UPDATE ON DETAINEES FROM SOUTH KORDUFAN SUDAN HAVE BEEN IN CUSTODY FOR MORE THAN EIGHT YEARS

No. H.K/PR/29/019
13th October 2019
            UPDATE ON DETAINEES FROM SOUTH KORDUFAN, SUDAN HAVE BEEN IN CUSTODY FOR MORE THAN EIGHT YEARS

More than twenty five (25) detainees from Nuba Mountains have been deliberately held in custody by Military Intelligence (MI) authority since June 2011 regardless of the frequently declared release pardons/ orders and Juba declaration. The mentioned detainees were arrested in Kadogli by MI on 7thJune 2011 when the war erupted, they have been held incommunicado regardless of the repeated release pardons/orders for the detainees and the prisoners of war that have issued/ declared since the ouster of the former president. Nevertheless, on 11th September 2019, Sudan government signed the Juba declaration with the armed groups, this declaration is meant to enable peace negotiations whereby the Sudan’s sovereign council committed to release some of the prisoners of war. But, the twenty five (25) detainees held incommunicado were not included. The HUDO’s Executive Director Bushra Gamar said that; “it’s sad and unjustifiable to deliberately deny victims their freedom and to find that the transitional government is silent about it. This will raise concerns about the government’s commitment towards peace yet they are breaching the recently signed declaration of enabling peace negotiations”. HUDO is very concerned about the situation of these detainees and calls upon;
· Sudan government to immediately release them without any condition
· Sudan government to hold to account those who intended to keep them under detention without any legal ground.
· Sudan government to legally compensate them.
· Sudan government to disclose the whereabouts of any other detainees or forcibly disappeared.

End: For the detainees names and previous reports, please visit: https://wp.me/p6WXCc-Ij / https://hudocentre.org/2016/03/