26. Juli 2013

 

Diese Anfragebeantwortung enthält keine allgemeinen Informationen zu Rekrutierungsproblemen der Regierung, zum neuen Gesetz betreffend Reservistenarmee und zum Einsatz von nicht-arabischen Truppen durch die Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) und Popular Defense Forces (PDF) in Darfur.

 

Small Arms Survey schreibt in einem Bericht vom März 2013, dass laut Informationen, die in Südkordofan gesammelt worden seien, viele neu stationierte Soldaten erst kürzlich verpflichtet worden seien. In einigen Fällen sei diese Verpflichtung unter Zwang erfolgt. Die Verpflichteten hätten vor ihrer Überstellung nach Süd-Kordofan nur eine sehr grundlegende Ausbildung in Khartum oder an anderen Orten erhalten. Viele seien mutmaßlich in islamistischen Universitätsverbindungen und religiösen Gruppen in Khartum rekrutiert worden. Bei anderen rekrutierten Personen habe es sich um ehemalige südsudanesische SAF-Soldaten (Sudanese Armed Forces) gehandelt, die im Ruhestand seien, aber gezwungen worden seien, der Armee erneut beizutreten, um ihren Status und ihre Rechte betreffend des Ruhestandes zu schützen. Augenzeugen, die im Mai 2012 in Südkordofan interviewt worden seien, hätten angegeben, dass in der ersten Phase des Krieges Zwangsrekrutierung durch die SAF eine maßgebende Rolle gespielt habe. Ein Deserteur der SAF, der mutmaßlich Zeuge von Zwangsrekrutierung geworden sei, habe angegeben, dass etwa 250 Männer im Juni 2011 in Abu Jibeha rekrutiert worden seien. Großteils seien Nuba-Studenten rekrutiert worden. Die neuen Rekruten sein 45 Tage ausgebildet worden, bevor sie in Einheiten eingegliedert worden seien. Der Deserteur habe zudem angegeben, dass diese Rekruten mindestens zwei Jahre hätten dienen müssen:

„According to information gathered in South Kordofan, including from Nuba SAF [Sudanese Armed Forces] defectors who joined the rebellion early in the conflict, many of the newly deployed forces were recently conscripted—sometimes forcibly—and given only very basic training in Khartoum and elsewhere before being transferred to South Kordofan. Many were allegedly recruited from among Islamist circles in universities and religious groups in Khartoum. Others were former South Sudanese SAF soldiers who had retired but were forced to rejoin the army to protect their retirement status and rights. Witnesses interviewed in South Kordofan in May 2012 said forced conscription by SAF was significant in the first stage of the war. A SAF defector, who allegedly witnessed forced conscription, said the equivalent of at least eight platoons, or around 250 men, were recruited in Abu Jibeha in June 2011, mainly from among Nuba students. New recruits were trained for 45 days before they were integrated into operational units. The same defector said these recruits had to serve for at least two years and were paid 45 Sudanese pounds (SDG—USD 17 at the time) a month. There are also unverified reports of combatants from further afield, including fighters from once Khartoum-supported Chadian rebel groups (notably the Missiriya-dominated Union des Forces pour la Démocratie et le Développement–UFDD-Fondamentale) previously operating in Darfur” (Small Arms Survey, März 2013, S. 24-25)

Hauptsächlich Mitglieder von Gemeinschaften aus dem Südsudan und Darfur seien zum Ziel von Zwangsrekrutierungen geworden, aber auch Mitglieder der ethnischen Gruppe der Nuba, berichtet Small Arms Survey des Weiteren. Dazu sei es trotz der Tatsache gekommen, dass das Kommando der SAF den Nuba, die in der Vergangenheit Soldaten für die nationale Armee sowie Milizen zur Verfügung gestellt hätten, scheinbar vermehrt misstraue. Die wichtigsten arabischen Stämme in Südkordofan, die Hawazma und Missiriya, hätten das Vertrauen der Regierung ebenfalls anscheinend verloren. Der Deserteur habe angegeben, dass derartige Rekrutierungskampagnen vom Militärgeheimdienst und der Militärpolizei durchgeführt worden seien, die zu diesem Zweck im Gebiet Abu Jibeha stationiert worden seien. Die Beamten hätten Ortschaften besucht, Häuser und Geschäfte durchsucht und alle Studenten ohne Studentenausweise gezwungen, sich „freiwillig“ rekrutieren zu lassen. Deserteure seien „gejagt“ worden:

