On Tuesday February 23, Sudan’s Minister of Justice, Nasreldin Abdelbari announced that the Sudanese interim government has approved the ratification of the Convention Against Torture and Cruel Punishment (UNCAT) of 1984 and the International Convention for Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICPPED) of 2006. The Darfur Women Action Group (DWAG) welcomes this historic step for dignity, justice, and peace as Sudan will ratify these important international human rights instruments for the protection of its peoples. 

The ratification of these conventions marks an opportunity for the Sudanese government to redress its history of the use of torture and enforced disappearances by government forces. As recently as December 2020, a young Khartoum activist was abducted, tortured, and murdered by officers of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The ratification of these international legal instruments marks an opportunity for those victimized by these acts to find justice and redress for the crimes committed against them. 

We at DWAG urge the government of Sudan to enact these international conventions into law and ensure its implementation in the domestic legal code and enforcement across the country. The Sudanese government has largely failed in adequate implementation of international treaties and conventions and in upholding the rule of law. While the ratification of these conventions marks a historic step for the Sudanese government in establishing and codifying human rights protections as an integral part of its domestic legal code, the interim government must strive for the just implementation and enforcement of these laws. 

We at DWAG call upon our supporters to place pressure on the Sudanese interim government to guarantee the necessary legislative, policy, and institutional measures to implement the conventions’ provisions within its domestic legal framework, effectively criminalizing torture and enforced disappearances. Only with constant, concerted, and collective efforts can we pressure the Sudanese government to redress its historical use of enforced disappearances and torture to bring justice for those who have been victimized by these heinous crimes.