without charge”.³⁰⁸