UN called for stronger human rights commitments

On 3rd March 2023, during the UN Human Rights Council interactive dialogue on the situation for human rights in Sudan, Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, advocated for stronger commitments from the state as well as for accountability in cases of human rights violations. Impunity and poor rule of law have been cited as being major drivers behind the ongoing, systemic rights abuses in the country.

Association

During this reporting period, the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies documented the following violations of freedom of association and peaceful assembly as well as expressed its concern over the ongoing closure of civic space in the country:

On 26th January 2023, the Sudan Humanitarian Aid Commission announced decisions regarding the fees for registration and renewal of licenses for national and international organisations operating in Sudan. The decisions followed the Council of Ministers resolution No: 3/2023, dictating the sums required for international and national NGOs to register.

On 24th March 2023, human rights defender Sakhar Mohamed Abdien Taha was harassed, threatened, and intimidated by security forces in Khartoum following a post he made on social media about his arrest earlier in March after he had documented the alleged police shooting of a protester. He was beaten and threatened during the arrest.

Peaceful Assembly

Sudan has experienced ongoing anti-coup, pro-democracy protests in recent months, which began in October 2021 and have led to the deaths of approximately 124 protesters and thousands injured, according to civil society monitors. Protests have been met with tear gas and a heavy army presence as well as with cases of protesters being arrested and journalists covering the protests being targeted:

• On 14 March 2023, Ibrahim Abdalbasit Ibrahim Abdalrhman, also known as Ibrahim Nogdallah, a human rights defender, photographer, and journalist, was hit with a stone in the chest whilst he was covering an anti-coup demonstration near Sharwani Station in East Alduom, Khartoum. Nogdallah reported seeing a police officer directing another officer to shoot at him.
• On 14 March 2023, eleven peaceful protesters, including three women, were arrested from Sharwani Station in East Aldum, Khartoum during an anti-coup demonstration. They were charged with disturbing the peace under the Penal Code and later released on bail.