The situation in the Sudan : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly

The General Assembly,

Guided by the principles embodied in the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenants on Human Rights, and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination,

Reaffirming that all Member States have an obligation to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms and to comply with the obligations laid down in the various instruments in this field,

Taking note of resolution AHG/Res.213 (XXVIII) on the strengthening of cooperation and coordination among African States, adopted by the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the Organization of African Unity at its twenty-eighth ordinary session, held at Dakar from 29 June to 1 July 1992, and recalling declaration AHG/Decl.1 (XXVI) adopted at the twenty-sixth ordinary session, held at Addis Ababa from 9 to 11 July 1990,

Noting with deep concern reports of grave human rights violations in the Sudan, particularly summary executions, detentions without trial, forced displacement of persons and torture, described in part in the reports submitted to the Commission on Human Rights at its forty-eighth session by the Special Rapporteurs on the question of torture and on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions,

Noting the announcement by the Government of the Sudan of its intention to constitute an independent judicial inquiry commission to investigate the killings of Sudanese nationals employed by foreign government relief organizations,

Deeply concerned that access by the civilian population to humanitarian assistance is being impeded, which poses a threat to human life and an offence to human dignity,

Alarmed by the large number of internally displaced persons and victims of discrimination in the Sudan, including members of minorities who have been forcibly displaced in violation of their human rights and who are in need of relief assistance and of protection,

Alarmed also by the mass exodus of refugees into neighbouring countries, and conscious of the burden that this places on those countries, but expressing its appreciation for the continuing efforts to assist them, thereby easing the burden on host countries,

Emphasizing that it is essential to put an end to the serious deterioration of the human rights situation in the Sudan,

Welcoming the efforts of the United Nations and other humanitarian organizations to provide humanitarian relief to those Sudanese in need,

1.         Expresses its deep concern at the serious human rights violations in the Sudan, including summary executions, detentions without due process, forced displacement of persons and torture;

2.         Urges the Government of the Sudan to respect fully human rights, and calls upon all parties to cooperate in order to ensure such respect;

3.         Calls upon the Government of the Sudan to comply with applicable international human rights instruments, in particular the International Covenants on Human Rights and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, to which the Sudan is a party, and to ensure that all individuals in its territory and subject to its jurisdiction, including members of all religious and ethnic groups, enjoy the rights recognized in those instruments;

4.         Calls upon all parties to the hostilities to respect fully the applicable provisions of international humanitarian law including article 3 common to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and the Additional Protocols thereto, of 1977 to halt the use of weapons against the civilian population and to protect all civilians from violations, including arbitrary detention, ill-treatment, torture and summary execution;

5.         Expresses its appreciation to the humanitarian organizations for their work in helping displaced persons and drought and conflict victims in the Sudan, and calls upon all parties to protect humanitarian relief workers;

6.         Calls upon the Special Rapporteur on Summary or Arbitrary Executions to address the killing of Sudanese nationals employed by foreign government relief organizations;

7.         Calls upon the Government of the Sudan to ensure a full, thorough and prompt investigation of the killings of Sudanese nationals employed by foreign government relief organizations by the independent judicial inquiry commission, to bring to justice those responsible for the killings and to provide just compensation to the families of the victims;

8.         Calls upon all parties to permit international agencies, humanitarian organizations and donor Governments to deliver humanitarian assistance to the civilian population and to cooperate with the recent initiatives of the Department of Humanitarian Affairs of the Secretariat to deliver humanitarian assistance to all persons in need;

9.         Recommends that the serious human rights situation in the Sudan be monitored, and invites the Commission on Human Rights at its forty-ninth session to give urgent attention to the situation of human rights in the Sudan;

10.       Decides to continue its consideration of this question at its forty-eighth session.