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RESOLUTION 1325
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Violence
Against Women in Sudan
Society for Threatened Peoples, Written Statement,
58th Session of the Commission of Human Rights, Item no. 12a of the
Agenda, Geneva, March 2002
Society for Threatened Peoples expresses its deep concern at the impact
of the ongoing armed conflict in Sudan on the situation of human rights
and its adverse effects on the civilian population, in particular
women and children. In the oilfields of Sudan thousands of women have
been killed or displaced, their villages burned to the ground. The
Government of Sudan seems to regard the civilian population not as
citizens but as a security risk and potential supporters of armed
resistance movements. By committing massive human rights violations
the Government of Sudan ensures a safe way for oil companies to exploit
the natural resources of the country.
The Government of Sudan has increased its support for pro-government
militias and its direct military activities near the oilfields in
the province of Western Upper Nile to ensure its control of roads,
airstrips, villages and facilities of the oil industry. The growing
importance of oil in the war economy has provoked attacks on oil installations
by anti-government forces and further military activity on all sides.
Pro-government and anti-government forces in conflict with one another
have burned and looted villages in all areas of Western Upper Nile.
Oil companies are directly or indirectly assisting the Sudanese Army
by allowing the use of vehicles, roads, airstrips and other facilities
for military purposes.
Defecting soldiers of the Sudanese Army testified that they had been
ordered to participate in attacks on non-government controlled settlements.
These helicopter attacks were part of a government strategy to force
the inhabitants out of the area. The soldiers reported that they had
been instructed to kill civilians and any persons believed to be not
loyal to the authorities in order to ensure the oil production. Thousands
of Southern Sudanese women have been forced to leave their homes and
became dependent on international humanitarian aid. The forced displacement
has been severely disruptive to the economy of Western Upper Nile.
The destruction of their homes, the looting of livestock and loss
of grain reserves make survival in the conflict-affected areas extremely
difficult for the agro-pastoral Southern Sudanese population.
The armed conflict has greatly affected the lives of women and completely
changed their role in the family and the community. The breakdown
and disintegration of family and community networks has forced women
to assume new roles. A large number of female-headed households has
been created where the men have been displaced, detained, have disappeared
or are dead. Women invariably have to bear greater responsibility
for their children and their elderly relatives when the men in the
family have gone.
The absence of the men heightens the insecurity and danger for the
women and accelerates the breakdown of the traditional protection
and support mechanisms upon which the women have previously relied.
Many women are fleeing due to increased insecurity. Women became heads
of households and breadwinners, taking over the responsibility for
earning a livelihood, caring for animals and being active outside
the home. Women have to fight more to get jobs and enough money which
leads to a growing migration towards the cities where women are trying
to do business in the markets. Women whose husbands have disappeared
experience many of the same problems as widows, but without official
recognition of their status. Furthermore they are suffering from the
psychological effects and insecurity because the fate of their husbands
is unknown.
We are calling on the United Nations Commission on Human Rights to
condemn the human rights violations in the oil-region of Sudan and
urge the Government of Sudan to immediately open the area to humanitarian
and human rights organisations. The Sudanese authorities should be
urged to suspend their oil production until a just and lasting peace
has been agreed in Sudan and until the victims of forced displacements
have safely returned to their places of origin. All conflict parties
should be urged to respect and protect human rights, international
humanitarian law and fundamental freedoms.
We are extremely worried about the ongoing bombardment of schools,
markets, emergency-feeding centers, churches and airstrips by the
Sudanese Air force in conflict areas in Sudan. The deliberate bombardment
of civilian targets has been deeply deteriorating the situation of
women in Sudan and violates basic human rights and principles and
international conventions to protect the civilian population during
war.
We are appealing to the honorable Commission once again to call upon
the Government of Sudan to finally sign and ratify the Convention
on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.
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