Tag: Sudan

Sudan: world’s worst crisis


Two years of war has left 20 million suffering food insecurity

April 2025

Wars in Ukraine and in Gaza have drawn much attention from the world’s media and the events in Washington are also a major distraction. Meanwhile, in Sudan a less well reported conflict is causing immense suffering, death and destruction on an heroic scale. Commendably, Channel 4’s Unreported World devoted a programme to the conflict in March this year [registration needed].

The conflict is now 2 years old and is between the Sudanese Army and the Rapid Support Forces known as the RSF. By August 2023 around 1 million had fled the country. Currently, around 20 million are suffering acute food insecurity. Another million have fled to neighbouring Chad a country not equipped to handle such a large influx.

The RSF is accused of a range of war crimes including killings – sometimes in people’s homes and including small children – looting, sexual violence and arson. It has no regard for human rights.

The war could not last this long and at such an intensity without outside support and the major players are Egypt supporting the Army and the UAE who are alleged to be supporting the RSF. The reason according to Middle East Eye is to protect its investments in the country and to gain access to its mineral and agricultural resources. UAE imports 90% of its food and has little land suitable for agriculture itself.

UK seeks to suppress criticism

Weapons and arms are another key factor and suppliers include China, Russia, Serbia, Türkiye, UAE and Yemen. Amnesty suggests technology from France has been found. UAE appear to be the main player and the UK is alleged to be active in preventing criticism of the country. The United Kingdom has reportedly tried to suppress scrutiny of the UAE’s role in Sudan. In June, a report from the Guardian reported that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) pressured African diplomats not to criticise the UAE. There is considerable trade and commercial interests between the two countries and the UAE invests in the UK including part ownership of Gatwick airport. Clearly, the government, with its focus on growth, does not want the role of the UAE in fomenting conflict in Sudan with devastating results, to stand in the way of commercial interests.

This seems to be yet another example of how outside interests result in fearful consequences for the people who’s properties have been burnt and who have had to flee to neighbouring countries to escape violence.

Sources: Amnesty; Human Rights Watch, Middle East Eye; Crisis Group; Guardian

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Good news! Sudan


Release of prisoner on death row

You might remember Magai Matiop Ngong, who was only 15-years-old when he was sentenced to death in South Sudan. After two years and eight months on death row, we are thrilled to share that Magai has been released.

More than 765,000 people around the world took action for Magai, which resulted in his death sentence being sent back to the High Court for a review. This week, we are celebrating his release.

This is just one example of the change we can be part of when we come together, and the incredible difference campaigning can make in the lives of people facing injustice like Magai. 

Execution is the ultimate punishment and we will always stand against it. Every human being on this planet has the right to life, and we need to ensure that right is protected no matter what. 

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Write for Rights


Write for Rights. Now finished.

A reminder that we will be holding our Write for Rights tomorrow in the Cathedral cloisters starting at 11am today and finishing at 1pm.

We shall be asking people to sign for the following:

  • Mikita Zalatarou of Belarus. He is a teenager who has been sent to a penal colony following protests at the recent elections.
  • Zhang Zhan of China. She is one of the journalists who tried to get the truth out about the Covid virus in Wuhan. She was sentenced to 4 years in prison.
  • Ciham ali Ahmed of Eritrea. She was arrested on the Sudan border and nine years later her family do not know her whereabouts. Many prisoners are held in underground containers.
  • Bernardo Caal Xol in Guatamala. He was caught up in the protests against the construction of hydroelectric dams which would have seriously harmed the indigenous peoples. He was sentenced to 7 years in prison with no evidence provided.

These are of course only four examples of the hundreds of thousands who are arrested, tortured, disappeared or imprisoned for speaking out against their regimes. We hope you can spare a few moments to sign a card at the Cathedral.

We shall be at St Thomas’s Church in Salisbury on Saturday 11th starting at 10 am.

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Death penalty report July – August


We attach the latest monthly death penalty report compiled by group member Lesley.

Report (Word)

Majai Matiop Ngong who’s death penalty has been suspended is featured in the report 

Edited: 13 August

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Sudan: teenager’s death sentence quashed


Good news from Sudan
Amnesty’s Urgent Action successful

Following the South Sudan Court of Appeal’s decision on 14 July to quash the death sentence imposed on Magai Matiop Ngong because he was a child at the time of the crime, and to send his case back to the High Court to rule on an appropriate sentence, and his removal from death row on 29 July, Amnesty International’s Director for East and Southern Africa, Deprose Muchena said:

We welcome the Court of Appeal’s decision to quash Magai Matiop Ngong’s death sentence because under South Sudan and international law a child cannot be sentenced to death. Magai is one of the lucky ones.

At least two other people, who were children at the time of the crime, have been executed in the country since May 2018; their lives extinguished as well as all the hopes their families had for them.

