Sudan: Hundreds of missing people. Are you looking for a member of your family? Here's how to get help

Everyday terror in Khartoum, the hundreds of notices of missing people are just appalling “M. 14, went out to buy bread on the morning of May 17 and has never been seen since…” #Sudan pic.twitter.com/zEysOMDrvq

— Sarra Majdoub (@SarraMajd) May 27, 2023

Looking for a family member? Here's how to get help, call ICRC:

هل تبحث عن أحد أفراد عائلتك؟ إليكم طريقة الحصول على المساعدة #السودان pic.twitter.com/C5QNF0XXrQ

— ICRC Sudan (@ICRC_Sudan) May 7, 2023

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ICC issued arrest warrant for Lvova-Belova and Vladimir Putin for “unlawful transfer” of children

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: The following report states that "International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Lvova-Belova and Russian President Vladimir Putin on 17 March 2023 for allegedly committing the war crime of “unlawful deportation” and “unlawful transfer” of children from Ukraine to Russia". 

Also, "during the 5 April Arria-formula meeting, representatives of several Council members—including Albania, Malta, the UK, and the US—walked out of the conference room when the contentious briefers took the floor".

Report from What's In Blue 

Friday 28 April 2023 - excerpt:

Arria-Formula Meeting on Abduction and Deportation of Children During Armed Conflict

This morning (28 April), UN Security Council members will hold a meeting titled “Addressing the Abduction and Deportation of Children During Armed Conflict: Concrete Steps for Accountability and Prevention”. 

The meeting is being co-hosted by Albania, France, and the US, together with non-Council member Ukraine, and is being co-sponsored by over 42 member states.

Full story here.

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Eurojust works closely with Europol & Interpol to tackle human trafficking and crimes against children

NOTE from Sudan Watch Editor: Good news. The International Criminal Court (ICC) has joined hands with EUROPOL. 

Note that EUROJUST works closely with EUROPOL and INTERPOL to tackle human trafficking and crimes against children. 

Let's hope the ICC receives verifiable evidence of the arming and training of children as soldiers to fight in Sudan and elsewhere. On its website the ICC states that it is a war crime to use children as child soldiers. 

This weblog Sudan Watch has a database containing thousands of reports of child soldiers used by Sudanese rebel groups and the LRA. Being a child soldier risks their health and life, ruins their brains, education and future.

If anyone in the media sees and collates verifiable news and/or photos of child soldiers in Sudan for submission to the ICC they'd be doing the ICC, Sudan, South Sudan, and all former and current child soldiers, a favour. 

Further reading

From the website of the International Criminal Court (ICC):

“Third, war crimes which are grave breaches of the Geneva conventions in the context of armed conflict and include, for instance, the use of child soldiers; the killing or torture of persons such as civilians or prisoners of war; intentionally directing attacks against hospitals, historic monuments, or buildings dedicated to religion, education, art, science or charitable purposes.”

View original: https://www.icc-cpi.int/about/how-the-court-works

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From the website of EUROPOL:

In general, Europol cooperates with states and other entities outside the EU based on operational agreements, strategic agreements and working arrangements.

The ICC is the first permanent, treaty-based, international criminal court established to help end impunity for the perpetrators of the most serious crimes of concern to the international community, namely war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and the crime of aggression. 

Europol is the European Union’s Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation. It serves as the centre for law enforcement cooperation, analytical expertise and criminal intelligence in Europe.

On 25 April 2023, judge Piotr Hofmański, the President of the International Criminal Court (ICC) said:

“I look forward to the enhanced cooperation and interaction which will take place under this Working Arrangement. Europol’s expertise and specialist knowledge is world-leading and the ICC is fortunate to be able to benefit from it. I am confident that the strengthened relationship between the ICC and Europol can enhance the capacity of both our organisations to discharge their respective mandates aimed at ensuring that serious crimes do not go unpunished.”

View original: https://www.europol.europa.eu/partners-collaboration

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From the website of INTERPOL:

We support investigation and prosecution of perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

The issues

Crimes such as genocides, crimes against humanity and war crimes are of serious concern to the international community.

As well as the devastating effect on families concerned, these crimes have a lasting, destabilizing impact on the safety and security of communities, nations and regions for decades after they occur. 

Investigation and prosecution of these crimes are central to our common fight against impunity. […]

“INTERPOL, as a global player, can be a key partner in helping international tribunals and national authorities in having fugitives arrested. -Serge Brammertz, Chief Prosecutor for the UN International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals

View original: https://www.interpol.int/Crimes/War-crimes

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From the website of EUROJUST - excerpts: 

Since its establishment, Eurojust has played an active role in tackling crimes against children in close cooperation with agencies such as Europol and Interpol. By facilitating effective cross-border coordination and cooperation between States, the Agency helps national authorities to detect potential cross-border links between cases, improve the flow of information, and exchange relevant information with a view to identify and prosecute offenders.

