Mr. Nasser Amin, Director of the Arab Center for the Independence of the judiciary and the legal profession (ACIJLP), received on Saturday, 25 October 2008, a strong threat from a Sudanese group in Cairo calling its self (Middle East Mujahedeen in Cairo) through the Center’s e-mail.

The email included a threat to Mr. Amin’s life and his right to physical integrity, and it included also a threat to the researcher “Hammad Wadi Sannd”, who works at the Center and who have the Sudanese nationality.

Further more, the threatening e-mail claimed Mr. Amin to stop playing his role – and the Center’s role – towards Darfur crisis in addition to the role of the International Criminal Court on this crisis.

The Center fears that the Sudanese government might have a prior knowledge of these threats and their content, or at least that these threats didn’t have any reluctance from the Sudanese officials in security organs.

The Center sees that the motive behind this threat is to obstruct the role of the Center that supports the International Criminal Court on strengthening international criminal justice and the role of the court toward Darfur crisis.

 
While the Center Expresses its resentment and condemnation of such threats, it calls upon the Egyptian government to guarantee Mr. Nasser Amin’s right to life and physical integrity. The Center also puts the full responsibility on the Sudanese government and the Sudanese embassy in Cairo for any actions that might caused by Sudanese resident in Cairo.

For the second day, the suffering of civilians living in “Kalma” camp for internally homeless (in the east of “Nyala” city, South of “Darfur” region) is continued; given the continuing blockade on the camp by the Sudanese government forces. Through the Center’s follow-up of the situation in the camp, it has received reports of increasing rates of human suffering of children and women, where the Centre received information indicating the disappearance of nearly 70 children. Those children are likely being dead, given the deteriorating conditions inside the camp.  In addition, approximately 45 women subjected to abortion.

The information indicated that the camp is currently under the siege of 100 military vehicles “Land Cruiser” equipped with heavy weapons.

Worth mentioning, that the government forces attacked “Kalma” camp for internally forced displaced persons inside Darfur, which includes more than 170 thousand displaced persons, on August 25 2008. These attacks have resulted in the death of nearly 170 civilians and wounded hundreds of children and women, this attack also led to the burning and looting of civilian properties along with the destruction of the headquarters of one of the humanitarian organizations working in this camp, it is called “El Amal” Center for treatment and legal advice.

Today August 26^th 2008, the eye witnesses in the “Kalma” camp informed about the continuing siege of military vehicles and preventing reporters and news agencies from covering those events.

These attacks represent a serious violation of the international law in general and the international humanitarian law, especially Article III common of the four Geneva Conventions, in terms of requiring parties to armed conflicts to not to be subjected to  civilians.

The Centre  expresses its extreme concern over the aggravation of the humanitarian crisis of civilians in the camp especially women and children, and it calls on the international community and humanitarian relief organizations especially the “International Red Cross” to interfere immediately and urgently to reduce the growing humanitarian crisis inside the camp. Moreover, it demands the Sudanese government to commit with its international commitments and to allow relief organizations to play their role without hindrance.

The Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession (ACIJLP) expresses its extreme concern about the increase in civilians facing a new humanitarian crisis in Darfour, and without any real action by the international community.

ACIJLP received news about civilians being subjected to attacks by Sudanese government forces in the “Kalma” camp for forcibly displaced people in south Darfour on 25^th August 2008. More than 170,000 displaced people live in the camp.

These attacks resulted in the killing for nearly 170 civilians and hundreds of injuries to women and children. They also resulted in the civilians’ belongings being burnt and plundered. This is in addition to the destruction of the headquarters of a humanitarian organisation working in the camp, “El Amal” Center for Medical Treatment and Legal Consultation.

Eyewitnesses who were in the “Kalma” camp on 25^th August state that a number of military vehicles foot soldiers took part in the attacks. The camp remains under a military cordon: correspondents and news agencies have been prevented from covering these events.

These attacks are a serious violation of international law in general, and international humanitarian law in particular, especially Common Article 3 of the Four Geneva Conventions which obliges parties to an armed conflict to refrain from attacking civilians.

ACIJLP condemns the targeting of Sudanese civilians in Darfour, and calls on the Sudanese government to abide by the provisions of international humanitarian law on unarmed civilians and immediately stop the violations being committed in the “Kalma” camp.

ACIJLP also calls on the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to intervene in order to document the violations which occurred today and conduct an urgent criminal inquiry into the most recent violations in the “Kalma” camp for internally displaced people. 

The Egyptian Coalition for the International Criminal Court expresses its concern over what the International Criminal Court (ICC) is facing during the performance of its mission, particularly in matters concerning the handing over of Ahmed Haroun and Ali Kosheyb. The two men were involved in extremely serious crimes against humanity in Darfour.

Surrender of the two men to the ICC is the most serious obstacle hindering the Court performing its role. This prompted the ICC to propose the establishment of a body which would oblige States to cooperate with the ICC in the handing over of wanted individuals (particularly in Darfour, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic and Uganda) during a press conference it held in New York on 21^st November 2007. 