The South Sudanese government must fully comply with national and international laws which prohibit the use of the death penalty against anyone below 18 years of age at the time the crime was committed. The authorities must abolish this cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.

Background
In its annual letter writing campaign, Write for Rights, Amnesty International prioritized the case of Magai mobilizing its global membership to write to President Salva Kiir to commute the death sentence. More than 765,000 people around the world took action, calling on President Salva Kiir to commute Magai’s death sentence, and expressing their solidarity with Magai.

South Sudan is one of four countries in Sub-Saharan Africa that carried out executions in 2018 and 2019.

Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception regardless of the nature of the crime, the characteristics of the offender, or the method used by the state to carry out the execution.

Amnesty International post 27 July 2020.  Thanks to all those who wrote letters or sent emails for this action.  See our monthly death penalty update.

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Urgent action: Sudan


This is a current urgent action concerning a boy in Sudan.  Magai was trying to stop his cousin fighting with another boy in the neighbourhood. He took his dad’s gun and fired it at the ground to scare the boy away. But the bullet ricocheted and hit his cousin, who later died in hospital.

In his trial Magai was not allowed a lawyer.  He told the judge he was just 15, but he was sentenced to death regardless. This is illegal by both international and South Sudan law.

This is just to let you know that yesterday’s Guardian featured an AI ad with a text Action for Magai.

If you would like to do this, you just need to text 70505 with SAVE1, followed by your first and last name.

If you are able to do this, many thanks.

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Death penalty report


Attached is the current death penalty report thanks to group member Lesley for the work in compiling it.  Grim news on several fronts with Sri Lanka thinking of re-using the penalty.  China leads the world it is believed in the use of the penalty although details are a state secret.

On the issue of China, readers may like to read the website of the Chinese Human Rights Defenders which charts the systematic denial of human rights freedoms by the Chinese government.  Links to many human rights sites can be found at the bottom of this site.

Report – June/July (pdf)

 

 

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Death penalty report, May – June


We attach the latest death penalty report with thanks to group member Lesley for compiling it.  It features, Malaysia, Algeria, USA, Mauritania, Sudan and Belarus.  Note that China is believed to execute more of its citizens than the rest of the world combined but details and statistics are a state secret.

Report (Word)

No to the death penalty

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Death penalty report


No to the death penaltyHere is the monthly death penalty report thanks to Lesley.

July 2014

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Death penalty


DEATH PENALTY SUMMARY – JUNE 2014

No to the death penaltyGeneral 

  • USA
    • Tennessee – are reported to be considering bringing back the electric chair in the light of the recent difficulties with the use of lethal injections
    • Wyoming – are reported to be considering using a firing squad
    • New Hampshire – disappointingly, the second attempt at the repeal of the death penalty was defeated in the Senate on 22nd May. The death sentence remains.
    • Missouri – a stay of execution was granted for Russell Bucklew on 22nd May following his claim that a congenital illness would probably cause additional suffering under the current regime of lethal injection
    • A report appeared on Google that the US Supreme Court has said states must look beyond an intelligence test score in borderline cases of mental disability to determine whether a death row inmate is eligible to be executed

Urgent Actions 

  • – Meriam Ibrahim – a Christian woman has been sentenced to hang (and to a flogging) for the ‘apostasy’ of marrying a non-muslim, and for refusing to renounce her Christian faith.  An AI email UA was circulated to the DPLWG on 26th May.  Information in media on 31.5.14 that she was to be released but there are doubts as to the truth of this.  Note – Nesrine Malik expressed concern in the Guardian (4.6.14) that western media are harming Meriam’s chances of release.  Initial local opposition had been having an effect, and Government pride is an issue.  She criticised David Cameron’s approach.  Latest news – Meriam gave birth in chains. She is to be hanged in 2 years.

 

  • # USA – Florida – Michael Duane Zak – UA 140/14 – has exhausted his ordinary court appeals and is seeking executive commutation of his death sentence of life imprisonment. Circulated to DPLWG 28.5.14 (this month’s Urgent Action)

 

  • – UA 151/13 – Osama Jamal ‘Abdullah Mahdi’s files are now with the office of the President for review. If his death sentence is ratified, he could be executed at any time. Circulated to DPLWG 30.5.14

 

 Campaigning 

  • Hakamada Iwao – information has been received from Caroline Butler that the Devizes Group have been in contact with AI in Japan in order to send cards and messages to Hakamada. Would the Salisbury Group like to do so?

 

  • – a response has now been received from SCT with contact details of Barry Hay for seeking further advice – an email was sent on 10th June. Note: 

 

Belarus is the last UN member state in Europe to have retained the death penalty.  In 2013 there were no reported executions, but the death penalty was reinstated this year, and to date two men are believed to have been executed. Death row prisoners receive no advance notice and are executed by a bullet through the back of the head. This month the UN Human Rights Council will be focusing on the human rights situation in Belarus – making it a particularly appropriate time for action by Amnesty.

 

 

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