Overview of Human Rights in Sudan

Sudan has the notorious distinction of having one of the worst human rights records in the world today -- largely due to the the civil war that lasted for two decades, as well as the events taking place in the Darfur region of the country.  These two issues aside, even in parts of the country not acutely affected by war and violence, the human rights situation remains poor.

The government places severe restrictions on freedoms of speech, assembly, religion, movement, press, association, expression, and press. The government is also responsible for influencing the judiciary. Denial of fair trials in both civilian and military courts is done with either government knowledge and/or government support.

Many conscripts are harassed and beaten into joining the military and minors are forced to enlist. Other areas of concern for human rights organizations are forced labor, human trafficking, widespread child labor and child abuse. Discrimination and acts of violence against ethnic minorities also takes place.

On January 5, 2005 the 21 year-old civil war between the Sudanese government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), a group of southern based rebels, ended when both sides signed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. While the war has ended, the human rights situation in Sudan has not improved. 

Of particular note is the fact that the government and government-supported "Janjaweed" militia are still responsible for continuing attacks in Darfur. There is also evidence of continuing genocidal activities ongoing in the region as well. Rape, killing, torture, and looting occur on a regular basis especially in the rural areas and in an internally displaced persons camp in Aro Sharow in West Darfur.

About two million internally-displaced people live in camps. Most are dependent on international humanitarian aid to meet their basic needs. The government ignores the frequent arbitrary arrest and detention of displaced leaders.  As well, it allows harassment and intimidation of humanitarian aid workers in violation of international law.

Editor's Note: To date, over 200,000 people have been killed and more than 2,000,000 people have been displaced as a result of violence in the region, largely spurred by the actions of government-sponsored Arab "Janjaweed" militias against the Black African and rebel-backed population of the region.  A United Nations Security Council resolution was passed, authorizing the deployment of United Nations troops to Darfur, however, the Sudanese government rejected this measure.  Instead, a small and ill-equipped peacekeeping force from the African Union has functioned as the only form of protection for civilians in Darfur against rampaging "Janjaweed" militias. The situation in Darfur gained attention in the mainstream United States press largely due to coverage in the New York Times by columnist Nicholas Kristof.  For his efforts in bringing attention to the most marginalized parts of the world, such as Darfur, Kristof won a Pulitzer Prize.

Human Development Index (HDI) Rank:

141st out of 177

Note: Human Development Index (HDI) is a composite index that measures the level of well-being of nations in the world. It uses factors such as poverty, literacy, life-expectancy, education, gross domestic product, and purchasing power parity to assess the average achievements in each nation. It has been used in the United Nation’s Human Development Report since 1993.