Salah, Amira --- "Human Rights Situation in Sudan" [1996] HRightsDef 5; (1996) Human Rights Defender

Human Rights Situation in Sudan

Amira Salah*

On 30 June 1989, the National Islamic Front (also known as the Muslim Brothers) headed by Colonel Omar Elbashir took over the reigns of power in Sudan through a military coup. Immediately the Constitution was suspended and all political parties and trade unions were dissolved. The leaders announced the formation of the National Salvation Revolution Command Council to govern the country.

Since then, human rights in Sudan have been grossly abused. The coming to power of the military government has established a clear violation of human rights. Individuals in Sudan are not only subjected to detention, but they are also subjected to cruel forms of torture and degrading treatment - hundreds are believed to have been tortured while in detention. Recent reports by Amnesty International and Africa Watch list the names of hundreds who were arrested, tortured, killed or have disappeared. Political opponents experience repeated beatings. They are held without charge or trial in unofficial secret detention centres run by the security services - known as ghost houses.

The introduction in 1991 of Penal Code based on an interpretation of Shari[Otilde]a Law is a core feature of the government[Otilde]s program. The Penal Code provides punishments which are cruel, inhuman and degrading, such as flogging (women are flogged for not conforming to the government[Otilde]s ideas of what constitutes decent dress), amputation and stoning to death. The government has used the death penalty to punish its political opponents. In April 1990, 28 army officers were executed after being convicted of plotting against the government without any trial.

In the war zone in the South, where the government forces have fought the war with appalling brutality, there have been massive abuses of human rights by the soldiers. Prisoners and defenceless civilians have been killed with impunity. There have been reports of women being raped. No member of the security forces is known to have been punished for these violations.

According to all I have mentioned above, I am calling upon the intern-ational community and international organisations to intensify their pressure on the Sudanese Government to respect human rights and to restore the rule of law according to internationally accepted standards.

Please write to the Sudanese Government calling for an end to human rights abuses:

Lieutenant General Omar Elbashir
President
People's Palace
PO Box 281
Khartoum
Sudan
* Amira Salah is a postgraduate student in the Faculty of Law, University of New South Wales.n