Sudan: Those responsible for war crimes must be held accountable
As US Secretary of State Colin Powell, and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan hold talks today with Sudanese President
Omar al-Beshir, Amnesty International calls on the leaders to end the impunity of those who have caused human rights and
humanitarian tragedies in Sudan.
Responsibility for ensuring justice in Sudan rests primarily with the Sudanese government. However, the international
community as a whole has a duty to fight impunity by bringing to justice perpetrators of crimes under international law
through the exercise of universal jurisdiction. Ensuring justice means investigating allegations of war crimes and
crimes against humanity, bringing perpetrators, commanders and accomplices to justice in fair trials without the
possibility of the death penalty, and ensuring reparations for the victims.
"Impunity for human rights abuses only breeds further violations. Those who have killed, raped, abducted and displaced
in Darfur knew that those who had committed similar crimes in the Nuba mountains and the south did so with impunity. If
those who commit war crimes are never held accountable there will never be peace in Sudan," Amnesty International said.
"The rape and killings committed by the government-supported Janjawid militias in Darfur constitute war crimes.
Systematic and widespread killings, rape and forced displacement are crimes against humanity. War crimes and crimes
against humanity have also been committed in southern Sudan by all parties to the conflict," the organization said.
On 19 June President Omar al-Bashir said on television that he would control and pursue all outlaw groups, such as the
Janjawid, and present them to justice. US Secretary of State Colin Powell, and UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan should
demand, in their discussions with President Omar al-Beshir, that this is implemented immediately.
During 20 years of war in the south the Sudanese armed forces and militias supported by the government killed, raped and
abducted thousands of Sudanese. At the same time the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), militias allied to the SPLA
and independent militias killed and raped with equal impunity.
As the peace negotiations between the Sudanese government and the SPLA limped forward after 2002, the government
supported Janjawid militias to attack and displace rural ethnic groups in the western Sudan after some members of these
groups, complaining of marginalization and lack of protection, founded a "Sudan Liberation Army". Today, one million
internally displaced people in Darfur who have fled to camps and swollen the townships in Darfur now face hunger and
disease. A further 130,000 people have fled to Chad.
On 5 June 2004, after two years of negotiations, peace was eventually signed between the government of Sudan and the
SPLA. But the protocols which make up the peace accord do not mention accountability for past serious human rights
violations.
"By tolerating this impunity the government and the SPLA, as well as the mediators and observers to the peace process in
the south accept that international humanitarian law can be breached with impunity," Amnesty International said.
Amnesty International has frequently called for human rights monitors to be deployed in the southern Sudan to
investigate allegations of serious human rights violations and for perpetrators of human rights abuses, from whatever
side, to be made accountable.
With regard to the conflict in Darfur Amnesty International is calling for:
* an international Commission of Inquiry to examine evidence of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other
violations of international humanitarian law as well as allegations of genocide;
* the immediate deployment of human rights monitors in Darfur in sufficient numbers and with the requisite resources to
investigate and report on serious human rights violations;
* the disarming and disbanding of the Janjawid militias who must be put in a position where they may no longer abuse
the civilian population.
Sudan has signed, but not ratified, the Rome Statute setting up the International Criminal Court. The new
power-sharing, government to be set up following the Nairobi peace accord between the government and the SPLA, should
ratify the Rome Statute as one of its first acts. This will be a sign to the people of Sudan that the horrific breaches
of humanitarian and human rights law which have happened over the past 20 years, will no longer be acceptable.
Act now to end the human rights crisis in Darfur: http://amnesty-news.c.topica.com/maaco5Naa73hPbb0hPub/
Further information on the crisis in Sudan: http://amnesty-news.c.topica.com/maaco5Naa73hQbb0hPub/