Protect Civilians in Sudan: A call to the UN Security Council

One year on, Sudanese Armed Forces continue to carry out indiscriminate aerial bombardments in Sudan’s Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states in the transitional border area with newly independent South Sudan. Civilians in the area are paying a high price for the unresolved tensions between the two states, including demarcation of the border and sharing of oil revenues.

The bombings have led to deaths, injuries, destruction of property, and severe food shortages, as farmers are unable to cultivate or harvest crops due to the risk of attack. Desperation has forced people to forage for tree bark, leaves and anything edible to help them stay alive. Despite this, the Government of Sudan has denied humanitarian organizations access to conflict-affected areas in both states, preventing the delivery of food aid and other assistance.

More than 500,000 people have been displaced since armed conflict erupted in Southern Kordofan in June 2011 and Blue Nile in September 2011, including some 150,000 refugees who have fled to neighbouring Ethiopia and South Sudan.

On May 2, 2012, the UN Security Council issued Resolution 2046 on the situation in Sudan and South Sudan. Unfortunately, it failed to condemn indiscriminate bombings within Sudan. The resolution did call for humanitarian access to Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile, but without imposing a timeline or other conditions on it. Such a weak response by the UN means the Government of Sudan will continue its campaign of bombing and starvation with complete impunity.

Add your voice to people around the world calling for the members of UN Security Council to address the human rights and humanitarian situation in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile as a matter of urgency, and:

• Condemn indiscriminate aerial bombings by the Government of Sudan in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile.
• Demand that the Government of Sudan allow humanitarian organizations immediate and unhindered access to both states.
• Mandate a full and independent investigation into alleged human rights violations and abuses committed by all parties to the conflict since June 2011.
• Expand the current arms embargo on Darfur to cover the whole of Sudan.

To add your name to Amnesty's call for the UN Security Council to take stronger action to protect civilians in Sudan's Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states, go to http://www.amnesty.ca/iwriteforjustice/take_action.php?actionid=882&type=Internal

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