The Human Truth Foundation

Human Rights and Freedom in Sudan

http://www.humantruth.info/sudan_human_rights_and_freedom.html

By Vexen Crabtree 2019

#equality #freedom #human_rights #islam #politics #sudan #tolerance

Sudan
Republic of the Sudan

[Country Profile Page]
StatusIndependent State
Social and Moral Index180th best
LocationAfrica
Population41.8m1
Life Expectancy65.27yrs (2017)2

Sudan is amongst the worst places in the world at ensuring human rights and freedom, and it has severe cultural issues when it comes to tolerance and equality. Sudan does worse than average in terms of its nominal commitment to Human Rights3 and in speed of uptake of HR treaties4. And finally, it falls into the worst-performing 20 when it comes to commentary in Human Rights Watch reports5 (one of the lowest in Africa), opposing gender inequality6, supporting press freedom7 (one of the highest in Africa), freethought8 (one of the highest in Africa) and in LGBT equality9 (amongst the worst in Africa). "Sudan´s human rights record continued to be defined by government repression and violations of basic civil and political rights [and] disregard for obligations on civilian protection under international humanitarian law"10. There is no freedom of religion10,11, and religious persecution, based on Islam, occurs at the worst possible rate11; converting from Islam attracts the death penalty.


1. Sudan's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#equality #gender_equality #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Compared to Africa (2020)12
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank12
1S. Africa56.3
2Seychelles67.0
3Namibia69.7
...
46Zimbabwe134.5
47Angola136.2
48Eritrea139.8
49Djibouti140.9
50Comoros141.2
51Swaziland142.0
52Mauritania144.7
53Sudan148.8
54Somalia159.8
Africa Avg108.4
q=54.
Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2020)12
Pos.Lower is better
Avg Rank12
1Sweden9.2
2Norway14.7
3Denmark14.7
...
192Cook Islands144.5
193Mauritania144.7
194N. Korea146.8
195Brunei147.1
196Sudan148.8
197Tuvalu158.8
198Somalia159.8
199Solomon Islands166.6
World Avg87.7
q=199.

The best countries in the world at ensuring human rights, fostering equality and promoting tolerance, are Sweden, Norway and Denmark13. These countries are displaying the best traits that humanity has to offer. The worst countries are The Solomon Islands, Somalia and Tuvalu13.

The data sets used to calculate points for each country are statistics on commentary in Human Rights Watch reports, its nominal commitment to Human Rights, speed of uptake of HR treaties, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, supporting press freedom, eliminating modern slavery, opposing gender inequality, the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators), the year from which women could participate in democracy, its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice, LGBT equality and freethought. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe13, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Micronesia and Australasia13.

For more, see:

Amnesty International's 2023-23 summary on human rights in Sudan stated:

Security forces continued to use excessive force against protesters, killing dozens and injuring thousands of others. Protesters, including women and children, were unlawfully detained and ill-treated; and some were forcibly disappeared. Hundreds of civilians were killed and injured by militia groups in the West Darfur region. Ali Mohammed Ali went on trial at the ICC on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity carried out in West Darfur. Freedom of expression was severely restricted, and the internet was shut down ahead of mass protests. Women protesters faced sexual assault and harassment. Large numbers of people faced acute hunger due to food insecurity. Refugees from Ethiopia, Eritrea and South Sudan continued to arrive and faced ration cuts due to funding shortfalls.

"The State of the World's Human Rights 2022/23" by Amnesty International (2023)14

In Darfur, Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile, Sudan´s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and other government-aligned forces attacked civilians. Sudan failed to provide accountability for serious crimes committed during the conflicts, or other serious human rights violations.

The national security agency detained student activists, human rights defenders, members of opposition parties and journalists. [...] In December 2016, a British journalist and his Sudanese-American colleague were detained first in Darfur then transferred to Khartoum for almost two months without charge and said they were subjected to beatings, electric shocks, and mock execution. The two entered Darfur to investigate Amnesty International´s allegations of chemical weapons use by the government. [...]

Government security forces used excessive force to break up protests across thecountry [in 2017].

"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)10

Oppression and harassment of critics is a long-term feature of the Sudanese government; in 2012 Julian McDougall15 noted that the government set up a fake Facebook group "calling for a protest against the Sudanese government, naming a time and place, and simply arrested all those who attended"16.

2. Human Rights & Tolerance Data Sets

2.1. Human Rights Watch Comments

#human_rights

Human Rights Watch Comments
Higher is better5
Pos.2017
Score5
1UK9
2France9
3Germany9
...
111Eritrea-9
112Somalia-9
113Libya-9
114Sudan-10
115Iran-10
116Burundi-10
117N. Korea-10
118Malaysia-10
Africa Avg-5.6
World Avg-1.9
q=123.

