Sudan Organisation Against Torture

Human Rights Alert: 13 December 2005

Darfur: Arbitrary Arrests; Incommunicado Detention; Enforced Disappearances; Fear of Torture

1. On 09 December 2005, officers from the security forces in Nyala arrested Sandal Bashair Haggar, (65 yrs), merchant, Zaghawa tribe on suspicion of joining the rebel opposition group in Darfur. Mr. Haggar was arrested from his home in Sham-Alnaseen in Nyala and taken to an unknown place. Following the arrest, Mr. Hagger’s families requested to visit him which the authorities denied.

2. On 9 December 2005, Community Security police officers inside Dereig Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp, Nyala, arrested Adam Abdella Abdel Rahman, (25 yrs), an IDP from the Dajo tribe. Mr. Rahman was taken to security detention centre in Nyala where he remains in detention without charges.

3. On 06 December 2005, Community Security police officers inside Dereig IDP camp arrested two IDPs inside the camp. The men were taken into security custody inside the camp where they remain in detention and are facing no official charges. The details of the men are as follows:

1. Adam Mohamed Is’hag, (40 yrs), Dajo tribe

2. Abdella Abaker, (50 yrs), Dajo tribe

On 18 December 2005, Ahmed Zakarea Ahmed, (26 yrs), from the Dajo tribe went to visit Mr. Is’hag and Mr. Abaker. During the visit, Mr. Ahmed was arrested and taken into security custody in Nyala.

No reason was given for the arrests of the men and their families have been denied visits.

4. On 06 December 2005, security officers arrested Soulieman Ibrahim Adam, (41 yrs), Fur tribe, from Mershing IDP camp, North of Nyala on suspicion of contacting foreigners. Mr. Adam, who is also the Sheikh in Mershing camp, was arrested inside the camp after he spoke to visiting non-Sudanese delegates about attacks on IDPs in Mershing camp on 05 December 2005 by allegedly the Janjaweed militias.

Initially Mr. Adam was detained in security custody inside the camp. In the evening of 06 December 2005, Mr. Adam was moved to security detention centre in Nyala. On 8 December 2005, Mr. Adam was charged under article 51 (Waging War against State) of the 1991 penal code and transferred to Nyala prison where he is awaiting trial.

Lawyers from SOAT network are representing Mr. Adam.

5. On 03 December 2005, officers from the National Security Bureau (NSB) in Nyala arrested Mohamed Shammar Abdella, (39 yrs), Zaghawa, Director of Arcory Company in Nyala. Mr. Shammar was arrested from the premises of his company at 11am and taken to security detention center in Nyala where he remains in detention without charges. No reason was given for the arrest and Mr. Abdella has been denied visits by his family.

6. On 30 November 2005, NSB officers in Nyala arrested three IDPs from Kalma IDP camp. The IDPs were arrested from the livestock market in Nyala at 12 pm and taken to unknown place. No reason was given for the arrest of the IDPs; so far the whereabouts of the IDPs are unknown. The details of the IDPs are as follows:

1. Fadul Abdella Abdel Rasoul, (38 yrs), Zaghawa tribe

2. Abaker Abdella Ahmed, (31 yrs), Zaghawa

3. Ismail Ibrahim, (33 yrs), Zaghawa

SOAT is gravely concerned about the health and safety of all the detainees, and calls upon the government of Sudan (GoS) to immediately investigate the arrests, make known the whereabouts of the missing men, ensure that all the detainees are allowed access to medical treatment, to legal counsel and to give assurances that the men will not be subjected to torture or ill treatment.

SOAT strongly condemns the arbitrary arrests and incommunicado detentions of all the IDPs and calls on the government of Sudan to:

Investigate the arrest and detention of all the detainees and make known their whereabouts;
Allow all the detainees immediate access to medical treatment; legal advice and to their family;
Take all necessary measures to ensure the physical and psychological integrity of all the detainees;
Immediately release all the detainees in the absence of valid legal charges, or if legitimate charges exist, bring them before an impartial tribunal and guarantee procedural rights at all times;
Immediately cease its campaign of intimidation and harassment of persons in the Darfur region and to respect international humanitarian law and to end impunity for crimes committed by the government security forces;
Guarantee the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms, including freedom of association throughout Sudan in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards;

The above recommendations should be sent in appeals to the following
addresses:

His Excellency Omar Hassan al-Bashir
President of the Republic of Sudan
President’s Palace
PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan
Fax: + 249 183 783223

His Excellency Salva Kiir Mayardit

First Vice-President
People's Palace

PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan
Fax: + 249 183 771025

His Excellency Ali Osman Mohamed Taha
Vice-President
People's Palace

PO Box 281, Khartoum, Sudan
Fax: + 249 183 771025

Mr. Lam Akol Ajawin

Minister of Foreign Affairs
PO Box 873, Khartoum, Sudan
Fax: + 249 183 779383

Mr. Al Zubeir Beshir Taha

Minister of Interior
PO Box 873, Khartoum, Sudan
Fax: + 249 183 779383

Dr. Abdelmuneim Osman Mohamed Taha
Advisory Council for Human Rights
PO Box 302
Khartoum, Sudan
Fax: + 249 183 770883

Permanent Representative:

His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Elhassan Ahmed Elhaj

Ambassador

Avenue Blanc 47

1202 Geneva

Tel: 022 731 26 63

Fax: 022 731 26 56

Email: [email protected]

SOAT is an international human rights organisation established in the UK in 1993. If you have any questions about this or any other SOAT information, please contact us:

Argo House
Kilburn Park Road
London NW6 5LF, UK
Tel: +44 (0)20 7625 8055
Fax: +44 (0)20 7372 2656
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.soatsudan.org

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