MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Sudan
4.10.2016 - (2016/2911(RSP))
pursuant to Rule 135 of the Rules of Procedure
Cristian Dan Preda, Davor Ivo Stier, Roberta Metsola, Tunne Kelam, Patricija Šulin, Ivan Štefanec, Agnieszka Kozłowska-Rajewicz, Jaromír Štětina, Pavel Svoboda, Ildikó Gáll-Pelcz, Milan Zver, Romana Tomc, Claude Rolin, Tomáš Zdechovský, Lefteris Christoforou, Michaela Šojdrová, Thomas Mann, Stanislav Polčák, Marijana Petir, Eduard Kukan, Laima Liucija Andrikienė, Jeroen Lenaers, Giovanni La Via, Maurice Ponga, Bogdan Brunon Wenta, Adam Szejnfeld, József Nagy, Csaba Sógor, Dubravka Šuica, Andrey Kovatchev, Ramona Nicole Mănescu, Jiří Pospíšil, Seán Kelly, Eva Paunova, Therese Comodini Cachia, Ramón Luis Valcárcel Siso, Francisco José Millán Mon, Krzysztof Hetman on behalf of the PPE Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B8-1062/2016
The European Parliament,
– having regard to its previous resolutions on situation in Sudan,
– having regard to the joint statement of 8 August 2016 by the EU, the representatives of the Troika and Germany welcoming the signing of the AUHIP Roadmap Agreement,
– having regard to the report of 28 July 2016 of the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Sudan,
– having regard to the statement of 27 June 2016 by the Spokesperson of the HR/VP on Sudanese Government’s announcement of a four-month unilateral cessation of hostilities,
– having regard to the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights report of the joint promotion mission to the Republic of Sudan in May 2016,
– having regard to the statement of 5 April 2016 by the Spokesperson of the HR/VP on Sudan’s internal conflicts,
– having regard to the statement of 4 March 2016 by Christos Stylianides, European Commissioner for Humanitarian Aid, on the protection of civilians in Darfur,
– having regard to the African Charter of Human and Peoples’ Rights,
– having regard to the UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment,
– having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,
– having regard to the Cotonou Agreement,
– having regard to Rule 135 of its Rules of Procedure,
A.whereas human rights violations and abuses are widespread in Sudan and include extrajudicial killings, excessive use of force against protesters, abduction of civilians, acts of sexual and gender-based violence against women and children, and arbitrary arrests and detentions;
B.whereas in Darfur, where the conflict has continued for 13 years and killed over 300 000 people, government forces continue to target civilians; whereas indiscriminate bombings and unlawful attacks are regularly carried out on villages in the South Kordofan and Blue Nile regions;
C.whereas Amnesty International has uncovered credible evidence of chemical weapons attacks on civilians by the Sudanese government, where villagers from the Jebel Marra region of Darfur reveal gruesome effects of suspected chemical weapons attacks with the most recent attack perpetrated in the Gamarah village on 9 September 2016;
D.whereas space for civil society and human rights defenders is highly restricted in Sudan; whereas the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) is reported to constantly harass, target and prosecute human rights defenders, students activists and political opponents for undertaking their legitimate activities;
E.whereas on 29 February 2016, the NISS brutally raided Khartoum Centre for Training and Human Development (TRACKS), a civil society organization, following what the director and five other activists were arrested and charged with criminal conspiracy, waging war against the state, espionage and terrorism, with all of these charges carrying the death penalty; whereas the director is reported to be in a poor health condition and family visits are not permitted;
F.whereas in March 2016, four representatives of civil society were intercepted by security officials at Khartoum airport and prevented from travelling to Geneva to participate in meetings of the HRC universal periodic review of Sudan;
G.whereas several restrictions on press and media freedoms were reported in recent months, including censorship, seizure and confiscation of newspapers, and temporary closure of press agencies;
H.whereas Sudanese women are faced with systemic discrimination and imposition of corporal punishment and flogging, and Sudanese authorities disproportionately convict women and girls of ill-defined crimes;
I.whereas the Sudanese authorities impose severe restrictions on the freedom of religion; whereas threats against church leaders and intimidation of Christian communities have continued at an accelerated pace over the past years; whereas Czech Christian Aid worker Petr Jašek, Sudanese pastors Hassan Abduraheem Kodi Taour, Kuwa Shamal and Darfuri graduate student Abdulmonem Abdumawla Issa Abdumawla have been detained for nine months already by the NISS and are facing trial on charges of highlighting alleged Christian suffering in war-ravaged areas of Sudan; whereas in the recent years, there has been an increase of trials for apostasy cases and subsequent death sentences;
J.whereas the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, ratified by the Republic of Sudan, includes the right to life and the prohibition of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment and treatment, but whereas death penalty, flogging, amputation and other corporal punishments are still being carried out in the country for a number of criminal sentences;
K.whereas by signing the Roadmap Agreement, representatives from political and armed opposition parties, including the National Umma Party, the National Consensus Forces and the Sudan Revolutionary Front, committed to work towards the end of the conflicts raging in different regions of Sudan and towards legal, institutional and economic reforms;
1. Condemns in the strongest terms the use of chemical weapons against civilians, including hundreds of children, that was reported in Darfur; recalls that Sudan is a party to the Chemical Weapons Convention and calls for an international investigation into these allegations;
2. Reminds the Sudanese authorities of their responsibility to protect human rights in Darfur, and urges all parties to the conflict to respect the rights of the civilian population; calls on the authorities to investigate and prosecute all those responsible for human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law, including indiscriminate killings, abductions, mass rape and other sexual violence;
3. Calls on the Sudanese government to put an end to all acts of harassment and intimidation against human rights defenders and to guarantee the peaceful exercise of freedom of expression, association and assembly; calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners;
4. Notes with concern the continued and frequent violation of women's rights in Sudan; urges the Sudanese authorities to expediently sign and ratify the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women;
5. Reaffirms that freedom of religion, conscience or belief is a universal human right that needs to be protected everywhere and for everyone; demands that the Sudanese government repeal any legal provisions that penalise or discriminate against individuals for their religious beliefs, especially in the case of apostasy; calls for the release of all church leaders that are currently detained; calls for the release of Petr Jašek, Hassan Abduraheem Kodi Taour, Kuwa Shamal and Abdulmonem Abdumawla Issa Abdumawla bearing in mind that serving and helping people cannot be considered crime;
6. Urges Sudan to issue an immediate moratorium on all executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty and all forms of corporal punishment;
7. Welcomes the signature by the Sudanese government of the Roadmap Agreement on 16 March 2016 as well as the cessation of hostilities announced by the government and the Sudan Revolutionary Front; insists on the need for both parties to respect their commitment and calls for a continued dialogue towards the establishment of a definite ceasefire;
8. Calls on the EU and its Member States to continue their commitment to supporting the effort of the African Union to bring peace to Sudan and the Sudanese people in their transition to an internally reformed democracy;
9. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the Commission, the Co‑Presidents of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, the African Union Commission and the Pan-African Parliament, the Sudanese Government and the Secretary-General of the United Nations.