„Forced recruitment mainly targeted members of South Sudanese and Darfurian communities, but also, in South Kordofan itself, the Nuba. This occurred despite the fact that the Nuba, who in the past had provided troops for the national army as well as militias, appear increasingly distrusted by the SAF command. The main South Kordofan Arab tribes—Hawazma and Missiriya—also seem to have lost the government’s trust. The defector explained that such recruitment campaigns were carried out by military intelligence and military police officers, deployed in Abu Jibeha area for this purpose. Officers visited villages, searching houses and shops, and forced all students without student ID cards to sign up for ‘voluntary’ recruitment. Defectors were also hunted.” (Small Arms Survey, März 2013, S. 60)

Die International Crisis Group (ICG) erwähnt in einem Bericht vom Februar 2013, dass die Popular Defense Forces (PDF) nach Ausbruch des Krieges im Juni 2011 in Südkordofan unter allen Stämmen rekrutiert habe, darunter die arabischen Gruppen Misseriya und Hawazma und nicht-arabische Gruppen wie die Fellata und sogar Nuba. Es sei unklar, ob eine größere Anzahl von Nuba und Misseriya weiterhin rekrutiert werde, da die Regierung diesen Stämmen generell mit Misstrauen begegne und viele Personen Berichten zufolge aus der Armee und der PDF desertiert seien und sich der SPLM-N angeschlossen hätten. Laut einem SAF-Deserteur, der den Nuba angehöre, habe die SAF gänzlich das Vertrauen in die Nuba verloren, jedoch würden die SAF weiterhin Nuba-Soldaten zwangsrekrutieren:

„The government also has more troops and more sophisticated equipment than during the first war. Its numbers range from 40,000 to 70,000, including the SAF and paramilitary forces such as the PDF and the Central Reserve Police (CRP) deployed in May-June 2011. According to the [Sudan People’s Liberation Movement] SPLM-N, there were some 12,000 SAF troops in South Kordofan when the war broke out in June 2011. The supposedly disbanded PDF also seem to be an important part of the count, with figures above 20,000. The PDF in South Kordofan have recruited, as during the first war, among all tribes, including Misseriya and Hawazma Arabs, non-Arabs such as Fellata and even Nuba. It is unclear whether large numbers of Nuba and Misseriya are still being enrolled, given the government’s general distrust toward these tribes, especially since many reportedly defected from the army and the PDF and joined the SPLM-N. According to a SAF Nuba defector, ‘SAF totally lost confidence in the Nuba, but they kept recruiting Nuba soldiers by force’.” (ICG, 14. Februar 2013, S. 20-21)

In einer Fußnote auf Seite 21 desselben Berichts wird bezüglich der Äußerungen des zitierten SAF-Deserteurs angemerkt, dass dieser behauptet habe, Zeuge von Zwangsrekrutierungen geworden zu sein, insbesondere von Studenten in Abu Jibeha Mitte des Jahres 2011. Er habe angegeben, dass die Rekruten gemeinsam mit SAF-Soldaten manchmal an die „Front“ geschickt worden seien:

„This defector claimed to have witnessed forced recruitment, particularly of students, in Abu Jibeha in mid-2011. He said the recruits were mixed with SAF troops and sometimes sent to the ‘front-line’. Crisis Group interview, South Kordofan, May 2012.” (ICG, 14. Februar 2013, S.  21)

Die Sudan Social Development Organization (SUDOUK) mit Sitz im Vereinigten Königreich schreibt im März 2013, dass im Zuge eines Angriffs der SAF südöstlich von Belieil 9 Personen scheinbar dazu gezwungen worden seien, sich den SAF anzuschließen. SUDOUK ruft die sudanesische Regierung dazu auf, sicherzustellen, dass Zivilisten nicht zwangsrekrutiert würden, die Zwangsrekrutierten umgehend freizulassen und jene, die zwangsrekrutiert hätten, vor Gericht zu bringen:

„The four nomad civilians killed on 15 March 2013 come from the Rizeigat group. […] They were in a settlement south-east of Belieil, 35 km from Nyala in South Darfur when forces from the [Sudan Liberation Army] SLA/Mini Minawi, returning after an unsuccessful pursuit of Sudan Armed Forces, attacked their encampment and apparently killed them in cold blood. […] On Thursday 14 March 2013 the Sudan Armed Forces atd thtackee (sic) rebel camp and captured it. However, the following day, on Friday 15 March, the SLA/MM forces counter-attacked the government army and re-took the camp. […] The following nine people, civilians who appear to have been forced to join the SAF during the attack on Thursday 14 March, are missing: […] SUDO (UK) calls on the Government of Sudan to ensure that civilians are not forcibly recruited to take part in armed conflict, to release those recruited immediately and bring to justice those carrying out forced recruitment.” (SUDOUK, 19. März 2013)

