Human rights in Sudan

Sudan has faced serious concerns about how people are treated there. Many human rights groups have reported that the Sudanese government and some militia groups have done many bad things to people over the years, especially during the time when Omar al-Bashir was in charge.

In 2009, a big report from the United States Department of State pointed out many problems with how people were being treated. Sadly, some very harsh punishments, including crucifixion, were used for many crimes.

In 2019, the government of Sudan agreed to work with the United Nations to improve things. They opened offices to help protect people’s rights in several parts of the country. Then, in 2020, during a time when Sudan was trying to become a democracy, the Justice Minister, Nasredeen Abdulbari, said that laws that hurt people’s rights would be removed. The country’s Parliament passed new laws in July 2020 to help make this happen.

Abuses in conflict settings

Conflicts between the government and groups of people who wanted to change things led to many sad events. These fights caused people to be hurt, forced to leave their homes, and many other difficult situations.

The fighting in a place called Darfur made things very hard for the people living there. Different groups there had problems with each other, and the government got involved in ways that made things even worse. Many people suffered because of these conflicts.

Main article: Darfur genocide (2003–2005)

Arbitrary detentions

On April 28, 2022, Human Rights Watch shared a report about how Sudanese security forces detained many people who were peacefully expressing their opinions. This was done to create fear among those who opposed the military government. Sadly, some people were treated very badly during these arrests. The United Nations Human Rights Office in Sudan noted that over a thousand people, including 148 children, were arrested in just a few months.

Slavery

Main article: Slavery in Sudan

Some groups believe that unfair treatment and taking people against their will still happens in Sudan. They say the government there supports this.

People have shared stories about being hurt and separated from their families. Many who were freed show signs of being treated very badly. There are different ideas about how to stop this, but most agree that this kind of treatment exists. The number of people affected is believed to be very high.

Women's rights

Further information: Gender inequality in Sudan

Sudan is a developing country that has many challenges when it comes to treating everyone equally, especially women. In 2012, an organization called Freedom House gave Sudan a very low ranking for how it treats women. Even though things have been improving, many rules still treat women unfairly.

There have been some good changes recently. In 2019, after many women helped lead protests, some unfair laws were changed. For example, women no longer need permission from a man to travel, and harsh punishments like beating were stopped. In 2020, a law was passed to stop a harmful practice called female genital mutilation, which is now punished with fines and jail time. Women in Sudan are working hard to make sure these new laws are followed and that more unfair rules are changed.

Child soldiers

Sudan has faced serious problems with children being forced to fight in wars. Many young boys and girls were taken from their homes or tricked into joining armed groups. They were made to carry weapons and do very dangerous jobs in battles. Some were told they would go to school, but instead were trained to fight. These children had no choice and were forced to follow orders because they were afraid. This has been one of the biggest challenges for keeping children safe in Sudan.

Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers child soldier

Abusive treatment of prisoners

After an attack on Khartoum in May 2008 by members of the Justice and Equality Movement, many adults and children, especially from the Darfur region, were imprisoned. Human Rights Watch said that the government did not tell anyone where these people were kept. When some prisoners were released, signs of being hurt badly were seen, and stories from interviews showed that many had been treated very badly.

In July 2020, a harsh punishment called flogging was stopped being used.

Persecution of human rights advocates

From 2003 to 2011, a man named Mudawi Ibrahim Adam was often arrested because of his work to help people in Sudan. Many groups around the world spoke up for him, saying he was just trying to do good work.

On March 5, 2009, the same day a leader named Omar al-Bashir faced serious accusations, the Sudanese government closed down Mudawi's group and took over its offices. They also sent away several international groups that were helping people in the country. Mudawi and his group fought this in court and won in 2010, but the government still would not let them open their offices or do their work again.

Religious persecution

Main article: Freedom of religion in Sudan

Further information: Apostasy in Islam § Sudan

Two pastors, Michael Yat and Peter Yan, were arrested and held without contact by Sudanese authorities in 2014 and 2015. They were later charged with several serious crimes under old laws.

In July 2020, important changes were made to Sudan's laws. These changes removed some strict punishments for people changing their religious beliefs and allowed non-Muslims to drink alcohol. A U.S. group that watches religious freedom praised these changes but asked for more updates to the country's laws.

Historical situation

The chart below shows how Sudan has been rated each year since 1972 in the Freedom in the World reports by Freedom House. The ratings go from 1, meaning "free," to 7, meaning "not free."

LGBT rights

Main article: LGBT rights in Sudan

People who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender in Sudan have faced difficult laws that treat them unfairly. In the past, Sudan's laws made same-sex relationships a crime, with very harsh punishments. In July 2020, these laws changed. The old rules that could lead to serious punishments like long jail time or even death for repeated offenses were removed. Now, the punishment for these actions is prison time, ranging from five years to life. While this change was seen as a positive step by activists, many still believe that the laws should change further to make sure everyone is treated equally.

International treaties

Sudan's positions on international human rights treaties are listed here. These treaties are agreements between countries to protect important rights for everyone.