MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Sudan
4.10.2016 - (2016/2911(RSP))
pursuant to Rule 135 of the Rules of Procedure
Charles Tannock, Mark Demesmaeker, Ryszard Antoni Legutko, Ryszard Czarnecki, Anna Elżbieta Fotyga, Arne Gericke, Notis Marias, Angel Dzhambazki, Ruža Tomašić, Branislav Škripek, Monica Macovei, Tomasz Piotr Poręba, Karol Karski on behalf of the ECR Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B8-1062/2016
The European Parliament,
– having regard to its previous resolutions on Sudan,
– having regard to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,
– having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948 and to the UN Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief,
– having regard to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights,
– having regard to the Cotonou Agreement of 2000,
having regard to the Khartoum Process – 28 November 2014
– having regard to the Report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review on Sudan - 11 July 2016
– having regard to the Report of the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in the Sudan - 28 July 2016
– having regard to the Report of the Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights, on his mission to the Sudan - 4 August 2016
having regard to Rules 135(5) and 123(4) of its Rules of Procedure,
A.Whereas Sudan has the ninth largest population in Africa and consists of a multitude of diverse ethnic groups, cultures, languages and religions;
B.Whereas the ongoing civilian conflicts in Sudan, notably in the regions of Darfur, Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile, are accompanied by serious human rights violations, including the use of Janjaweed militia to commit genocide, destruction and burning of villages, forcible transfers, abduction of and sexual violence against women, as well as large-scale displacement of civilians;
C.Whereas the United Nations has described the Darfur regions as one of the world’s worst humanitarian crisis and according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the estimated number of people in need of humanitarian assistance exceeded 3,3 millions in Darfur alone; whereas most of them are internally displaced persons, at risk of hunger, disease and thirst, especially in the hot dry summers;
D.Whereas due to imposed restrictions, international humanitarian aid organisations lack direct access to the relevant locations; whereas it was reported that government restrictions on access for humanitarian agencies in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile were used to limit the delivery of humanitarian assistance to people in need;
E.Whereas the bombings in civilian areas of South Kordofan and Blue Nile have resulted in casualties and the destruction of civilian infrastructure;
F.Whereas Amnesty International has uncovered credible evidence of chemical weapons attacks on civilians by Sudanese government forces, which allegedly killed between 200 - 250 people, many of them children; whereas many more casualties developed symptoms afterwards;
G.Whereas the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Omar Hassan Ahmad Al Bashir on 4 March 2009 and on 12 July 2010;
H.Whereas the 2010 National Security Act has granted the Sudanese government sweeping powers to routinely hold detainees in solitary confinement, without charge and for prolonged periods, and organisations are forcibly closed and raided;
I.Whereas the conflict in Sudan poses a risk to the stability of the state and a wider region as well as to produce a dramatic, short- and long-term detrimental effects to human rights benchmarks; whereas notably the freedoms of expression, association and assembly are reported to be restricted by the ongoing detentions of the opposition party members, youth activists, human rights defenders, journalists and members of religious and ethnic minorities;
J.Whereas in recent months six human rights defenders affiliated with the Khartoum Centre for Training and Human Development (TRACKS), i.e.: Mr. Khalafalla Mukhtar Alafif, Mustafa Adam, Midhat A Hamdan, Hassan Kheiry and Mmes Arwa Elrabie and Imani-Leyla Raye were detained and charged with criminal offences including “waging war against the State” which carries the death penalty; whereas their detentions were preceded by series of repressive actions by the National Intelligence and Security Service, including the confiscation of computers and documents belonging to the organisation;
K.Whereas the detained Khalafalla Mukhtar Alafif, Mustafa Adam, Midhat A Hamdan remain in Huda prison, in spite of the fact that the prosecutor is reported to have failed to provide any evidence on the case;
L.Whereas some leaders and other representatives of Christian communities in Sudan have been victims of discrimination, maltreatment and abuse of power by security forces, like in the case of several high representatives of the Sudan Church of Christ (SCOC);
M.Whereas those responsible for killing of 185 people during anti-austerity protests in Khartoum in September 2013 have yet to be punished;
N.Whereas, as stated in the Universal Periodic Review from 21 September 2016, Sudan reaffirmed its commitment to acceding to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, and the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance;
O.Whereas the Republic of Sudan is bound by the human rights clause of the Cotonou Agreement and by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;
1.Remains deeply concerned at the ongoing conflicts in Sudan, notably in Darfur, Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile as well as at the accompanying violations of humanitarian and human rights law, together with a serious humanitarian emergency, which continue to cause enormous human suffering and internal displacements;
2.Calls for an immediate end of aerial bombardment, which results in numerous casualties among civilians;
3.Believes that legitimate and peaceful grievances must be allowed to be expressed freely in the country and supports the comprehensive, inclusive and transparent forums to achieve peace in Sudan;
4.Expresses its particular concern about the access restrictions still imposed on international humanitarian agencies and organisations; demands that the Sudanese Government make every effort possible to improve access by international humanitarian agencies to all those seeking humanitarian aid;
5.Remains concerned about the ongoing detention, youth activists, human rights defenders and journalists in Sudan; urges the Government of Sudan to guarantee the peaceful exercise of the freedoms expression, association and assembly; calls on the Sudanese authorities to put an end to all acts of harassment and intimidation against human rights defenders and political activists and to comply with the relevant international norms and standards;
6.Calls on the Government of Sudan to repeal all legislation that discriminates on the grounds of religion and to protect the identity of minority groups, including those of all faiths; encourages the Government of Sudan to reform the country’s legal system, in accordance with international human rights standards, in order to protect fundamental human rights and freedoms and ensure the protection of every individual’s human rights, particularly with regard to discrimination against women, religious minorities and disadvantaged groups;
7.Calls on the Government of Sudan to immediately and unconditionally release Khalafalla Alafif Mukhtar, Mustafa Adam and Midhat A Hamdan from detention as well as to allow them immediate and unfettered access to their families and lawyers;
8.Calls on immediate release detained representatives of the Sudan Church of Christ; in this context, reminds the Sudanese authorities of their obligations at national and international level to protect freedom of religion and belief; reaffirms that freedom of religion, conscience and belief is a universal human right that needs to be protected everywhere and for everyone; strongly condemns all forms of violence and intimidation that impair the right to have or not to have, or to adopt, a religion of one’s choice, including the use of threats, physical force or penal sanctions to compel believers or non-believers to renounce their religion or to convert;
9.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission/High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Government of the Republic of Sudan, the African Union, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, the Co-Presidents of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly and the Pan-African Parliament.