By AGGREY MUTAMBO

More by this Author

The African Union on Wednesday suspended troubled Sudan after the military forcibly took power and dissolved the transitional government.

The decision announced by the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) means that Sudan will no longer be allowed into AU sessions or vote on crucial matters until it restores a civilian government.

“The AUPSC decides to suspend the participation of the Republic of Sudan in all AU activities until the effective restoration of the civilian-led Transitional Authority,” a communique said after the 15-member Council met virtually on Tuesday and condemned the coup.

The Council, comprising of member states of the AU on a rotational basis, is a standing organ that works to prevent, manage or resolve conflicts on the continent. This month, Mozambique is the chair of the Council and was expected to send a delegation to Khartoum by the weekend to discuss the transition with the military chiefs.

Sudan’s military ruler Abdel Fattah al-Burhan on Monday morning took power, arrested members of the transitional government under Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and imposed a state of emergency including shutting down the internet.

He reappeared in public on Tuesday promising to set a government “free of politics” and freed Dr Hamdok who had been detained with his wife. He rejected his decision as a coup, saying he had acted to safeguard the transition.

Suspending Sudan is routine though. The AU’s policy requires total disregard to “unconstitutional changes” in government and usually suspends members until they agree to return to civilian rule.

The Council said the AU Commission chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat should “take necessary measures and intensify his engagement with the leaders of the Transitional Government and the Sovereign Council in order to facilitate the resumption of dialogue towards a successful transition in Sudan.”

That, the Council indicated, includes dispatching a team to Khartoum.

Crack the whip

The decision of the AU came even as activists across the continent criticised the coup, calling on the continental body to crack the whip.

In an open letter, more than 70 entities and individuals said Sudan’s junta had violated basic rights by denying them a chance to take part in the transition as well as suffering a communication blockade.

“These actions violate the AU Shared Values and specific provisions of the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance regarding unconstitutional changes of government.

“We note that the military takeover has negative consequences for Sudan’s transition into a democracy, a journey that had a major turning point in 2019 when civilians got rid of dictator Omar Hassan Al-Bashir through a peoples’ revolution,” they said in an open letter on Wednesday.

The junta also closed down the main airports and restricted the movement of people.

“These limitations on the rights and freedoms of the Sudanese people as well as other nationalities present in Sudan is in stark violation of both the Sudanese Constitution as well as African and International Human rights norms,” they said under their banner of ‘African citizens and its diaspora.’

They demanded that all of Hamdok’s ministers arrested on Monday be released, people allowed to picket and the military return power to civilians.

List

The groups included 40 civil society groups and 38 individual rights campaigners whose list is found here below.

A – Institutions

1. Advocacy Network for Africa, Washington DC, USA
2. AfricanDefenders (Pan African Human Rights Defenders Network)
3. African Union Watch, Banjul, The Gambia
4. African Women and Youth Initiative
5. African Women's Development and Communication Network (FEMNET)/ Réseau de Développement et de Communication des Femmes Africaines
6. African Women Leaders Forum (AWLF), Zimbabwe
7. Atrocities Watch Africa (AWA), Kampala, Uganda
8. Chapter One Foundation, Lusaka, Zambia
9. Coalition for an effective African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACC), Arusha, Tanzania
10. Coalition Togolaise des Défenseurs des Droits Humains (CTDDH), Lomé, Togo
11. DefendDefenders (East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project)
12. Disability Amalgamation Community Trust (DACT), Zimbabwe
13. DITSHWANELO - The Botswana Centre for Human Rights, Gaborone, Botswana
14. Eastern Africa Youth Empowerment on Peace and Security
15. Echoes of Women in Africa Initiatives, Nigeria
16. HUDO Centre, Kampala, Uganda
17. Human Rights Institute of South Africa (HURISA)
18. Institut des Médias pour la Démocratie et les Droits de l'Homme (IM2DH), Lomé, Togo
19. Institute for Young Women Development (IYWD), Zimbabwe
20. International Refugee Rights Initiative (IRRI), Kampala, Uganda
21. Inuka Kenya Ni Sisi!, Nairobi, Kenya
22. Kamma Organization for Development Initiatives (KODI), Sudan
23. Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), Nairobi, Kenya
24. Nawi – Afrifem Macroeconomics Collective, Nairobi, Kenya
25. Network of Independent Commissions for Human Rights in North Africa
26. Nubsud Human Rights Monitors Organization (NHRMO), Sudan
27. OnetoAll Foundation, Meru, Kenya
28. Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (OSISA), Johannesburg, South Africa
29. Oromo Legacy Leadership and Advocacy Association
30. Oromo Professionals Group (OPG), Washington DC
31. Rape Hurts Foundation, Uganda
32. Pan African Citizens Network (PACIN)
33. Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU), Arusha, Tanzania
34. Pan African Law and Justice Initiative, Kenya
35. Panos Institute Southern Africa
36. Plateforme de la Diaspora Tchadienne en Amerique
37. Southern Defenders (Southern African Human Rights Defenders Network)
38. Wakiso District Human Rights Committee, Uganda
39. Yearning Voices Foundation (YVF)
40. Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, Harare, Zimbabwe

