AU suspends Sudan as African activists criticise junta

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia

The African Union on Wednesday suspended troubled Sudan after the military forcibly took power and dissolved the transitional government.

African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat. 

The decision announced by the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) means that Sudan will no longer be allowed into AU sessions or vote on crucial matters until it restores a civilian government.

“The AUPSC decides to suspend the participation of the Republic of Sudan in all AU activities until the effective restoration of the civilian-led Transitional Authority,” a communique said after the 15-member Council met virtually on Tuesday and condemned the coup.

The Council, comprising of member states of the AU on a rotational basis, is a standing organ that works to prevent, manage or resolve conflicts on the continent. This month, Mozambique is the chair of the Council and was expected to send a delegation to Khartoum by the weekend to discuss the transition with the military chiefs.

Sudan’s military ruler Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on Monday morning took power, arrested members of the transitional government under Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and imposed a state of emergency including shutting down the internet.

He reappeared in public on Tuesday promising to set a government “free of politics” and freed Dr Hamdok who had been detained with his wife. He rejected his decision as a coup, saying he had acted to safeguard the transition.

Suspending Sudan is routine though. The AU’s policy requires total disregard to “unconstitutional changes” in government and usually suspends members until they agree to return to civilian rule.

The Council said the AU Commission chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat should “take necessary measures and intensify his engagement with the leaders of the Transitional Government and the Sovereign Council in order to facilitate the resumption of dialogue towards a successful transition in Sudan.”

That, the Council indicated, includes dispatching a team to Khartoum.

Crack the whip

The decision of the AU came even as activists across the continent criticised the coup, calling on the continental body to crack the whip.

In an open letter, more than 70 entities and individuals said Sudan’s junta had violated basic rights by denying them a chance to take part in the transition as well as suffering a communication blockade.

“These actions violate the AU Shared Values and specific provisions of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance regarding unconstitutional changes of government.

“We note that the military takeover has negative consequences for Sudan’s transition into a democracy, a journey that had a major turning point in 2019 when civilians got rid of dictator Omar Hassan Al-Bashir through a peoples’ revolution,” they said in an open letter on Wednesday.

The junta also closed down the main airports and restricted the movement of people.

“These limitations on the rights and freedoms of the Sudanese people as well as other nationalities present in Sudan is in stark violation of both the Sudanese Constitution as well as African and International Human rights norms,” they said under their banner of ‘African citizens and its diaspora.’

They demanded that all of Hamdok’s ministers arrested on Monday be released, people allowed to picket and the military return power to civilians.

List

The groups included 40 civil society groups and 38 individual rights campaigners whose list is found here below.

A – Institutions

1.   Advocacy Network for Africa, Washington DC, USA

2.   AfricanDefenders (Pan African Human Rights Defenders Network)

3.   African Union Watch, Banjul, The Gambia

4.   African Women and Youth Initiative

5.   African Women's Development and Communication Network (FEMNET)/ Réseau de Développement et de Communication des Femmes Africaines

6.   African Women Leaders Forum (AWLF), Zimbabwe

7.   Atrocities Watch Africa (AWA), Kampala, Uganda

8.   Chapter One Foundation, Lusaka, Zambia

9.   Coalition for an effective African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACC), Arusha, Tanzania

10.                Coalition Togolaise des Défenseurs des Droits Humains (CTDDH), Lomé, Togo

11.                DefendDefenders (East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project)

12.                Disability Amalgamation Community Trust (DACT), Zimbabwe

13.                DITSHWANELO - The Botswana Centre for Human Rights, Gaborone, Botswana

14.                Eastern Africa Youth Empowerment on Peace and Security

15.                Echoes of Women in Africa Initiatives, Nigeria

16.                HUDO Centre, Kampala, Uganda

17.                Human Rights Institute of South Africa (HURISA)

18.                Institut des Médias pour la Démocratie et les Droits de l'Homme (IM2DH), Lomé, Togo

19.                Institute for Young Women Development (IYWD), Zimbabwe

20.                International Refugee Rights Initiative (IRRI), Kampala, Uganda

21.                Inuka Kenya Ni Sisi!, Nairobi, Kenya

22.                Kamma Organization for Development Initiatives (KODI), Sudan

23.                Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), Nairobi, Kenya

