October 2004

Views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of the AFSC.

Distress, Denial, and Disappointment in Darfur

An Amnesty International delegation, headed by its Secretary General Irene Khan, visited Darfur from September 14-21, 2004 to gather information, assess the human rights aspects of the crisis and press the government of Sudan to take action. For more information and suggestions for action, visit www.amnesty.org.

The picture in Darfur is one of distress, denial and disappointment. Distress of people whose lives and livelihood have been destroyed, denial of responsibility by the Sudanese government and disappointment at the slow progress to resolve this crisis, concluded Amnesty International, the first international non-governmental human rights organization to visit Sudan and meet with senior members of the Sudanese government, since the Darfur crisis began.

In a marked departure from past practice, the mission delegates were given free and full access to Darfur. The delegation saw several sites where villages had been burnt to the ground, or abandoned and which were now almost overgrown with vegetation. They saw camels, goats and cattle being grazed by nomads on land where previously villages of farming tribes had been situated.

"While we found engagement and admission of violations of human rights and international humanitarian law by some members of the government there was total denial by others. Such denial is insulting to the victims," said Irene Khan, Secretary General of Amnesty International.

"The displacement of people continues -- people are still being uprooted from their homes by fighting as well as by deliberate attacks on civilians," stated Bill Schulz, AI USA Executive Director and a member of the delegation, as he described the recent arrival of 3,000 people to Kalma camp.

The delegates visited displaced people from nomadic tribes now in Musai camp near Nyala, where they heard "mirror image" accounts of killings and rapes said to have been committed by the insurgents.

Amnesty International acknowledged the government's efforts to increase the number of police in Darfur by redeployment from other parts of Sudan. However, often they are not properly equipped. Furthermore, the delegation heard from displaced persons that police did not investigate their complaints and that some of Janjawid had been absorbed apparently into the police and government militia.

"Because of rampant insecurity and the failure to address past abuses, those who have suffered say they do not trust the government. They say they don't feel safe in the camps, they say they are filled with fear outside. Every person we spoke to in the camps was adamant that they do not feel safe enough to return to their villages," said Samkelo Mokhine, Chair of AI South Africa.

"In this situation the only solution is a massive increase in monitors. An international presence in every district is what is needed now to build the confidence of the people and improve security."

Amnesty International welcomes the proposed increase of AU monitors. "But it is not just an issue of numbers but also of ensuring that the mandate and capacity of the AU monitors are strengthened to enable them to meet the expectations. The UN human rights observers must also be dramatically increased and properly resourced to carry out their responsibilities."

"Restoring security is essential to enable people to return home voluntarily and in safety and dignity. The significance of establishing these conditions cannot be too heavily underscored. Otherwise there is a risk that ethnic cleansing might lead to ethnic re-engineering," cautioned Ms Khan, pointing out that prolonged displacement could upset the demographic balance in the region.

The delegation found that the "safe areas" designated by the government do not provide real safety to those living there, imply that those living elsewhere can be attacked with impunity, and is a disincentive for restoring security.

"The UN must persuade the Government of Sudan to abandon this concept and instead put its weight behind the already agreed Plan of Action to enhance safety throughout Darfur by stopping violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, respecting the ceasefire, disarming and disbanding the militia, and ending impunity."

Amnesty International welcomes the request by the UN Security Council for the rapid establishment of an independent International Commission of Inquiry, which has been one of Amnesty International's key recommendations for some months, to investigate war crimes and crimes against humanity and establish whether genocide has taken place.

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