Publications

This briefing provides an analysis of current sanctions on Sudanese entities and individuals as of 18 April 2023, including UN sanctions and sanctions by the US, the UK and the EU.

This briefing highlights the urgent need for legal reforms in Sudan prohibiting the use of information tainted by torture in any judicial proceedings, as required by article 15 of the Convention against Torture. The briefing also shows that many cases move through Sudanese courts in which allegations of torture have been raised by defendants, including in ongoing proceedings against four men accused of killing a police brigadier general during protests that took place in January 2022.

This briefing paper, jointly prepared by REDRESS, the Sudan Human Rights Monitor (SHRM), and the SOAS Centre for Human Rights Law, is based on 35 interviews conducted by SHRM in Khartoum, Sudan, and provides first-hand evidence of the nature and consequences of ongoing human rights violations for direct and indirect victims and the wider community. The findings document what has become a centrally planned and systematically implemented assault on the young and the future of Sudan. It has already taken an immense physical and psychological toll on the immediate victims, their friends, families, and whole communities. Notably, some of them have lodged complaints and pursued legal remedies. However, the lack of responsiveness of the authorities, and indeed ongoing commission of serious violations, demonstrates the complete lack of justice and accountability in Sudan.

This research paper from REDRESS and the SOAS Centre for Human Rights Law situates Sudan’s current political and human rights crisis within the broader historical context, demonstrating that the cyclical nature of Sudan’s post-independence, post-coup politics is closely linked to the absence of respect for the rule of law, human rights protections, and justice for past violations.

In a letter ahead of the Council’s 50th session (13 June to 8 July 2022), REDRESS joined other non-governmental organisations in calling on the UN Human Rights Council to support the adoption of a resolution that ensures continued attention to Sudan’s human rights situation through enhanced interactive dialogues at the Council’s 52nd and 53rd regular sessions.

The effective incorporation of anti-torture standards within States’ domestic legal frameworks and their effective implementation in practice is crucial to prevent torture and other ill-treatment, ensure that perpetrators are held accountable, and to provide redress for victims. States in the African region widely reject the practice of torture and other ill-treatment, notably reflected through near regional universality of the UN Convention against Torture (UNCAT) and the widespread ratification of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Charter) and other human rights treaties. REDRESS and the Convention against Torture Initiative’s report examines the anti-torture legislative and regulatory framework of eight States in common law Africa, namely, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda and Zimbabwe. It identifies existing good practices and legislative provisions and opportunities for anti-torture legislative and regulatory reforms to inspire action towards strengthening the domestic implementation of UNCAT across the region. It outlines measures and proposals that can be considered by States and their institutions to secure legal protection against torture and other ill-treatment and positively impact torture prevention and response in practice. REDRESS would like to thank our partners CTI; the law firm Clifford Chance for their support during the drafting and editing process, and the expert members of the Advisory Board of this report: Ms. Aua Baldé, H.E. Mr. Ramses Joseph Cleland, Dr. Alice Edwards, Mr. Gaye Sowe, Ms. Ruth Ssekindi  and Prof. Frans Viljoen.

In this briefing, REDRESS, the People’s Legal Aid Centre (PLACE), the Darfur Bar Association, and the Emergency Lawyers Group outline patterns of arrests and detentions conducted under Sudan’s emergency laws since the 25 October 2021 military coup.

This briefing provides background on Sudan’s Central Reserve Police (or "Abu Tira"), its current leadership and organisational structure, and a summary of ongoing violations committed in combination with other Sudanese military and security forces.