The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) is appalled by the death sentence handed down against a Darfur refugee. "In an unfair trial in Sudan, Hussein Hassan Abdel Kareem was sentenced last Sunday to death by hanging, although numerous eyewitnesses have confirmed his innocence," reported Ulrich Delius, the head of the Africa section at the STP, on Tuesday in Göttingen. "Such arbitrary proceedings do nothing to further the cause of justice, but rather fuel the violence in the region." The refugee, resident of the 100,000-resident Kalma camp in South Darfur, has been accused of plotting the murder of a supporter of peace talks with the Sudanese government. But far from requiring credible evidence, the death sentence was handed down solely on the basis of statements from the Sudanese secret service, who are notorious for their use of torture.

"With the drastic sentence the Sudanese officials hope to intimidate the 2.7 million Darfur refugees, among whom rage and hopelessness are rising," said Delius. "The draconian sentence is also intended to help to justify to the international community the planned but still controversial closure of refugee camps." Sudan's government wants to resettle the refugees, driven from their homes during the genocide, far from their villages or in smaller camps to create the impression of peace in the region.

Lawlessness is determining the lives of people in Darfur. For more than two years, a special prosecutor under the direction of Khartoum has been investigating those responsible for the crimes against humanity committed since 2003. But to date he has not brought anyone to trial.

Instead, the violence by former Janjaweed militiamen, responsible for the genocide of more than 400,000 sub-Saharan Darfur residents, is increasing. The militiamen, since integrated in the officially recognized and supported "Popular Defense Forces" or in the "Border Patrol," are suspected of committing at least five murders or attempted murders on known personages in Darfur since mid-September 2010. None of these cases has been plausibly investigated by law enforcement agencies as yet.

Officials stand idly by while the violence in Darfur between nomadic Arabic tribes steadily increases. At least 920 Rizeigat and Misseriya nomads have died since January 2010 in conflicts concerning grazing lands and access to wells. Many of these impoverished nomads were recruited by the Sudanese army as Janjaweed militiamen to chase off or exterminate the African population living here. But the genocide of their neighbors has not improved the situation of these nomads. Now the rage is growing among them against the government of Sudan, which has taken no steps to relieve the suffering of impoverished herdsmen, but is fueling the conflicts between them by supplying arms.

For further information, please contact Ulrich Delius.

Translated by Elizabeth Crawford