Das Integrated Regional Information Network (IRIN) schreibt in einem Artikel vom Februar 2012, dass Rebellengruppen, die die südsudanesische Regierung bekämpfen würden, laut Angaben eines hochrangigen Beamten in Juba, eines Rebellenführers und eines Mannes, der einer Zwangsrekrutierung entkommen sei, Südsudanesen, die in Khartum leben würden, zwangsrekrutieren würden. Obwohl es seit einer Reihe von Entführungen im Dezember 2011 scheinbar zu einem Rückgang der Zwangsrekrutierungen gekommen sei, würde es laut Angaben der südsudanesischen Regierung weiterhin vereinzelt dazu kommen. Ein südsudanesischer Regierungssprecher habe die Sicherheitsbehörden des Sudan beschuldigt, Milizgruppen zu Zwangsrekrutierungen in Khartum zu ermuntern:

„Rebel groups fighting South Sudan’s government have bolstered their ranks through the forced recruitment of southerners living in Khartoum, according to a senior official in Juba, a self-styled rebel leader, and a man who escaped a pressgang in Sudan’s capital. Although the alleged forced recruitment appears to have died down since a reported spate of abductions in late December, South Sudan’s information minister and government spokesman Barnaba Marial Benjamin said it was still taking place sporadically. It happens ‘from time to time, it is random; they don’t have specific dates when they carry it out. Even if it goes down [in frequency], doesn’t happen for two or three days, you hear again a week later the same process is being repeated over and over again,’ he told IRIN. Benjamin accused ‘national security authorities in the Republic of Sudan [of] encouraging the militia groups that are in Khartoum to forcefully recruit some of the [southern] students from the University of Khartoum’ and send them to training camps ‘to be part of the militia groups’ fighting the Juba government. Although Sudan has denied any involvement, Benjamin said a government delegation travelled from Juba to Khartoum in January to call ‘for this type of activity to stop. But it seems that nothing is stopping... and I think that this is actually spoiling the principle of building relations between the two states.’“ (IRIN, 8. Februar 2012)

Agence France-Presse (AFP) berichtet im Dezember 2011 ebenfalls über Fälle von mutmaßlicher Entführung ethnisch südsudanesischer Jugendlicher. Laut Angaben von christlichen Quellen im Sudan würden diese einige Wochen in Lagern ausgebildet und dann an die Grenze geschickt. Ein südsudanesischer Militärsprecher habe angegeben, dass insbesondere ethnische Südsudanesen in Khartum von Zwangsrekrutierung gefährdet seien:

„The fear of kidnappings, a dwindling number of worshippers, and shrinking church finances mar the first Christmas in Muslim-majority Sudan since the Christian South separated, church sources say. ‘We are going to have a Christmas like parents without children,’ said one source. Like others, he asked to remain anonymous because of the sensitivity of the issue -- in particular the alleged abduction of ethnic southern youth to fight in the country's southern border region or with rebels in South Sudan. ‘The young people are worried about being rounded up to serve in militia on the border,’ another church source said. ‘They take them to the camp, train them for a few weeks and then they send them.’ Sudanese forces in the country's South Kordofan state have since June been fighting former allies of the rebels who fought for the independence of South Sudan. The South gained independence from the mainly Arab Muslim north in July after a two-decade civil war, and an overwhelming vote to break away. The fighting spilled into nearby Blue Nile state as Khartoum moved to assert its authority within its new boundaries. Philip Aguer, South Sudan's military spokesman, made essentially the same allegations as the church sources in Khartoum. He said ethnic South Sudanese in Khartoum were among those particularly vulnerable to forced recruitment.” (AFP, 22. Dezember 2011)

Auch die südsudanesische Zeitung The Citizen berichtet über Zwangsrekrutierungen in Khartum. Einige Studenten seien in der Universität entführt und in Militärlastwägen der SAF abtransportiert worden:

„The Citizen has learned from its correspondent in Khartoum, the Sudan capital that the authorities there despite protests from South Sudan government and the leadership of South Sudanese University Students Union in Juba against such gross abuse of human rights continue earth scorching search for IDPs and students for compulsory recruitment in militia armies. […] Some students who were abducted from university gates and taken to collection centres before their transportation in large military trucks availed by Sudan armed forces SAF were followed by their relatives who are still in Khartoum and bailed out by paying 2000 SSP per head before they were released. The correspondent said paying ransom money was not a guarantee for not being captured again for recruitment because the same student could still be abducted and when the relative no longer can afford to bail him out by paying another 2000 SSP then he would be forcibly taken to any of the training camps notably Karasana, Abujebia, Magnis and other camps in the states bordering South Sudan. Places like Karasana belong to South Sudan but are occupied by SAF.” (The Citizen, 18. Dezember 2011)

 

 

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