Sudan Rejects “Banjul Joint Declaration” on Human Rights Situation

Banjul – Sudanhorizon

Sudan’s delegation participating in the 78th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights announced its rejection of the draft joint statement known as the “Banjul Joint Declaration,” which was adopted by the African Commission’s fact-finding mission on the human rights situation in Sudan in cooperation with the United Nations Independent International Fact-Finding Mission established by the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

The Sudanese delegation justified its position by arguing that the joint declaration lacks the legal basis necessary to grant legitimacy to such work, stating that in the absence of a legal foundation, the joint effort falls outside the scope of legitimacy.

The delegation also criticized the African investigative team for presenting what it described as an incomplete report that relied only on visits to refugee camps abroad and a number of virtual interviews.

In its statement, delivered today in Banjul by Sudan’s representative Ambassador Al-Zein Ibrahim, the delegation called on the African team to engage with national mechanisms responsible for investigating violations of international humanitarian law and domestic law inside the country, as well as with law enforcement agencies and victims within Sudan, before entering into commitments with international bodies that Sudan has refused to cooperate with due to the existence of other internal UN mechanisms.

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