Human Rights Abuses Against the Massaleit Continues After June 1999 Peace Agreement (9/15/1999)

In spite of the government-sponsored June 1999 peace agreement between the Massaleit people and the Arab tribes in Dar Massaleit, extensive human rights abuses continue to occur, according to eye witness accounts of refugees fleeing to Cairo .

On the 25th of July, barely a month after the conclusion of the peace agreement, Arab militias, accompanied by government soldiers attacked the Massaleit area of Gore and killed 309 people. A second attack in same area left 11 people dead. In the same month, the area of Asere, located west of Geneina, was attacked by the army and 3 persons were arrested. The three persons, charged with collaborating with the opposition in exile, were tortured in detention; two persons were admitted to hospital and one person named Barha died. The army denied the hospitalized persons visits and assistance from relatives and friends.

The Massaleit are accused by the NIF government of collaborating with the opposition rebels. Although there is clearly a growing level of sympathy among the Massaleit people for the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA) and other opposition rebels, there does not appear to be any evidence of active collaboration in Western Sudan , an area of the country where there is no significant rebel presence. The Massaleit people have taken certain actions aimed at the self-defence of villages from the continuing attacks of the Arab militias. That the NIF government interprets this as collaboration with the opposition rebels only indicates the depths of its paranoia.

Having been given a free hand and de facto protection by government soldiers, the Arab militias no longer disguise the racist intentions of their campaign against the Massaleit. In the attacks against Massaleit villages that began on July 25 and continued into August, the Arab militias carried banners bearing the words "al-Sudan lil Arab wa lesa lil gabaill al-zungiya" , meaning "The Sudan is for the Arabs and not for the negroid tribes". The inflammatory message was displayed in full view of government soldiers, who did nothing.

That the government soldiers should turn a blind eye to the actions of the Arab militias is not surprising, for they are implementing an anti-Massaleit policy of the government. The government army conduct joint operations with the Arab militias, disarming the Massaleit people but the Arabs in the areas are allowed to keep their arms. The emergency laws in force are selectively applied so that the Massaleit are subjected to restrictions of movement and curfew while the Arabs are not. It is difficult for relatives in different villages to communicate and visit with each other. Moreover, members of the Massaleit tribe returning to or visiting their home areas are thoroughly searched and sometimes harassed or deprived of their properties.

The Massaleit live in a state of fear, heightened by the lawlessness of the Army. On the night of 29th June, the anniversary of the NIF coup d'etat in Sudan, the army stationed at Tulous, south-east of Geneina, went on a wild shooting spree which caused the death of innocent people. The main shooting occurred over the villages surrounding Tulous- Noye, Muro, Jerekere, Waltulfuka, Abudelet, Hela Erdi, Dukduk etc.- and went on for over an hour and continued sporadically into the morning. Many people panicked and ran out of their houses in violation of the curfew in force. The army turned its guns on these innocent people and some were wounded or killed. A protest against the army action by the sheik of Tulous was futile. Instead he was threatened with death and the army warned that it would celebrate in which ever way it chose.

In general, the Massaleit leadership is held in contempt by the army and can not effectively perform its traditional roles. The sheik is unable to defend suspects from his community, lest he is labelled anti-government. Instead, the sheik is pressured into becoming an accomplice in actions undertaken by the army against his own people. The sheik is coerced into helping the soldiers arrest wanted persons but deterred from vouching for their innocence. Consequently, the Sheiks and other traditional leaders barred from speaking for their people because their customary role has already been usurped by the government.

Agencies and independent persons seeking information about the situation in the region do not get a true picture. The relief agencies that tried to come to the aid of the victims of the recent violence in the area were fed the usual misinformation by the government. The government predictably claimed that the problem was a tribal misunderstanding over land and water and that it had been solved. Some agencies were convinced and left but others insisted on conducting their own investigation. To discourage these determined organizations, the government warned that the security situation was unsafe and it could not guarantee the safety of the investigators. Conditions in the area are dire and the need for assistance is urgent. When tensions peaked in area, many people were killed or wounded and multitudes were displaced into areas where they have no proper shelter and access to food and medical care. Many children have died of disease and exposure.

The NIF regime never treated the Massaleit as a legitimate government would its own people. In August, attempts were made to lure the Massaleit refugees in Chad back to their original home area. General Tigani Adam, a member of President Bashir's leadership clique, made two visits to Chad during which he sought the voluntary repatriation of the Massaleit refugees to the Sudan. The Massaleit told him that they would only return if security was guaranteed, something that the General readily promised. However, this promise was not convincing to the Massaleit refugees who insisted that they would only return if their people back home were resettled in their original villages in peace. Only then could they be sure that the promises would be respected on their return to Dar Massaleit. The General reported back to Beshir. Shortly after, Arab militias crossed the border and attacked the Massaleit refugees killing some 80 persons. The chronology of events and the timing of the attack, makes it impossible not to suspect government complicity.

The strategy of cleansing the Massaleit from their lands is continually implemented. From time to time, disguises are adopted to confuse and mystify the situation, especially when foreign concerns mount. Often, the government and northern opposition forces which are guilty of similar malpractices in past, shout loudly for non-intervention in Sudan and exhort the ability of Sudanese to settle their problems. However, the record of Sudanese failure to respect the humanity of all its citizens without distinction speaks for itself. The international community and institutions should not allow the strong in Sudan to exterminate the weak.