Trafficking in human beings

Trafficking in human beings (THB) is a serious and fast-growing crime area that affects millions of innocent people around the world and involves the severe violation of fundamental human rights. Human traffickers control and exploit vulnerable victims and make use of threats, force, fraud, deception or abduction. Traffickers predominantly capitalise on sexual and labour exploitation, often targeting individuals with limited education or financial means.

The fight of the national authorities against THB can greatly benefit from the unique structure of Eurojust. Since each participating EU Member State has a National Member at Eurojust, the Agency is able to effectively coordinate parallel investigations in several countries where victims are recruited, exploited and transported through or moved.

View original: https://www.eurojust.europa.eu/crime-types-and-cases/crime-types/trafficking-human-beings

Crimes against children

Crimes against children include, inter alia, the sexual abuse of children, the trafficking of children and crimes concerning child abuse images on the Internet. Eurojust plays an active role in tackling this growing and particularly heinous form of crime, by enabling efficient cross-border coordination between different States. The Agency supports judicial authorities in detecting links with cases in other countries and facilitates cooperation among the respective authorities with a view to prevent further victimisation of children and to identify and prosecute offenders. A Contact Point for Child Protection is appointed by Eurojust to act as a focal point for its efforts in this field.

View original: https://www.eurojust.europa.eu/crime-types-and-cases/crime-types/crimes-against-children

Eurojust @Eurojust on Twitter https://twitter.com/Eurojust

European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation

The EU Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation, giving hands-on support to prosecutors in the fight against serious cross-border crime

Eurojust • P.O. Box 16183
2500 BD The Hague • The Netherlands
+31 70 412 5000

Source: Website https://www.eurojust.europa.eu

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ICC and Europol join hands to work for accountability

#ICC Prosecutor #KarimAAKhanKC welcomes Working Arrangement signed today between @Europol and ICC that provides legal framework to deepen cooperation in common efforts towards accountability.🤝

Read more here: ⤵️https://t.co/utyBywBf5p pic.twitter.com/JGi3hMIHG3

— Int'l Criminal Court (@IntlCrimCourt) April 25, 2023

Sudan to hand Bashir for trial by ICC - Sudan launches investigation into Darfur crimes and alert to Interpol

NOTE from Sudan Watch editor: Here below is a news report from the FT dated 11 February 2020 entitled 'Sudan to send al-Bashir for trial at The Hague'. The report says, quote "Sudan will send Omar al-Bashir, its former leader who was ousted in a coup last April, to The Hague to stand trial for genocide and crimes against humanity in Darfur, according to a top Sudanese official".

Also copied below are some excerpts from an in-depth online BBC report dated 22 December 2019 entitled 'Darfur conflict: Sudan launches investigation into crimes'. The report states that Mr Bashir's former intelligence chief Mr Salah Gosh is among those under investigation, that there are four cases against Mr Gosh and that investigators have started a procedure to bring him back to Sudan by Interpol. The report goes on to say, quote "it is unclear whether Mohamed Hamdan "Hemeti" Dagolo is under investigation. A former Janjaweed militia leader in Darfur, he turned against Bashir as protests grew and was named vice-president of Sudan's Transitional Military Council (TMC) after Bashir was forced out".

Incidentally, ten years ago the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Mr Bashir on charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. Mr Bashir was one of 51 names recommended by the UN in 2005 for prosecution by the ICC for Darfur atrocities. Mr Gosh, reportedly currently residing in Egypt, is on the list.

Surprisingly, the current vice-president of Sudan's TMC, Gen Mohamed Hamdan "Hemeti" Dagolo, leader of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) - unless previously known by another name - does not appear to be on the list. Perhaps because the list is dated 2005 and Hemeti's Darfur war crimes were not committed until several years later (or to be precise: subsequent to 2013 according to Eric Reeves' tweet dated 16 Feb 2020 [ https://twitter.com/sudanreeves/status/1229111767990562816 ] regarding Hemeti complaining about himself being marginalised (you can't make this stuff up) by the Hamdok government and calling for a code of conduct! 

The List of Top wanted Janjaweed leaders - Who's who on Darfur (Africa Confidential) published online in 2005 can be found under ‘Further Reading’ below. 

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Copy of online news report from The Financial Times - www.ft.com

By DAVID PILLING in London 

Publication date: 11 February 2020

Title: Sudan to send al-Bashir for trial at The Hague

Former leader could face charges for genocide and crimes against humanity

Photo: Omar al-Bashir was toppled in April last year after ruling Sudan for 30 years © Ashraf Shazly/AFP/Getty

Sudan will send Omar al-Bashir, its former leader who was ousted in a coup last April, to The Hague to stand trial for genocide and crimes against humanity in Darfur, according to a top Sudanese official.