24.                Nawi – Afrifem Macroeconomics Collective, Nairobi, Kenya

25.                Network of Independent Commissions for Human Rights in North Africa

26.                Nubsud Human Rights Monitors Organization (NHRMO), Sudan

27.                OnetoAll Foundation, Meru, Kenya

28.                Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA), Johannesburg, South Africa

29.                Oromo Legacy Leadership and Advocacy Association

30.                Oromo Professionals Group (OPG), Washington DC

31.                Rape Hurts Foundation, Uganda

32.                Pan African Citizens Network (PACIN)

33.                Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU), Arusha, Tanzania

34.                Pan African Law and Justice Initiative, Kenya

35.                Panos Institute Southern Africa

36.                Plateforme de la Diaspora Tchadienne en Amerique

37.                Southern Defenders (Southern African Human Rights Defenders Network)

38.                Wakiso District Human Rights Committee, Uganda

39.                Yearning Voices Foundation (YVF)

40.                Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, Harare, Zimbabwe

  B – Individuals

1.   Abel K. Walendom, Co-Facilitator, Plateforme de la Diaspora Tchadienne en Amerique

2.   Abdalla Komi Kodi, Executive Director, Kamma Organization for Development Initiatives (KODI), Sudan

3.   Achieng’ Akena, PanAfricanist, Uganda

4.   Adaobi Egboka, Human Rights Lawyer, Nigeria

5.   Arnold Tsunga, Human Rights Lawyer, Zimbabwe

6.   Brian Tamuka Kagoro, Uhai Africa Ltd, Harare, Zimbabwe

7.   Bridget Musungu, Panafrican, Nairobi Kenya

8.   Bushra Gamar Hussein, Executive Director, HUDO Centre, Kampala, Uganda

9.   Bonaventure N’Coué MAWUVI, Journaliste et Défenseurs des Droits Humains, Lomé,Togo

10.                Chidi Anselm Odinkalu

11.                Chris Kwaja

12.                Danford M. Chirwa, Dean, UCT Law

13.                Donald Deya, Pan Africanist, Nairobi, Kenya

14.                Dzimbabwe Chimbga, Human Rights Lawyer, Zimbabwe

15.                Edigah Kavuravu, Human Rights Lawyer, Kenya

16.                Femi Falana SAN, Human Rights Lawyer, Nigeria

17.                Feyi Ogunade, Human Rights Lawyer

18.                George Kegoro, Lawyer, Nairobi, Kenya

19.                Gitahi Githuku, Human Rights Defender, Nairobi, Kenya

20.                Golda Keng, Advocacy and Campaigns Consultant, Yaoundé, Cameroon

21.                Hakima Haithar, International Development Consultant, Johannesburg, South Africa

22.                Ibrahima Kane: Ibrahima Kane, lawyer Senegal

23.                Irene Mwendwa, Lawyer, Policy Uganda

24.                Jok Madut Jok, Professor of Anthropology, Syracuse University and Director of The Sudd Institute

25.                Khabele Matlosa

26.                Martin Masiga, Africa Judges and Jurists Forum (AJJF)

27.                Martin Mavenjina, Constitutional and Human Rights Lawyer, Nairobi, Kenya

28.                Musa Mwenye, SC, Former Attorney General of the Republic of Zambia

29.                Nikiwe Kaunda, Mzuzu, Malawi

30.                Otto Saki, Zimbabwe

31.                Roland Ebole, Human Rights Lawyer, Nairobi, Kenya

32.                Roselyn Hanzi, Human Rights Lawyer, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights

33.                Sarah Mukasa

34.                Sharon Nakandha, Lawyer, Uganda

35.                Siphosami Malunga, Executive Director, Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa

36.                Tiseke Kasambala, Chief of Party, Freedom House, Johannesburg, South Africa

37.                Vusumuzi Sifile, Lusaka, Zambia

38. Washington Katema