MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on Sudan
15.1.2019 - (2019/2512(RSP))
pursuant to Rule 135 of the Rules of Procedure
Cristian Dan Preda, Tunne Kelam, José Ignacio Salafranca Sánchez‑Neyra, David McAllister, Pavel Svoboda, Eduard Kukan, Milan Zver, Krzysztof Hetman, Thomas Waitz, Agnieszka Kozłowska‑Rajewicz, Elisabetta Gardini, Csaba Sógor, Richard Sulík, Bogusław Sonik, Romana Tomc, Luděk Niedermayer, Michaela Šojdrová, Lorenzo Cesa, Ivana Maletić, Ivo Belet, Seán Kelly, Sandra Kalniete, Richard Sulík, Marijana Petir, Francisco José Millán Mon, Andrey Kovatchev, Ramón Luis Valcárcel Siso, Antonio López‑Istúriz White, Francis Zammit Dimech, Inese Vaidere on behalf of the PPE Group
See also joint motion for a resolution RC-B8-0053/2019
The European Parliament,
-having regard to its previous resolutions on the situation in Sudan, including those of 31 May 2018, 3 March 2018, 15 November 2017 and 6 October 2016,
-having regards to the statement by the EEAS spokesperson on the ongoing protests in Sudan on 24 December 2018,
-having regards to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948,
-having regards to the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights of 1966,
-having regards to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights,
-having regard to the Cotonou Agreement and the human rights clauses contained therein,
-having regard to the conclusions of the mission to Sudan by the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights that took place in December 2017, and which feedback was given during the committee meeting on February 27, 2018,
-having regard to the statement of the United Nations Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Sudan, Aristide Nononsi, following his mission to Sudan 11-21 May 2017,
-having regard to the visit to Sudan on 22-23 October 2017 by Commissioner Christos Stylianides,
-having regard to the speech by Ambassador Jean-Michel, head of delegation of the EU to Sudan, on the occasion of the Human Rights Day 2018 on December 12 on equality and justice for women,
-having regard to the interactive dialogues hold by the UN Human Rights Council held on 11 December 2018, on the situation of human rights in Sudan,
-having regard to Rule 135 and 123 of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas protests over austerity measures in Sudan started on the 19th of December 2018; whereas its starting point was the rising cost of bread and other basic necessities;
B. whereas these protests quickly turned into anti-government demonstrations calling for a change of regime and calling for the President Omar al-Bashir to step down;
C. whereas protesters in several places have attacked offices of the ruling National Congress Party,(NCP) the ruling party in Sudan;
D. whereas by the 1st of January 2019 the death toll has reached 45 according to international human rights organisations, whereas the Sudanese government only reports 19 deaths;
E. whereas human rights lawyer Salih Mahmoud Osman, recipient of the 2007 Sakharov Prize, was arrested in his law office on 8 January 2019; whereas the Sudanese authorities refuse to make public where he is detained, and his family is not permitted to contact him;
F. whereas 22 minor political parties within the government called for President al-Bashir to hand power to a transitional authority;
G. whereas presidential elections in Sudan are scheduled for 2020;
H. whereas the Sudanese Parliament´s speaker announced on 4 December that he had received a letter from 294 legislators representing 33 parties seeking a constitutional amendment to abolish presidential term limits;
I.whereas Sudanese National Intelligence and Security service (NISS) are using lethal force, including live ammunition, against unarmed protestors;
J. whereas it is reported that NISS arbitrary arrested and detained political opposition leaders, students; journalists criticising the regime, human rights activists and other protestors;
K. whereas the Sudanese authorities restricted access to the Internet and in particular to social media in an attempt to tackle the popular uprising;
L. whereas opposition groups are calling for further demonstrations, whereas along with protest leaders, they are developing a more systematic campaign of protests possibly including strikes and civil disobedience;
M. whereas the United States, the United Kingdom, Norway and Canada have called for the general respect for rights and protesters in a statement on 8 January 2019;
N. whereas the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly are arbitrarily restricted;
O. whereas the security and humanitarian situation in Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan states remain dire, with widespread violations of international humanitarian and human rights law;
P. whereas the ongoing conflict in Darfur has already lead to hundreds of thousands of deaths and millions of displaced persons;
Q. whereas the NGO Reporters without Borders ranks Sudan amongst the least free countries, at 174 out of 180, in the 2018 World Press Freedom Index;
R. whereas a free, independent and impartial media constitute one of the essential foundations of a democratic society;
S. whereas the NGO Open Doors listed Sudan as the 4th worst country to be a Christian in its 2018 World Watch List;
T. whereas the total EU humanitarian funding in Sudan for 2018 was €41 million;
1. Condemns the way the Sudanese security forces have reacted to the popular protests that started on 19 December following cuts in subsidies on basic commodities, including wheat and fuel, which caused food prices to raise and also a lack of food;
2. Extends its condolences to the victims and their families of the violence that have followed since the start of the popular protests;
3. Notes that the demonstrations which initially denounced the rising cost of living and shortages of food have developed into anti-government protests, calling for the resignation of President Omar Al Bashir;
4. Fully endorses the statement made by the EEAS spokesperson, in the context of the ongoing popular protests, regarding the importance to show restraint and act within the law, and also that the EU expect the government of Sudan to respect the right of people to voice their concerns and respond to grievances;
5. Demands the immediate release of Salih Mahmoud Osman, who has promoted the establishment of the rule of law and advocated for legal reform in Sudan;
6. Emphasises the importance to uphold the electoral calendar, but notes with concern that the process to change the Sudanese constitution to allow Omar Al Bashir to stand as presidential candidate once again has started;
7. Deplores the numerous reports regarding the Sudan’s National Intelligence and Security Service’s repeated violations of human rights;
8. Urges the Sudanese authorities to bring the powers and methods of the NISS in line with international standards;
9. Believes that free, independent, impartial media constitute one of the essential foundations of a democratic society, where open debates play a crucial role; calls on the EU to intensify its efforts to promote freedom of expression through its external policies and instruments, including in Sudan;
10.Deplores that due to “harassment of the media, censorship, seizures, media closures, and Internet cuts”, Sudan is only ranked at 174 out of 180 in the 2018 World Press Freedom Index;
11.Emphasises that the Government of Sudan, in accordance with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights has the primary responsibility for the promotion and protection of all human rights; calls on the Sudanese Government to restore and respect human rights and fundamental freedoms under international law;
12. Deplores state-endorsed persecution against Christians and the closing and demolition of churches; reaffirms that freedom of religion, conscience or belief is a universal human right that needs to be protected everywhere and for everyone;
13. Calls on the EU and its Member States to continue to provide support to civil society organisations with technical assistance and capacity building programmes to improve their human rights advocacy and rule-of-law capabilities and to enable them to contribute more effectively to the much needed improvement of the human rights situation in Sudan;
14. Recalls the 31 May 2018 statement by Commissioner Stylianides in the European Parliament, where he said that the EU will continue to make use of the different means at its disposal to promote and protect girls' and women's human rights in Sudan, including by enhancing the access of women and girls to quality education and health care services, raising awareness on girls' and women's rights among communities, in particular with the view of reducing harmful practices such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM);
15. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, and the Vice-President of the Commission/ High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Co-Presidents of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, the African Union Commission and the Pan-African Parliament and the Sudanese Government.