Call for the Release of Ibrahim al Shaikh and Others

PRESS RELEASE


The Pan-African International Advocacy Group (PAIAG), being supported driven and motivated by the inviolability of fundamental human rights is calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Ibrahim al Shaikh, the Chairman of the Sudan Congress Party (SCP) and some of his party members.

Whilst the so-called International Community looks on in silence and the African Union, in apparent condonation, the human rights situation continues to deteriorate in the Sudan. In total defiance of all principles and values of a democratic society, the Sudan Government has violated its own constitution! It then proceeds with the criminalization of those who dare speak up against it. This act is unconstitutional and therefore blatantly illegal.

By creating a pseudo-military force called the Rapid Support Forces (RSFs), an affiliate of the security organ, Khartoum acted in contravention of Article 151, Clause 3 of its own Interim Constitution of 2005, which states that:

“The National Security Service shall be professional and its mandate shall focus on information gathering, analysis and advice to the appropriate authorities”.

Far from being a professional security service with a clear constitutional mandate, the RSFs are nothing but a tool of oppression and suppression of the people.

Responsibility for defence of the country should be shouldered by the national army, only. The mission of the armed forces is stated in the Interim Constitution of 2005, Article 144, Clauses (2) and (3) which read as follows:

“(2) The mission of the Sudan National Armed Forces is to defend the sovereignty and secure the territorial integrity of the country and participate in its reconstruction and assist in addressing national disasters in accordance with this Constitution. The law shall stipulate the conditions in which the civil authority may resort to the engagement of the armed forces in missions of non-military nature.

(3) The Sudan National Armed Forces and the Joint/Integrated Units shall defend the constitutional order, respect the rule of law, the civilian government, democracy, basic human rights and the will of the people; they shall undertake the responsibility of the defence of the country against external and internal threats in their respective areas of deployment and shall be involved in addressing constitutionally specified emergencies".

This clearly shows that no other force, regular or irregular should undermine the national role of the army in defending the country or executing any other duties which are constitutionally mandated to the army.

The RSFs have a bad record with regard to human rights violations in Darfur, South and North Kordofan. They face allegations of having committed wide ranges of crimes against humanity in these areas and some other parts of the country, over the last few years. It was alleged that the RSFs were employed in suppressing the uprising of September 2013, in Khartoum, a matter that culminated in over 200 casualties.

Ironically, the arrest of Ibrahim al Shaikh, along with some of his party members, on Sunday the 8th of June 2014, comes at a time when the Sudanese government is calling for convening national dialogue. The case of Ibrahim al Shaikh is a true test of how serious and genuine the government is in its call for national dialogue. In keeping with the spirit of national dialogue, on Friday, June 6, 2014, Ibrahim al Shaikh, the Chairman of the Sudanese Congress Party (SCP), in an open public speech organized by the party in al Nuhud, West Kordofan, criticized the militia nature and questionable way of formation of the RSFs.

The issues that al Shaikh addressed himself to are directly related to the safety of civilians and the public, and should be given voice to, by either conscience writers or journalists and in particular by the leaders of political parties. According to the constitution, it is those very leaders of political parties who will contest for the national leadership through the upcoming