Joint Assembly of the Convention concluded between the African, Caribbean and Pacific States and the European Union (ACP-EU) - Resolutions adopted on Sudan (ACP- EU/2141/97/fin.)

The ACP-EU Joint Assembly,

- meeting in Brussels from 17 to 20 March 1997,

- recalling its previous resolution on human rights violations in Sudan,

A. noting that there has been a serious escalation in the civil war in Sudan, and deeply concerned that this turn of events is causing humanitarian tragedies in the communities in southern Sudan, the Nuba Mountains, the southern Blue Nile, Northern Bahr el Ghazal and in Eastern Sudan and, more generally, that it is causing mounting regional tension and instability throughout the Horn of Africa,

B. concerned that access to the affected communities in the war zones of Nuba Mountains, Upper Nile, Bahr el Ghazal and Blue Nile which are in desperate need of a regular flow of humanitarian relief is often obstructed by the Sudanese authorities,

C. deeply concerned that the humanitarian crisis is likely to deepen in the coming months and aware of the UN appeal for US$ 120 million for emergency humanitarian assistance to meet the needs of the estimated 4,2 million war-effected and displaced in Sudan, many of them struggling to cope with chronic malnutrition and the alarming increase of infectious diseases,

D. deeply concerned by indiscriminate aerial attacks against civilian targets by the forces of the NIF regime in Khartoum,

E. concerned that escalation of fighting will lead to a further deterioration of the already grave human rights situation in Sudan, and by alarming reports indicating widespread arrests of Government opponents by Sudan's security apparatus under arbitrary and illegal security laws and torture in reopened secret unacknowledged detention facilities commonly known as 'ghosts' houses`,

F. reiterating its belief that the IGAD peace initiative is currently the only avenue available to achieve a just and peaceful resolution of this conflict, based upon essential principles of the right of self determination and the separation of state and religion, and that this process has been systematically obstructed by the NIF regime in Khartoum,

G. aware that the IMF is about to expel Sudan from the Fund as the country is failing to reform its economy and to repay sufficient instalments on its US$ 1,7 billion arrears,

H. aware that the NIF regime in Khartoum is engaged in a frantic exercise to externalize the causes of the civil war between the forces of the Sudanese National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and those of the moribund dictatorship of the NIF regime in an effort to deceive international opinion,

I. pointing out that the Islamist regime in power since the 1989 coup has banned political parties, trade unions and political meetings;

J. also pointing out that the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva has repeatedly condemned the Sudanese regime over the last four years,

K. concerned by the report of the Special Rapporteur of the UN Human Rights Commission regarding the situation of human rights in Sudan, especially with regard to refugee camps, disappearances of citizens in armed conflict areas and the ensuing human suffering,

1. Deplores violations of the sovereignty and integrity of countries in the Horn of Africa by the Government of Sudan and the disturbance to security in the Horn of Africa which this causes;

2. Insists that all warring factions agree to a cease-fire and stop all atrocities before they proceed to the negotiating table as recommended by the international community;

3. Condemns the obstruction of humanitarian assistance to the people of Nuba Mountains and other areas by the Government of Sudan and requests the United Nations to challenge the Government of Sudan to ensure immediate and free access for humanitarian organizations and Operation Lifeline Sudan;

4. Condemns the NIF regime's unfounded and vicious accusations against its neighbours for what is purely an internal war between it and the NDA;

5. Urges the EU and its member states to respond to the appeals of the UN DHA for US$ 120 million for emergency humanitarian assistance to Sudan;

6. Urges the immediate release of all political prisoners unless they are to be charged with a criminal offence and brought to a fair trial without delay;

7. Condemns the forced recruitment of youngsters by parties to the conflict, and the bombing and raiding of civilian objects by the Sudanese Government;

8. Calls upon the Sudanese Government and the other parties to the conflict to respect international humanitarian law and human rights, to end the practice of forced recruitment, attacks of non-combatants and civilians targets and any other indiscriminate attacks;

9. Condemns the Sudanese Government in the strongest terms for its failure to comply with the requests of the Central Organ of the OAU Mechanism for Conflict Resolution, and with resolutions 1044, 1054 and 1070 of the UN Security Council urging the Sudanese Government to extradite to Ethiopia the three men allegedly involved in the 26 June 1995 attempt to assassinate Egyptian President Mubarak;

10. Urges the Sudanese Government to cooperate fully with the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, the UN Working Group on Contemporary Forms of Slavery and the UN Human Rights' special rapporteur on Sudan in their investigations of reported violations of human rights;

11. Calls upon the EU to assist the UN financially to ensure the speedy and effective implementation of resolution 1995/77 passed by the United Nations Human Rights Commission on March 8, 1995, calling for the deployment of human rights monitors in such locations as would facilitate improved information flow and assessment and would help the independent verification of reports on the situation of human rights in the Sudan;

12. Urges the IMF to regard significant cuts in the defence and security budgets of the Government of Sudan as a pre-condition for the successful implementation of IMF prescribed economic reform and requests the IMF and the African Development Bank to refrain from granting any facilities for as long as the Government of Sudan fails to comply with the requests of the OAU and the UN Security Council and fails to prevent gross human rights violations;

13. Calls upon the IGAD to stick to its Declaration of Principles as an agenda and basis for future political negotiations; despite the bleak prospects of a negotiated just and lasting peace;

14. Urges the IGAD countries to identify opportunities to involve representatives of Sudan's civil society, most notably those involved in peace making and reconciliation initiatives on community levels, in future peace initiatives;

15. Supports the implementation of UN resolution 1070 imposing a ban on all aircraft, either registered in Sudan or owned, leased, or operated by or on behalf of Sudan Airways from taking off from, landing in or overflying other national territories, and a closure of the offices of Sudan Airways abroad;

16. Calls on the international community to maintain sanctions against the Government of Sudan and on the EU not to resume development cooperation until the Government of Sudan refrains from human rights violations and denial of humanitarian relief to sectors of its own people;

17. Instructs its Co-Presidents to forward this resolution to the ACP-EU Council, to the Commission, the OAU, the UN, the UNDP, the IMF, the ADB and the Government of Sudan.