OHCHR / SUDAN TURK PRESSER

STORY: OHCHR / TURK SUDAN PRESSER
TRT: 05:42
SOURCE: OHCHR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 16 NOVEMBER 2022, KHARTOUM, SUDAN

SHOTLIST:

1. Exterior shot, Travelling shot arrival at President of the Transitional Sovereign Council office.
2. Various shots, HC Türk meeting with First Lieutenant-General Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan Abdelrahman Al-Burhan, President of the Transitional Sovereign Council.
3. Wide shot, press conference OHCHR building Khartoum
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“We are aware of the political negotiations that continue towards a framework for a new transition. And I urge all those who are involved in this political process to set aside entrenched positions, power games and any of their personal interests, and to focus on the common interests of the people of Sudan. We need bold steps towards finding consensus, and we need to make sure that the human rights for all people of Sudan are the driving force behind this political process. The future of the country depends on it.”
5. Cutaway, journalists
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“We have, let's not forget, the Juba peace agreement. It was an important step forward in the country's trajectory towards peace. It provides important commitments on issues like power sharing, gender equality, like resource sharing, like accountability, transitional justice, as well as the important issue of return of refugees and internally displaced people. This agreement needs to be implemented as a matter of urgency.,”
7. Cutaway, journalists
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“Sudan is a country that is rich in natural resources. It has arable land. It has a young population. There is incredible wealth in this country. And this wealth is for the people of Sudan, both for the current and for future generations. All of them need to benefit from it, not just the few. There is a need for good governance and the management of that is obviously a top priority.”
9. Cutaway
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“One of the biggest challenges, though, is to build trust. It's one word that was a common thread throughout all our conversations. To build trust between the authorities and the people. And that's not surprising. Following decades of repression and the tumultuous last few years. The trust in institutions in government and traditional institutions is low. State institutions need to be representative of the people. They need to be accessible by the people. And they need to work for the people. That's also what the social contract means. It means inclusivity and meaningful participation of people from across the country, including women and the most vulnerable. In my discussions with the authorities, I consistently highlighted the need for trust, building measures to earn the confidence of the people. I stressed an important point that human rights and the respect for human rights build trust.”
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“The issues they raised, and that my office has documented, are serious. We have seen the excessive use of force against protesters in Khartoum, including the use of live ammunition, according to our own and medical sources. Since the takeover last year, at least 119 people have been killed and more than 8050 sustained injuries, many life- changing injuries.”
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“Rather than detained protesters, I have asked for the police to establish a way to engage with the communities, to accept the fact that they have legitimate demands. And I urge them not to see them as adversaries, but as people like all of us and people of Sudan.”
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“There are also deeply worrying reports of sexual and gender-based violence against women and girls, as well as men and boys. My office has verified 19 incidents of sexual and gender-based violence, mostly committed by the police in the context of the protests. Now, maybe more, as often there are, but victims of such violence do not come forward due to deep social stigma, lack of faith in the justice system and fear of reprisals. The lack of trust in institutions, including the traditional parties, means impunity for such violations."
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR):
“In the Darfur region, that I visited yesterday, again after 11 years, in civil society and internally displaced people highlighted the rampant impunity for serious human rights violations and abuses, including by the rapid support forces. My office has documented 11 large scale deadly clashes that have left at least 1091 people dead since January 2021”

STORYLINE:

At the end of his first official visit to Sudan, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk held a press conference in Khartoum today (16 Nov).

The High Commissioner travelled to El Fasher, in northern Darfur, where he met representatives of internally displaced people and other civil society organisations.

On Wednesday 16 November, the High Commissioner also met First Lieutenant-General Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan Abdelrahman Al-Burhan, President of the Transitional Sovereign Council.

Speaking to journalists in Khartoum, Volker Türk said, “We are aware of the political negotiations that continue towards explore a framework for a new transition. And I urge all those who are involved in this political process to set aside entrenched positions, power games and any of their personal interests, and to focus on the common interests of the people of Sudan. We need bold steps towards finding consensus, and we need to make sure that the human rights for all people of Sudan are the driving force behind this political process. The future of the country depends on it.”

He also said, “We have, let's not forget, the Juba peace agreement. It was an important step forward in the country's trajectory towards peace. It provides important commitments on issues like power sharing, gender equality, like resource sharing, like accountability, transitional justice, as well as the important issue of return of refugees and internally displaced people. This agreement needs to be implemented as a matter of urgency.”

The UN High Commissioner added, “Sudan is a country that is rich in natural resources. It has arable land. It has a young population. There is incredible wealth in this country. And this wealth is for the people of Sudan, both for the current and for future generations. All of them need to benefit from it, not just the few. There is a need for good governance and the management of that is obviously a top priority”

He noted that “one of the biggest challenges, though, is to build trust. It's one word that was a common thread throughout all our conversations, to build trust between the authorities and the people. And that's not surprising. Following decades of repression and the tumultuous last few years. The trust in institutions in government and traditional institutions is low. State institutions need to be representative of the people. They need to be accessible by the people. And they need to work for the people. That's also what the social contract means. It means inclusivity and meaningful participation of people from across the country, including women and the most vulnerable. In my discussions with the authorities, I consistently highlighted the need for trust, building measures to earn the confidence of the people. I stressed an important point that human rights and the respect for human rights build trust.”

Türk also said, “The issues they raised and that my office has documented, are serious. We have seen the excessive use of force against protesters in Khartoum, including the use of life ammunition, according to our own and medical sources. Since the takeover last year, at least 119 people have been killed and more than 8050 sustained injuries, many life changing injuries.”

“Rather than detained protesters, I. hHave asked for the police to establish a way to engage with the communities, to accept the fact that they have legitimate demands. And I urge them not to see them as adversaries, but as people like all of us and people of Sudan,” the High Commissioner said.

Türk also said, “There are also deeply worrying reports of sexual and gender basedgender-based violence against women and girls, as well as men and boys. My office has verified 19 incidents of sexual and gender based violence, mostly committed by the police in the context of the protests. Now, maybe more often there are, but victims of such violence do not come forward due to deep social stigma, lack of faith in the justice system and fear of reprisals. The lack of trust in institutions, including the traditional parties, means impunity for such violations.”

Finally, he told reporters “In the Darfur region that I visited yesterday, again after 11 years in civil society and internally displaced people highlighted the rampant impunity for serious human rights violations and abuses, including by the rapid support forces. My office has documented 11 large scale deadly clashes that have left at least 1091 people dead since January 2021,”