Families of Sudan’s 2013 September victims call for support

26/09/2016 13:14 KHARTOUM

The relatives of demonstrators killed during the anti-austerity protests in September 2013 strongly denounce the government’s rejection of an independent investigation into the incidents by a neutral commission.
At the occasion of the third anniversary of the killings, the relatives issued a statement in which they strongly condemn the Sudanese authorities’ rejection of the neutral investigation committee they proposed.

The relatives of demonstrators killed during the anti-austerity protests in September 2013 strongly denounce the government's rejection of an independent investigation into the incidents by a neutral commission.

At the occasion of the third anniversary of the killings, the relatives issued a statement in which they strongly condemn the Sudanese authorities’ rejection of the neutral investigation committee they proposed.

They urge national and international human rights organisations to support them in their demands for a fair and transparent investigation into the 2013 September incidents.

The families further call on the regional and international community and the UN to abstain from supporting “offenders who killed our children in cold blood just to stay in power”.

Silence

On Thursday, the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies (ACJPS), Amnesty International (AI), and Human Rights Watch (HRW) released a report on the continuing silence of the Sudanese authorities.

The three human rights organisations state that 185 protesters and other civilians were killed during the protests, “most of them shot in the head or chest [..]. Hundreds were injured and more than 800 others arrested, some held for weeks”.

In September 2014, the UN independent expert on Sudan stated that the information provided by the government “does not provide evidence of a thorough and independent investigation”.

“The UN Human Rights Council, currently holding a session on Sudan, should press Sudan to hold those responsible to account for the appalling bloodshed on the streets of Khartoum and other towns, and provide meaningful justice to victims of killings, assaults and other abuses,” the statement read.