UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk expressed alarm Saturday over the tense situation in Sudan, urging all parties to redouble efforts to restore a civilian-led government.
On Thursday, pro-democracy activists shouted down soldiers and paramilitaries who plunged the country into a new political impasse, on the occasion of the anniversary of two revolts that overthrew putschists in this country almost always held by generals.
Call to protest
The signing of the crisis exit agreement supposed to relaunch the democratic transition after the putsch of 2021, which was to take place on Thursday, was again postponed, the civil opposition then calling for demonstrations.
“The country is at a decisive moment. Much work has been accomplished and many positive steps have been taken towards the signing of a final agreement. All efforts must now be made to put the political transition back on track,” Volker Türk said in a statement.
One of the poorest countries in the world
Already postponed last week, the signing of the framework agreement providing for a return to power sharing between civilians and soldiers, a sine qua non for the resumption of international aid to the country, one of the poorest in the world, did not take place as planned on Thursday.
It is no longer the conflict between civilians and soldiers that keeps Sudan deadlocked but the rivalry between the country’s de facto leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane, head of the army and author of the coup. State of October 25, 2021, and his second, General Mohamed Hamdane Daglo, known as “Hemedti”, at the head of the ex-militiamen of the Darfur war now grouped together in the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
“Use of unnecessary and disproportionate force”
Volker Turk urged all parties to work together to avoid further delays in signing an agreement, and called on non-signatories to join the process.
“I urge the authorities to ensure that the rights of the population to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly are fully respected and that the security forces receive clear instructions to respond to demonstrations in accordance with laws and regulations. human rights standards,” he said.
“We must not see a repeat of the use of unnecessary and disproportionate force,” he added.