The violation of fair trial rights: Analysing summary executions of the alleged RSF collaborators by the Sudanese Armed Forces
Posted: 21 February, 2025 Filed under: Razan E H Ali | Tags: armed conflicts, bridge throwing, cruel treatment, diplomatic tensions, extrajudicial killings, Geneva Conventions, human rights violations, humanitarian assistance, humiliating treatment, international human rights law, International Humanitarian Law, maiming, retaliatory violence, Sudan, Sudanese Armed Forces, Sudanese domestic law, Sudanese refugees, summary executions, throat slitting, Wad Madani 1 Comment
Author: Razan Ali
Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria
The recapture of Wad Madani, the capital city of Al Jazeera state, by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in January 2025 after 11 months of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) control initially sparked celebrations among Sudanese people both domestically and in the diaspora.[1] However, these celebrations were quickly overshadowed by the widespread circulation of videos documenting SAF members conducting summary executions of civilians through methods including throat slitting, bridge throwing, and shooting.[2]
These human rights violations extended beyond Sudanese nationals to include South Sudanese citizens, triggering diplomatic tensions and retaliatory violence against Sudanese refugees in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.[3] Some supporters attempted to justify these killings by claiming the victims were RSF collaborators, despite the fact that the civilian population had been under siege for over a year, making interaction with RSF forces virtually unavoidable for survival.[4]
This article examines the legality of these extrajudicial killings through the lens of three legal frameworks: international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and Sudanese domestic law.
Unconditional Amnesty for Boko Haram Violates African Human Rights Law
Posted: 12 July, 2024 Filed under: Oluwatosin Senami Adegun, Yeabsira Teferi | Tags: African Human Rights Law, Amnesty International Report of 2015, ‘de-radicalisation, Boko Haram, child soldiers, disproportionate attacks, forced marriage, International Humanitarian Law, Nigeria, Politically Motivated Crimes, rape, rehabilitation and reintegration’ programme, sexual slavery, sexual violence, terrorist group, unconditional amnesty, violations of human rights Leave a comment
Author: Oluwatosin Senami Adegun
Master’s student, LLM Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa, Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria.
Boko Haram has attacked the north-east of Nigeria for 15 years killing over 350 000 persons, abducted about 276 Chibok girls, perpetuated rape, sexual slavery and other forms of sexual violence, forced marriage, recruitment of child soldiers and disproportionate attacks on civilians which constitute violations of human rights and international humanitarian law as affirmed by the Amnesty International Report of 2015.
Despite these gross violations and the victims’ yearning for justice, the Federal Government of Nigeria (Nigeria) granted unconditional amnesty to some members of the terrorist group through its ‘de-radicalisation, rehabilitation and reintegration’ programme without due consideration given to victims whose views and concerns were never considered.
Sexual and gender-violence against women in the Sudanese conflict
Posted: 22 April, 2024 Filed under: Joris Joël Fomba Tala | Tags: conflict, gender-based violence, human rights, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, International Humanitarian Law, rape, Rapid Support Forces, refugee women, reproductive health, Sexual and gender-violence, sexual violence, socio-economic development, Sudan, Sudanese conflict, torture, United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel and Degrading Treatment or Punishment, women’s rights Leave a comment
Author: Joris Joël Fomba Tala
Researcher, Centre for International and Community Law
Introduction
The conflict that broke out in Sudan (Republic of Sudan) on 15 April 2023 between two rival military factions has had disastrous consequences for women. Dubbed the “war of the generals”, the conflict pits Sudan’s armed forces against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). In its 2024 report, UNFPA said it was very concerned about the escalation of cases of gender-based violence in the Sudanese conflict. This particularly alarming against the background of an already dire situation of women’s rights in Sudan before the outbreak of hostilities, as the Special Rapporteur on violence against women reported about Sudan in 2016. Almost a year after, the fighting continues in the main cities of Sudan, but the fact remains that Sudan still has no functioning government. UN Women says it is “shocked and condemns reports of increasing gender-based violence in Sudan, including conflict-related sexual violence against women and displaced and refugee women”. In the same vein, UN Women Africa expressed its deep concern about the serious consequences of the Sudanese conflict on women and girls and called for immediate action against the violence they face. However, in a context of armed confrontation, it is undeniable that both parties do not respect international legal standards and commit serious violations against women and girls. This article discusses the application of the relevant legal rules for the protection of women applicable to the Sudanese conflict. The first section will identify these rules. The article will then analyse the various forms of sexual and gender-based violence prevailing against women and finally make proposals for better protection of women in the Sudanese conflict.
Cameroon at cross roads
Posted: 3 June, 2020 Filed under: Dunia Mekonnen Tegegn | Tags: Ambazonia Defense Forces, Ambazonia Governing Council, armed conflict, Cameroon, Central Africa, conflict, coronavirus, COVID-19, displaced, fleeing their home, French government, health systems, Humanitarian Access, International Humanitarian Law, violence 1 Comment
Author: Dunia Tegegn
Human rights lawyer, Ethiopia
The war in Cameroon
The conflict in Cameroon is complex. It involves different actors including the separatists Ambazonia Governing Council, which leads the Ambazonia Defense Forces. The conflict also involves Southern Cameroons Defense Force, Boko Haram and government forces. For many years, Cameroon has been considered a refuge for Boko Haram, where the organisation was tolerated by the Cameroon authorities in the sense of an unspoken mutual non-aggression pact. Since 2013, however, the organisation has extended its attacks to Cameroon itself.
Again and again, the inequality between the Anglophone and the Francophone parts of Cameroon have been the trigger for burgeoning conflicts within society. Other triggers and exacerbators of conflict are corruption and state failure, especially with regard to the education and health systems. Already after the reunification, the Anglophone part began to strive for autonomy, which has intensified since 1990. As a result, the Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC) was founded in 1995, advocating the separation of the English-speaking part from Cameroon and the establishment of an independent “Republic of Ambazonia”. There were also demonstrations in the Francophone part of Cameroon against a possible secession.
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