English version:
On January 29th, the Sudanese Police and Security Forces brutally clamped down on a peaceful demonstration called for by the supporters of the Bija Congress in the eastern city of Portsudan. 25 civilians were reported dead, over forty injured, among them children. Some of the injuries are life threatening, and over 150 detained so far.
In the Western Region of Darfur, the Government of Sudan continued its breach of the ceasefire agreement signed with the Darfur rebels in April last year. On 28th. - 29th. of January 2005, a regular army aided by Janjaweed militia on four-wheel drive vehicles with mounted machine-guns attacked villages around Joughan Zurga, while helicopter gun-ships and fighter planes attacked the area of Shangeltoubai. The attacks resulted in over a hundred civilians’ dead, and hundreds more injured and caused displacement to over 9000 citizens
The U.S. based Sudanese opposition parties, human rights, and civil society organizations call on the International Community for immediate intervention and to pressure the Government of Sudan to work on comprehensive peace and stability in the country by yielding to the following demands:
1- End the State of Emergency.
2- Support and expand the deployment of the Africa Union forces, and agree to change its mandate to include civilian protection.
3- Allow uninterrupted exercise of the right to peaceful assembly, demonstration and observe the basic tenets of human rights.
4- Conduct an immediate investigation Portsudan’s massacre, by a neutral legally-competent judicial authority comprised of Sudanese lawyers and human rights organizations.
5- The findings of the investigation should be made available to the public, and the perpetrators should stand trial.
Signed by representative of Sudanese political and civic organizations in the USA;
1- Darfur Peace and Development Organization.
2- Sudanese National Rally of Philadelphia.
3- The Group Against Torture in Sudan (GATS).
4- Sudanese Human Rights Organization.
5- Nuba Mountains International Association.
6- Darfur Union – Washington.
7- Bija Congress.
8- Umma Party.
9- Democratic Alliance.
10- Sudan National Alliance
11- Independent Congress.
12- Sudan Federal Democratic Party
Contacts: Mr. Omar Hummad Gimi,
Mr. Hatim Abusin, [email protected]