  B – Individuals

1. Abel K. Walendom, Co-Facilitator, Plateforme de la Diaspora Tchadienne en Amerique
2. Abdalla Komi Kodi, Executive Director, Kamma Organization for Development Initiatives (KODI), Sudan
3. Achieng’ Akena, PanAfricanist, Uganda
4. Adaobi Egboka, Human Rights Lawyer, Nigeria
5. Arnold Tsunga, Human Rights Lawyer, Zimbabwe
6. Brian Tamuka Kagoro, Uhai Africa Ltd, Harare, Zimbabwe
7. Bridget Musungu, Panafrican, Nairobi Kenya
8. Bushra Gamar Hussein, Executive Director, HUDO Centre, Kampala, Uganda
9. Bonaventure N’Coué MAWUVI, Journaliste et Défenseurs des Droits Humains, Lomé,Togo
10. Chidi Anselm Odinkalu
11. Chris Kwaja
12. Danford M. Chirwa, Dean, UCT Law
13. Donald Deya, Pan Africanist, Nairobi, Kenya
14. Dzimbabwe Chimbga, Human Rights Lawyer, Zimbabwe
15. Edigah Kavuravu, Human Rights Lawyer, Kenya
16. Femi Falana SAN, Human Rights Lawyer, Nigeria
17. Feyi Ogunade, Human Rights Lawyer
18. George Kegoro, Lawyer, Nairobi, Kenya
19. Gitahi Githuku, Human Rights Defender, Nairobi, Kenya
20. Golda Keng, Advocacy and Campaigns Consultant, Yaoundé, Cameroon
21. Hakima Haithar, International Development Consultant, Johannesburg, South Africa
22. Ibrahima Kane: Ibrahima Kane, lawyer Senegal
23. Irene Mwendwa, Lawyer, Policy Uganda
24. Jok Madut Jok, Professor of Anthropology, Syracuse University and Director of The Sudd Institute
25. Khabele Matlosa
26. Martin Masiga, Africa Judges and Jurists Forum (AJJF)
27. Martin Mavenjina, Constitutional and Human Rights Lawyer, Nairobi, Kenya
28. Musa Mwenye, SC, Former Attorney General of the Republic of Zambia
29. Nikiwe Kaunda, Mzuzu, Malawi
30. Otto Saki, Zimbabwe
31. Roland Ebole, Human Rights Lawyer, Nairobi, Kenya
32. Roselyn Hanzi, Human Rights Lawyer, Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights
33. Sarah Mukasa
34. Sharon Nakandha, Lawyer, Uganda
35. Siphosami Malunga, Executive Director, Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa
36. Tiseke Kasambala, Chief of Party, Freedom House, Johannesburg, South Africa
37. Vusumuzi Sifile, Lusaka, Zambia
38. Washington Katema