Human Rights Watch comments concentrate mostly on negative issues, however, they also make positive comments for those countries that engage in human rights defence around the world, or who make improvements at home. By adding up positive and negative comments (including double-points for negatives that involve large scales and crimes against humanity), the Social and Moral Index turns HRW commentary into quantified values. Some countries may be unfairly penalized because HRW have not examined them, and, some countries "get away" with abuses if they manage to hide it, or if it goes unnoticed - a negative point has been given for those countries in which HRW specifically state that access to investigators has been barred. The points were limited to a minimum of -10 because there are some points at which things are so bad, with abuses affecting so many, it is difficult to be more specific about the depths of the issues.

2.2. Nominal Commitment to HR

#human_rights

Nominal Commitment to HR
Higher is better3
Pos.2009
Treaties3
1Argentina24
2Chile23
3Costa Rica23
...
119Botswana14
120Madagascar14
121Syria14
122Sudan14
123Cameroon14
124Uzbekistan14
125Mauritania13
126Sri Lanka13
Africa Avg14.8
World Avg15.1
q=194.

There are many international agreements on human rights, and, many mechanisms by which countries can be brought to account for their actions. Together, these have been the biggest historical movement in the fight against oppression and inhumanity. Or, putting it another way: these are rejected mostly by those who wish to oppress inhumanely. None of them are perfect and many people object to various components and wordings, but, no-one has come up with, and enforced, better methods of controlling the occasional desires that states and peoples have of causing angst for other states and peoples in a violent, unjust or inhumane way. Points are awarded for the number of human rights agreements ratified by the country, plus the acceptance of the petition mechanisms for disputes. The maximum possible score in 2009 was 24.

2.3. HR Treaties Lag

#human_rights #international_law #micronesia #politics #small_islands

HR Treaties Lag
Lower is better4
Pos.2019
Avg Yrs/Treaty4
1Ecuador2.15
2Uruguay2.25
3Tunisia3.65
...
121Latvia11.39
122Angola11.59
123Cameroon11.63
124Sudan11.65
125Kazakhstan11.67
126Switzerland11.71
127Macedonia11.71
128Czechia11.73
Africa Avg9.88
World Avg10.02
q=195.

Human Rights (HR) Treaties Lag is a count of how long it took each country to sign each of 11 key HR treaties. From the date of the first signatory of each treaty, all other countries have one point added to their score for each day they delayed in signing. Results are presented as average time in years to sign each one. The lower a country's score, the more enthusiastically it has taken on international Human Rights Treaties - which are, of course, minimal standards of good governance. The slowest are the countries of Micronesia, Melanesia, Australasia and Polynesia all lagged by over 12 years per treaty. The best regions are The Americas, Scandinavia and the Mediterranean.

For more, see:

2.4. Press Freedom

#democracy #freedom #Freedom_of_Speech #Good_Governance #mass_media #politics #UK

Press Freedom
Lower is better7
Pos.20137
1Finland638
2Netherlands648
3Norway652
...
166Djibouti6740
167Laos6799
168Yemen6922
169Sudan7006
170Cuba7164
171Vietnam7178
172China7307
173Iran7340
Africa Avg3511
World Avg3249
q=178.

The freedom to investigate, publish information, and have access to others' opinion is a fundamental part of today's information-driven world, and is linked with Freedom of Speech and Good Governance. Scores on the Press Freedom Index are calculated according to indicators including pluralism - the degree to which opinions are represented in the media, media independence of authorities, self-censorship, legislation, transparency and the infrastructure that supports news and information, and, the level of violence against journalists which includes lengths of imprisonments. The index "does not take direct account of the kind of political system but it is clear that democracies provide better protection for the freedom to produce and circulate accurate news and information than countries where human rights are flouted". The rankings are used as one of the datasets of the Social and Moral Development Index17

It must be noted that press freedom is not an indicator of press quality and the press itself can be abusive; the UK suffers in particular from a popular brand of nasty reporting that infuses several of its newspapers who are particularly prone to running destructive and often untrue campaigns against victims. The Press Freedom Index notes that "the index should in no way be taken as an indicator of the quality of the media in the countries concerned".

The press is not free; authorities prosecute journalists for reports that they don't like, and confiscate newspapers10.

2.5. Slavery

#burundi #eritrea #france #human_rights #indonesia #slavery

Slavery
Lower is better
18
Pos.2018
% Victims18
1Japan0.03
2Canada0.05
3Taiwan0.05
...
151Turkmenistan1.12
152Rwanda1.16
153Chad1.20
154Sudan1.20
155Mongolia1.23
156Congo, DR1.37
157Somalia1.55
158Iran1.62
Africa Avg0.96
World Avg0.65
q=167.

