Life without a future for Sudan’s internally displaced people?, Refugees' Human Rights, Amnesty International Australia

Life without a future for Sudan’s internally displaced people?

elke 8 February 2008, 09:27AM

On 22 January 2008, Amnesty International published a report, Sudan. Displaced in Darfur. A generation of anger, outlining the insecurity and danger internally displaced people (IDPs) in Darfur are living in and the potential consequences and remedies of this situation. Tawanda Hondora, Deputy Director of Amnesty International’s Africa Programme, pointed out that the IDPs have been left largely unprotected in Darfur’s refugee camps that are flooded with weapons. The African Union was supposed to protect them but was chased away by the Arab militias Janjawid and other armed opposition groups. “The security situation in and outside of the camps continues to deteriorate,” said Hondora,” and “the welfare of displaced people continues to be ignored while armed groups and the government bicker and impede the complete deployment of UNAMID forces”.

Background

There has been an ongoing conflict in Darfur since 2003 when the Sudan Liberation Army (SLA) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) started an uprising against the Sudanese government whom they accused of marginalising and oppressing Darfuris. The government struck back, supported by the Janjawid militias who are to blame for serious human rights violations against the civil population. Different peace agreements made since April 2004 have been repeatedly broken and the conflict between the government and the rebel groups has worsened in 2007.

The hostilities took their human toll: An estimated number of 90,000 people haven been killed since 2003, about 200,000 are believed to have died from conflict-related causes and more than 2.3 million are internally displaced. Most of those who had to flee their homes are now dwelling in the more than 65 camps IDP camps in the outskirts of Darfur. The rest are living in makeshift housing in towns in Western Sudan or have taken shelter in the houses of relatives. Others escaped to towns elsewhere in Sudan or to Chad, where 240,000 Darfuris are staying in 12 refugees camps in the east of the country. The number of displaced persons increased by 30,000 last year following the attacks on Muhageria in South Darfur, and Bir Dagig and Umm Dukhum in West Darfur. Many of those fleeing the attacks have been forcibly displaced several times.

The plight of Darfuris

The Amnesty International report describes how the deteriorating security situation in Darfur is , especially for the vast number of IDPs. The Sudanese government continues to carry out aerial and ground attacks regardless of the consequences for civilians, as different armed groups join in the atrocities. The African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS), a force sent by the African Union in order to protect civilians has proved unable to defend the local population. The Sudanese Armed Forces and police, who are also supposed to protect civilians, are distrusted due to the arbitrary arrests of IDPs wrongly suspected of being members of armed opposition groups.

Lack of basic necessities and security

The situation inside the overcrowded camps is disastrous. People live in poor conditions lacking adequate food, water, sanitation, education and health care. Most of the camps are in areas controlled by armed groups and humanitarian organisations are often not able to reach them as the rebels refuse them access. Security has been deteriorating for everyone as the camps are flooded with weapons and people willing to fight, especially among the youth. There is “a generation of young people sitting in the camps, doing nothing, frustrated and angry by their situation”. They have suffered the most from the hostilities and have been deprived not only of their homes but also of fundamental human rights including their economic, social and cultural rights. In an atmosphere where weapons are cheap and political disagreements often lead to shooting incidents. But the IDPs are not willing to give up the arms as long as they do not feel secure in the camps. The government has not only failed to “preserve the civilian and humanitarian nature of IDP camps”, but is also feared by the IDPs since the government security forces started raids searching for arms. Furthermore, many IPD camps have experienced internal tensions along political or/and ethnic lines (some camps have members of 29 different ethnic groups). In the second largest camp, Kalma, there is a deep cleavage between the Fur and the Zaghawa ethnicity following the refusal of Abdel Wahed Mohamed Nur, a Fur, to sign the Darfur Peace Agreement which was signed by Minni Minawi, a Zaghawa. The different ethnic groups have formed vigilante groups bearing arms.

Women at risk

Displaced women have especially suffered from the conflict. An unknown but huge number of women were raped while fleeing attacks. Janjawid militias used rape as a systematic strategy to humiliate and punish their enemies during the forced displacements after 2003. Women who leave the camps in search of firewood, food and water are being attacked and raped. “Women are still going out to collect firewood which is a danger to them as they may be raped. But we men are still letting them go out because the men who collect firewood may be killed”, commented Mahmud, an internally displaced person in al-Jeneina camp, on the dilemma IDPs are in.

Children

The more than a million displaced children are in an especially precarious situation. Only 28 per cent of primary age children go to school and there is no further education. Before the crisis young people had access to farming and other work, but now they do not, they just “sit in the camps doing nothing”. Displaced girls may be able to find work but they are underpaid and highly vulnerable to abuse. In a situation “where there appears to be no hope for the present”, angry and frustrated youth joined armed groups or have formed their own vigilante groups. The number of children, who have been recruited into armed groups, like the Janjawid and other paramilitary groups, is unknown.

Forced return

The displaced have been called on to return to their villages by local administrators in Darfur, but they have refused as they do not feel safe. A Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Sudanese government with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) that guaranteed the displaced a voluntary return “under conditions of security and that IOM would have full access to internally displaced persons”, has been repeatedly breached. Those, who returned home, face difficulties and keep on living in insecurity. A small number of IDPs went back to their home villages and were attacked by armed groups on their arrival. They had to flee again.

Amnesty International’s recommendations

Amnesty International severely criticises the Sudanese government’s unwillingness to protect civilians in Darfur, and calls on it to attend to its legal and moral duties towards its people including the disarming of the Janjawid militas and providing for strong command control of all governmental paramilitary forces. Amnesty International also request the UN forces in Darfur to grant the protection of the IDPs by stationing units of the UN protection force near each camp, and by constant patrolling. The armed opposition groups should stop attacking civilians and stop bringing arms into IDP camps. And last but not least, it is the international community’s responsibility to ensure that UNAMID has sufficient resources and personnel to protect civilians effectively.

About the Author

This blog entry was created by elke and does not necessarily represent the position or opinion of Amnesty International Australia.

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