U.S. Statement as delivered by Jason Mack
Human Rights Council 36th Session
Geneva, September 27, 2017
Thank you, Mr. Vice President.
We welcome Independent Expert Nononsi’s report. We agree that, despite some positive developments, many human rights issues in the Sudan remain largely unaddressed.
We welcome the Government of Sudan’s declarations of the COH in Darfur and the Two Areas, and the resulting human rights improvement in those regions. We urge all sides to extend their unilateral cessation of hostilities and enter seriously into negotiations for a monitored COH agreement in order to achieve a lasting peace and improvement in the human rights situation.
Despite progress in conflict zones, we remain gravely concerned by the overall human rights situation. The government continues to undermine civil and political rights and fundamental freedoms, including freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, association, religion, and movement. We are also concerned by reports of arbitrary or unlawful killings, torture, rape and widespread impunity for human rights abuses, particularly by armed groups operating in Darfur and the Two Areas.
We condemn the government’s suppression of human rights defenders, members of political opposition, civil society groups, religious minorities and other marginalized groups, and the media, including through arbitrary detention, excessive use of force, demolition of places of worship without due process, arrests of students – particularly of Darfuri descent – and the closings and confiscations of newspapers.
We welcome the pardon of human rights champion Mudawi Ibrahim Adam, and the release on bail of eight other detainees. We urge the government to release all others arbitrarily detained without delay and to honor its constitutional guarantees of freedoms of expression, association and peaceful assembly.
In partnership with the international community, we continue to urge the government to hold all parties, including security force members, accountable for unlawful killings, torture, rape, and other abuses.
Mr. Nononsi, can you share recommendations on how to prevent violations of civil and political rights and fundamental freedoms?
Thank you.