Without naming Mr Bashir specifically, Mohamed al-Hassan al-Taishi, a civilian member of Sudan’s joint military-civilian sovereign council, told a press conference on Tuesday that anyone facing an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court would face trial in The Hague. 

“We agreed that everyone who had arrest warrants issued against them will appear before the ICC. I’m saying it very clearly,” Mr al-Taishi said, according to multiple reports. 

Mr Bashir, who ruled Sudan for 30 years, was toppled last year after months of protests in which millions of ordinary Sudanese took to the streets demanding his resignation. His regime was accused of committing atrocities, including murder and rape, in Darfur, a region in the west of the country, during an uprising against Khartoum. 

Last July, the military agreed to share power with civilians as part of a 3½-year transition towards democratic elections. Mr Bashir is currently in prison in Khartoum. 

We hope he will be sent [to The Hague], said Michel Arditti, permanent secretary to Abdul Wahid al-Nour, leader of the Sudan Liberation Movement, a rebel group in Sudan that fought against Mr Bashir’s regime. 

Mr Arditti cautioned that some loyalists to Mr Bashir’s regime opposed extradition, although he said there were members of the sovereign council, including General Abdel-Fattah Burhan, the chairman, and Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemeti, who might be willing to “trade him in”. 

Last week Mr Burhan took the unusual step of meeting Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, in Uganda while he is due to visit Washington for a meeting with Michael Pompeo, US secretary of state, this month. “This could be seen as painting a new picture of Sudan moving back into the international fold,” said Jonas Horner, a Sudan expert with the Crisis Group.

Mr Horner said giving up Mr Bashir could even be part of negotiations aimed at removing Khartoum from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism, essential to get investments flowing back into a Sudanese economy that is on its knees.

Sudan’s new government is desperate to show that it can improve lives for those who rose up against Mr Bashir, but it has made slow progress. Sporadic protests have continued throughout the country and splits have emerged within the sovereign council.

The ICC has been pressing for the trial of Mr Bashir for war crimes following his conviction in a Sudanese court last December for minor crimes of money laundering.

The UN estimates that up to 400,000 people died in the conflict in Darfur and nearly 3m more were displaced, with militia formed by Mr Bashir blamed for the worst atrocities.

The ICC has a patchy record in prosecuting people for serious war crimes. Last year it sentenced Bosco Ntaganda, a Congolese former rebel leader, to 30 years in prison. Mr Arditti said it was not clear whether the ICC, which has not been able to send investigators to Sudan, had assembled a watertight case against Mr Bashir.

Calls made by the FT to the prime minister’s office in Khartoum went unanswered.

All Comments

Zoran 6 DAYS AGO

Let the people of Sudan fulfill their potential! 

View original: https://www.ft.com/content/13bcb06a-4cf0-11ea-95a0-43d18ec715f5

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2020. All rights reserved.

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Further Reading

Excerpts from BBC Africa online news report - www.bbc.co.uk

Publication date: 22 December 2019

Title: Darfur conflict: Sudan launches investigation into crimes

Image copyright REUTERS

Image caption Ex-ruler Bashir already faces a range of other charges

“Sudan has launched an investigation into crimes committed in the Darfur region under former President Omar al-Bashir, the state prosecutor [Tagelsir al-Heber] says. A trial could take place outside the country, Tagelsir al-Heber said. Ten years ago the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Bashir on charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity. […] 

Mr Heber said the Darfur investigation was focusing on "cases against former regime leaders". He did not give names, but said no-one would be excluded from the investigation. All crimes committed during the Darfur conflict would be looked at, he said - including numerous incidents of murder and rape. If necessary, the trial could take place abroad, Mr Heber said, raising the prospect that Bashir could be transferred to the ICC in The Hague. […]

Bashir's feared former intelligence chief Salah Gosh is also being investigated, Mr Heber said. The head of the National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) quit in April two days after the Bashir was ousted and left the country. "There four cases against Salah Gosh and we started a procedure to bring him [back to Sudan] by Interpol," he said.

It is unclear whether Mohamed Hamdan "Hemeti" Dagolo is under investigation. A former Janjaweed militia leader in Darfur, he turned against Bashir as protests grew and was named vice-president of Sudan's Transitional Military Council (TMC) after Bashir was forced out.

View full report:  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-50887252

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Article from Sudan Watch archive dated 21 February 2006

Title: List of top wanted Janjaweed leaders - Who's who on Darfur (African Confidential)

View full report: https://sudanwatch.blogspot.com/2006/02/list-of-top-wanted-janjaweed-leaders.html