Amnesty Internationa: Students Arrest
in Darfur, 05 May, 2003
SUDAN
Students at Zalingei University:
Hana Mohamed Ali (f)
Mawahib Ali (f)
Huda Da'wood (f)
Intisar Abdel Rahman Fadl (f)
Mohamed Al Hassan Rahma (m)
Hassan Harri (m)
Mohammed Ahmed Khalid (m)
Da'wood Abdel Rhaman (m)
Abdel Azim Daw El Beit (m)
Ashraf Alhilo (m)
Haythem Samba (m)
El Tayeb (m)
Tagelsir (m)
Al Noor (m)
Um Al Hassan Sharoofa (f)
Asha Sharoofa (f)
Fourteen of the students named above are reportedly being detained incommunicado
in an office of the security services in the town of Zalingei, Western Darfur
province. Amnesty International fears that they are being tortured in detention.
Two female students, Um Al Hassan Sharoofa and Asha Sharoofa, arrested
and detained incommunicado with the others, have been transferred to hospital
in Zalingei. This is reportedly for treatment of injuries sustained when
they were severely beaten by security personnel in detention.
The 16 students were arrested after a student protest on 1 May at Zalingei
University, over financial issues such as payment of grants and food and
transport allowances. The riot police intervened, reportedly using tear gas
and sticks against the students. One university building was burnt down during
the protest. University authorities closed down the university on 3 May,
reportedly at the demand of the security services.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION Since October 2002, student protests in Darfur and
in the capital Khartoum have been the scene of human rights violations by
the security forces. The students have been demonstrating over issues of
financial accountability of universities or at the denial of students' right
to organize in unions and political parties. Human rights violations against
students have included use of excessive force by riot police and incommunicado
detention and torture by the security services. Many students subsequently
released have reported being harshly kicked and beaten by security personnel,
often using hose pipes and gun butts. Some students also claim that they
were threatened into giving information about their alleged political activities.
Scores of students have also been dismissed from their courses by university
authorities.
It is alleged that the security services may have arrested the students
named above in connection with the unfolding armed conflict in Darfur between
the Government of Sudan and the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA). The SLA took
up arms in February 2003, accusing the government of keeping Darfur, an area
in western Sudan, under-developed and marginalized and of failing to protect
farmers against attacks. In the past year, dozens of civilians have been
killed in attacks by cattle and camel herders against farming communities
comprised largely of the Fur and Zaghawa ethnic groups. Members of the security
forces have also been killed. In late April, the SLA attacked the airport
in El Fasher, capital of North Darfur. Amnesty International is calling for
an international commission of inquiry and monitoring to investigate the
deteriorating situation in Darfur.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible,
in English or Arabic or your own language:
- expressing concern over the incommunicado detention of 14 students from
Zalingei university, and at the reported beatings of two female students
by the security services in Zalingei;
- calling on the authorities to give assurances that the 14 detainees will
not be tortured or ill-treated while in detention;
- urging the authorities to allow the detainees immediate and unrestricted
access to their relatives, legal counsel and any medical aid they may need;
- calling on the authorities to either charge the detainees with a recognizably
criminal offence and give them a prompt and fair trial in accordance with
international standards or set them free immediately, as set in Article
9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) ratified
by Sudan;
- asking the authorities to open an independent investigation into reports
of beatings of two female students by members of the security and to bring
to justice anyone found to have been responsible for torture or ill-treatment.
APPEALS TO (Time difference = GMT + 2 hrs / BST + 1 hrs):
Mr Ali Mohamed Osman Yassin
Minister of Justice and Attorney General
Ministry of Justice
Khartoum, Sudan
Telegrams: Justice Minister, Khartoum, Sudan
Fax:
00 249 11 799031
[Salutation: Dear Minister]
Major General Abdul-Rahim Muhammed Hussein
Minister of Internal Affairs
Ministry of Interior
PO Box 281
Khartoum, Sudan
Telegram: Minister of Internal Affairs,
Khartoum, Sudan
Fax:
00 249 11 774339 / 776554/ 773046 / 770186 / 777900
/ 773046 / 770186
[Salutation: Dear Minister]
General Ibrahim Sulayman
Governor of North Darfur
c/o People's Palace
Po Box 281
Khartoum, Sudan
Telegram: Governor of North Darfur,
Khartoum, Sudan
Fax:
00 249 11 771651/783223
[Salutation: Dear Sir]
Mr Mustafa Osman Ismail
Minister of Foreign Affairs
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
PO Box 873
Khartoum, Sudan
Telegram: Foreign Minister, Khartoum,
Sudan
Fax:
00 24911 779383
[Salutation: Dear Minister]
PLEASE SEND COPIES OF YOUR APPEALS TO: His Excellency Dr Hasan
Abdin Mohammad Osman, Embassy of Sudan, 3 Cleveland Row, St
James's, London SW1A 1DD. Fax: 020 7839 7560
AND, IF POSSIBLE, TO THE FOLLOWING:
Dr Yasir Sid Ahmed
Advisory Council for Human Rights
PO Box 302
Khartoum, Sudan
Fax:
00 249 11 779173 / 770883
PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY. Please do not send appeals after 17 June
2003