HR/97/83
8 December 1997


The following is a press statement to be read out by Mr. Gaspar Biro, the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Sudan, at a press conference at 2 p.m. on 8 December 1997 at the Palais des Nations.

'I found it necessary to call this press conference to bring to your attention a very serious incident that took place last Monday on 1 December in Khartoum outside the United Nations Development Programme's compound. I think the seriousness of the incident and the context in which it occurred warrant that United Nations' condemnation of the incident be disseminated to the widest possible audience before the next session of the Commission of Human Rights, which will begin only in mid-March. In particular, it must be emphasized that the incident demonstrates contempt by Sudanese security for international concern for human rights in the Sudan.

According to a report received from UNDP in Khartoum, a group of approximately 50 women arrived at 12:45 p.m. outside the gate of the UNDP compound to attempt to present a statement to the United Nations Secretary-General through the Resident Coordinator in Sudan against the compulsory military conscription of their sons and brothers to fight in the civil war in southern Sudan. The women were peacefully demonstrating, carrying banners denouncing the deployment of their sons and brothers.

According to the report received, the women, including the elderly, were brutally assaulted with sticks and rubber hoses and slapped on their faces by police and security officers. The women were arrested and dragged into police vehicles. The assault of the women was witnessed by a large number of United Nations' staff members who had gathered at the gate. Since the receipt of the report, I have received credible information that one of the women assaulted by the police during this incident, Sara Hamd Elneil, remains in critical condition and others had to be hospitalized as a result of their injuries. It was further reported that approximately thirty-four of these women were tried and sentenced to ten strokes each which were administered before they were released. One woman, Lillian Mohd. Hussein, was flogged with forty strokes. The additional strokes were inflicted allegedly for improper dress. Specifically, she was wearing trousers and a t-shirt. The group includes university professors, lawyers and other professional Sudanese women.

Based upon this report, a joint appeal was issued on Friday 5 December calling upon the Government of Sudan to investigate this incident, bring to justice those responsible for the violence to which these women were subjected and to compensate the victims both for the injuries suffered and any criminal punishments imposed on them. This appeal was signed by four Special Rapporteurs of the Commission on Human Rights: the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, Ms. Radhika Coomaraswamy; the Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Mr. Abid Hussein; the Special Rapporteur on Torture, Mr. Nigel Rodley; and, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Sudan, Mr. Gáspár Bíró. It should also be noted that the Office of the Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System's Operational Activities for Development in the Sudan and Designated Official for Security in the Sudan transmitted a strongly worded note verbale to the Ministry of External Relations to protest and to request the appropriate authorities to investigate the attested violence to which these women were subjected and to take the necessary action.

What makes this incident unique is not only the brutality of the security forces and the utter disregard for the rights and dignity of the women assaulted, but the fact that the incident took place in broad daylight in the presence of United Nations staff members. This is an affront to the United Nations and the international community at large and reveals the disdain that the security forces have for international public opinion. It also demonstrates that the security forces in the Sudan believe that they can act with total impunity.

This proves once again that the situation of human rights in the Sudan continues to deteriorate, despite views to the contrary of the Government and by a minority of foreign observers. Discrimination against women, especially the legislation adopted last year at the level of Khartoum state, aiming at instituting de facto segregation between men and women in public, are of special concern. One of the aims of this press conference was also to highlight the plight of women in the Sudan.'?