The Egyptian Coalition expresses its solidarity with the ICC’s demands, and urges the international community to cooperate with the Court in order to establish justice and the culture of escaping punishment.

The Egyptian Coalition also urges Member States of the ICC to sign the Protocol to the Rome Statute which establishes a permanent mechanism allowing the ICC to oblige States to hand over wanted individuals to international justice.

The Egyptian Coalition calls on the Sudanese government – given that Sudan is a sovereign country – to abide by international law and implement resolution 1593 issued by the Security Council in 2005 and cooperate with the ICC by arresting the wanted men and bringing them before the ICC. The Coalition believes that Ahmed Haroun’s remaining in his post and controlling civilians in camps reduces the chances of peace in Darfour. The Sudanese government must take advantage of the procedural guarantees of justice in articles 65, 66, 67, 75 and 76 of the ICC’s 1998 Rome founding Statute.

Current members of the Egyptian Coalition

Founded in 1999, the Egyptian Coalition currently has 26 members.

The Arab Center for the Independence of Judiciary and Legal Profession (ACIJLP), in cooperation with the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), is organizing a conference on “The Rule of Law and the Independence of Judiciary in Sudan”, scheduled to take place 19^th – 20^th March 2008, at Pyramiza Hotel (El Bavion Hall), Dokki.

Justice Michèle Rivet Québec Human Rights Tribunal and Mr. Param Kumara swami former UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers will participate as speakers in the conference. Furthermore, many Sudanese figures from the Ministry of Justice and the Sudanese judicial authority and Sudanese lawyers, in addition to many legal, diplomatic and media actors will participate in this conference.

The conference addresses many topics relevant to the rule of law and independence of the judiciary in Sudan, international standards of independence and impartiality of the judiciary, the role of prosecutors in support of the rule of law, the guarantees of a fair trial, the role of the judiciary in protecting human rights during the state of emergency and military and special courts.

The activities of the conference’s opining session will start at 09.00 a.m. on Sunday, 19^th March.  

The Arab Center for the Independence of the Judiciary and the Legal Profession (ACIJLP) is extremely concerned by the exposure of civilians in Darfour to the worst humanitarian crisis Sudan has ever experienced, and without effective action by the international community.

Through eyewitnesses ACIJLP has documented armed militia attacks on civilians in Abu Sorouj, Abu Salea and Sarba in the West Darfour province using horses, camels and ?? under air cover provided by the Sudanese air force on Friday 8^th and Saturday 9^th  February 2008. These attacks caused the death of nearly 209 civilians and resulted in the burning and looting of civilian property. The headquarters of Concern and the ICR organisation were burnt and hundreds of civilians fled to el-Jeneina (the capital city of the West Darfour province). Four thousand people have crossed the border into Chad.

Eyewitnesses said yesterday, 12^th February 2008 that there are a large number of disguised cars, which they believe are military vehicles, moving towards el-Jeneina. ACIJLP fears that these movements are preparations for further attacks ? civilians.

These attacks constitute a flagrant violation of international law in general and of international humanitarian law in particular, especially the four Geneva conventions which oblige the parties to armed conflict not to target civilians.

ACIJLP believes that the continuation of the siege of Abu Sorooj and the prevention of investigation teams from entering the area increases the seriousness of the suffering of civilians who require humanitarian aid.

ACIJLP condemns the targeting of Sudanese civilians and calls on all parties to the conflict in Darfour to abide by international humanitarian law which prohibits the targeting of civilians and ceasefire immediately.

ACIJLP also calls on the Security Council to assume its responsibility to preserve world peace and order and compel the parties to the conflict to put an end to repeated violations against civilians in the troubled Darfour region. It also calls on the United Nations and the African Union to speed up the spread of its international forces in the Darfour region in order to protect civilians, and to conduct an immediate international inquiry into the latest violations in the Abu Sorooj, Zabo Salea and Sarba regions.

ACIJLP also calls on the Chad to renounce its decision not to accept Sudanese refugees fleeing repeated attacks in their villages, and to abide by its international obligations, in particular under the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees approved by the United Nations General Assembly in 1951.

Names of some of those who died in the attacks

Abkar Yehya Adam, Aldoma Abdallah Yehya, Abdallah Ibrahim, Mohamed Beshir Jaboury, Abdallah Ibrahim, Kharif Yehya, Kheyran Yehya el-Doqo, Ali Jammaa Abyad, Zereqa Yehya el-Sheikh, Ismail Abkar Moussa, Abdel Rahman Abdallah Moussa, Ahmed Mohamed el-Nour, Adam Daktoor Idriss, Bekheit Abdel Nabi Idriss, Adam Ishaq Mohamed, Yehya Ali Azo, Abdallah Nasr Omar, Adam Ishaq Ali, Ibrahim Lameddin, Omar Tojary Qord, Abdel Rassoul Daynaq, Ismail Moussa, Adam Abdallah Matar, Zeriqa Daoud, Mohamed Abdel Hamid Bahr, Fadl Ibrahim, Jendeela Abdallah.