Day: June 3, 2022

Volker Perthes UNITAMS Head called to refrain from the use of violence against the protesters in the planned demonstrations to commemorate the third anniversary of the bloody attack on peaceful protesters in 2019.

Perthes exhorted Sudanese to observe the peaceful spirit of the December revolution in remarks delivered during a function organised by the trilateral mechanism for the families of the martyrs of the December revolution on the occasion of the third anniversary of the raid on the pro-democracy sit-in.

During the commemoration attended by the Sudan Tribune, he called on the security forces to respect the freedom of demonstration and to avoid repression.

“Even if one feels provoked, there is no justification for the excessive use of force,” he said.

The UN official further expressed hope that the implementation of the recent lifting of the state of emergency would be clearly evidenced during the rallies on Friday.

“Human rights violations must stop,” he emphasized.

Despite the government’s decision to lift the state of emergency, the security forces continued to open fire on protesters and arrest protesters and activists.

The visiting UN expert on human rights in Sudan Adama Dieng issued a similar call to abstain from the use of violence against protesters on Friday.

In a statement posted on Twitter, Dieng expressed his solidarity with “the victims and their families in their quest for justice”.

“I call on the authorities to exercise restraint today and to refrain from use of excessive force in response to today’s protests to commemorate the anniversary,” he added.

Dieng arrived in Khartoum on Wednesday evening and held a series of meeting with the government officials, Sudanese human rights commissioner and advocacy groups.

The Senegalese diplomat discussed with the Sudanese foreign and justice ministers the human rights situation and the recent government decision to lift the state of emergency and release political detainees.

The group for the defence of the victims of illegal detention and martyrs of unlawful killing together with the Darfur Lawyers Association said they requested the human rights expert to raise the need to dissolve the joint force tasked with the dispersal of protesters.

After the coup, al-Burhan formed a joint force involving the police, the army, the Rapid Support Forces and the peace signatory armed groups to disperse the protests under the state of emergency.

Source: Sudan Tribune

Sudan has accepted South Sudan’s proposal to hold a conference seeking to bring together different Sudanese stakeholders in the quest for an amicable solution to the country’s political crisis, an official said.

Tut Kew Gatluak, South Sudan’s presidential adviser on security affairs lauded the leadership in Sudan for accepting Juba’s proposal for peace.

The conference, he said on Thursday, will enlist participation in the drafting of the concept and the agenda of the regional and international organizations and the Sudanese, adding that the organizing secretariat would include representatives from the African Union (AU), Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and United Nations.

Gatluak told Sudan Tribune that he met and held consultative talks with various groups in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, to solicit their views on holding what he described as an “important” national conference.

“The conference is envisaged to bring political parties, members of civil society organizations, academia, student unions, women unions, trade unions, religious leaders and ordinary citizens to discuss political, security, social and economic crises in Sudan and seek amicable solutions,” he said.

Gatluak stressed that the forum will enhance and complement political and diplomatic efforts and processes being pursued to find a solution that would play a role that would determine the stability of the country and to discuss issues relating to transitional arrangements and period, how and when the general elections are conducted and type of governing system.

“The conference is expected to consolidate homegrown approaches within the framework of African solutions for African problems and to appreciate the role and efforts being exerted by Sudanese in rebuilding harmony to meet social, economic and security needs”, he stressed.

Delegates from all segments of society, academic institutions, partners, and stakeholders within public and private sectors, as well as business, are expected to attend the conference.

Source: Sudan Tribune