The taking of slaves has been an unwholesome feature of Human cultures since prehistory19. Private households and national endeavours have frequently been augmented with the use of slaves. The Egyptian and Roman empires both thrived on them for both purposes. Aside from labourers they are often abused sexually by their owners and their owners' friends20. The era of colonialism and the beginnings of globalisation changed nothing: the imprisonment and forced movements of labour continued to destroy many lives except that new justifications were invented based on Christian doctrine and the effort to convert non-Christians. By 1786 over 12 million slaves had been extracted from Africa and sent to colonial labour camps, with a truly atrocious condition of life21. But they were not the only ones to blame; in Africa internal nations such as the Asantes sold and bought tens of thousands of slaves22.

The abolition of the slave trade was a long and slow process. Until a relatively modern time, even philosophers, religious leaders and those concerned with ethics justified, or ignored, the problem of slavery23. The first abolitionists were always the slaves themselves. Their protests and rebellions caused the industry to become too expensive to continue. After that, it was the economic costs of maintain slave colonies that led the British to reject and then oppose the slave trade globally. Finally, the enlightenment-era thinkers of France encouraged moral and ethical thinking including the declaration of the inherent value of human life and human dignity24. A long-overdue wave of compassionate and conscientious movements swept across the West, eliminating public support for slavery, until the industries and churches that supported it had no choice but to back down.

'Modern slavery' includes forced labour (often of the under-age), debt bondage (especially generational), sexual slavery, chattel slavery and other forms of abuse, some of which can be surprisingly difficult to detect, but often target those fleeing from warzones and the vulnerable.25. Some industries (diamond, clothing, coal) from some countries (Burundi26, Eritrea26, Indonesia27) are a particular concern. The Walk Free Foundation, say that in 2016, 40.3 million people were living in modern slavery28.

For more, see:

3. Gender Equality Data Sets

Sudan is an unequal country, with male rights dominating those of women. Cultural Islamic beliefs are squarely to blame.

See:

3.1. Gender Inequality

#gender #gender_equality #human_rights #misogyny #women

Gender Inequality
Lower is better
6
Pos.20156
1Switzerland0.04
2Denmark0.04
3Netherlands0.04
...
137Swaziland0.57
138Cameroon0.57
139Mozambique0.57
140Sudan0.57
141Congo, (Brazzaville)0.59
142Haiti0.59
143Papua New Guinea0.59
144Benin0.61
Africa Avg0.54
World Avg0.36
q=159.

The UN Human Development Reports include statistics on gender equality which take into account things like maternal mortality, access to political power (seats in parliament) and differences between male and female education rates. Gender inequality is not a necessary part of early human development. Although a separation of roles is almost universal due to different strengths between the genders, this does not have to mean that women are subdued, and, such patriarchalism is not universal in ancient history. Those cultures and peoples who shed, or never developed, the idea that mankind ought to dominate womankind, are better cultures and peoples than those who, even today, cling violently to those mores.

For more, see:

3.2. Year Women Can Vote

#christianity #gender_equality #human_rights #politics #women

Year Women Can Vote
Lower is better
Pos.0
Year
1New Zealand1893
2Australia1902
3Finland1906
...
143Afghanistan1963
144Equatorial Guinea1963
145Bahamas1963
146Sudan1964
147Libya1964
148Papua New Guinea1964
149Lesotho1965
150Botswana1965
Africa Avg1961
World Avg1930
q=189.

Women now have equal rights in the vast majority of countries across the world. Although academic literature oftens talks of when a country "grants women the right to vote", this enforces a backwards way of thinking. Women always had the right to vote, however, they were frequently denied that right. The opposition to women's ability to vote in equality with man was most consistently and powerfully opposed by the Catholic Church, other Christian organisations, Islamic authorities and some other religious and secular traditionalists.

For more, see:

4. Prejudice Data Sets

4.1. LGBT Equality

#equality #homosexuality #human_rights #intolerance #sexuality #tolerance

LGBT Equality
Higher is better
9
Pos.2017
Score9
1Netherlands103
2Belgium90
3Sweden86
...
189Libya-42
190Morocco-42
191Solomon Islands-44
192Qatar-54
193Sudan-67
194Saudi Arabia-72
195Somalia-79
196Syria-84
Africa Avg-10.4
World Avg12.6
q=196.

Discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) folk is rife across the world. Legal restrictions co-exist alongside social stigmatisation and physical violence29. LGBT tolerance and equal rights have been fought for country-by-country across the world, often against tightly entrenched cultural and religious opposition. Adult consensual sexual activity is a Human Right, protected by privacy laws30. Despite this, homosexual activity is outlawed in around 80 countries29. The Social & Moral LGBT Equality Index was created to compare countries and regions, granting points to each country for a variety of factors including how long gay sex has been criminalized and the extent of LGBT legal rights. Graded negative points are given for criminality of homosexuality, unequal ages of consent, legal punishments and for not signing international accords on LGBT tolerance. The signs in many developed countries are positive, and things are gradually improving. Europe is by far the least prejudiced region (Scandinavia in particular being exemplary). The Middle East and then Africa are the least morally developed, where cultural bias goes hand-in-hand with state intolerance, all too often including physical violence.

For more, see:

4.2. Freedom of Thought

#europe #freedom_of_belief #freethought #human_rights #netherlands #religion #religious_tolerance #secularism #the_enlightenment

Freedom of Thought
Lower is better
8
Pos.20218
1Belgium1.0
2Netherlands1.0
3Taiwan1.0
...
186Mauritania4.8
187UAE4.8
188Maldives4.8
189Sudan4.8
190Brunei4.8
191Yemen4.8
192Iran4.8
193Pakistan5.0
Africa Avg3.1
World Avg3.0
q=196.

Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Belief are upheld in Article 18 the United Nation's Universal Declaration of Human Rights31. It affirms that it is a basic human right that all people are free to change their beliefs and religion as they wish32. No countries voted against this (although eight abstained). This right was first recognized clearly in the policies of religious toleration of the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe in the post-enlightenment era33 of the 19th century. In democratic countries, freedom of belief and religion is now taken for granted34. In 2016 a study found that over 180 countries in the world had come to guarantee freedom of religion and belief35. The best countries at doing so are Taiwan, Belgium and The Netherlands8,36 and the worst: Afghanistan, N. Korea, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia8,37.

Long-term studies have shown that religious violence and persecution both decrease in cultures where religious freedom is guaranteed38. Despite this, there still are many who are strongly against freedom of belief32, including entire cultures and many individual communities of religious believers. Their alternative is that you are not free to believe what you want and they often state that you cannot change religion without being punished (often including the death penalty): this is bemoaned as one of the most dangerous elements of religion39 and "the denial of religious freedoms is inevitably intertwined with the denial of other freedoms"40 and the solution is, everywhere, to allow religious freedom and the freedom of belief.

For more, see:

There is no freedom of religion10,11, and religious persecution, based on Islam, occurs at the worst possible rate11; converting from Islam attracts the death penalty41 and blasphemy and "defamation of Islam" are serious crimes41. Marriage and other laws strongly favour Muslims at the expense of others41. No new Christian churches are permitted and officials and security forces are demolishing existing ones10.

As the battles between Christians and Muslims continued to go in the favour of the Muslims, South Sudan broke away from the government in 2011 to form a new country. This has been used to justify a new wave of anti-Christian prejudice and intolerance in Sudan. In 2013, the minister of guidance and endowments stated that there was no longer need for any new churches as Christians can get away to the South10.

In early 2017, officials in Khartoum announced they would demolish at least 27 churches within Khartoum [and] in May, police and other security demolished a church in Soba area of Khartoum following a dispute over land ownership.

"World Report 2018" by Human Rights Watch (2018)10

When it comes to religious freedom and persecution, sociologists Grim & Finke place Sudan into the worst category, along with just 13 other countries. Severe restrictions on religious freedom and freedom of belief stem simultaneously from top-down pressure from government and institutionalized religion, and from bottom-up grassroots movements that often go even further than the government in harassing those who do not believe the right things (2011)11. The International Humanist and Ethical Union produced a report in 2012 entitled "Freedom of Thought" (2012)41, in which they document bias and prejudice at the national level that is based on religion, belief and/or lack of belief. Their entry for Sudan states:

The interim constitution and other laws and policies provide for some freedom of religion or belief. However, there are Islamic prohibitions against apostasy, blasphemy, and interfaith marriages. The Interim National Constitution enshrines Islamic law as a source of legislation in the country, and the official laws and policies of the government and the ruling National Congress Party favour Islam.

Although there is no legal penalty for converting from another religion to Islam, converting from Islam to another religion or belief is punishable by imprisonment or death. Persons convicted of conversion are given the opportunity to recant their conversion before execution. A Muslim man may marry a Christian or Jewish women, but a Muslim woman cannot marry a non-Muslim unless he converts to Islam. The penalty for blasphemy and "defamation" of Islam is up to six months in prison, whipping, and/or a fine.

"Freedom of Thought" by IHEU (2012)41