29 Mar 07 – Following removal by the Home Office to Khartoum on 5 February 2007, Sadiq Adam Osman – a survivor of ethnic cleansing in Darfur, who had previously been interviewed about his experiences by the Aegis Trust, and had taken part in demonstrations in London about the Darfur crisis – was brutally tortured by Sudanese security services. Astonishingly he managed to escape and make contact with the Aegis Trust. Aegis then helped him to get out of Khartoum.
In another east African country, Sadiq was examined by experienced doctors who assessed his injuries and psychological trauma to be fully consistent with his account of torture. There, he was interviewed by journalist Inigo Gilmore for a Channel Four News report (to be broadcast tonight) and The Guardian (see page 26 in today’s paper, extended report online here).
‘Bleeding everywhere’
“They came from all sides,” Sadiq told Gilmore. “They just beat me everywhere. My whole body was numb so I couldn’t feel anything any more. I was bleeding everywhere, I was completely soaked in blood, and the room was covered with my faeces and urine. I was expecting to die, I never thought I would be alive now.”
His removal flew in the face of existing evidence of the dangers for Darfuri Africans removed from the UK to Khartoum, including that set out in the Aegis Trust’s June 2006 report ‘Safe as Ghost Houses’.
It is also consistent with information recently provided to the Aegis Trust by a former member of the Sudanese security services that any Darfuri African removed from Europe to Khartoum can expect to face torture and is at certain risk of being killed.
Sadiq’s experience provides a chilling illustration of the dangers of the continued Home Office policy of removals of Darfuri Africans to Khartoum. In the past ten days, many Darfuris have been detained and dozens more have been ordered to report to immigration services as part of moves by the Home Office, working closely with the Sudanese Embassy, to send them back to Sudan.
Raised in the Commons
John Bercow MP, Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Genocide Prevention, raised the Darfuri torture issue in the House of Commons this week, and told Channel Four that the Home Office was playing with fire.
“Sadiq’s case is not isolated – I think there is a wider picture,” Mr Bercow said. “There have been many cases of people who have been instructed to return to Khartoum who have been intimidated, threatened and tortured having done so. It’s an extremely risky business for Britain to send people back.”
His view was shared by Dr James Smith, Chief Executive of the Aegis Trust: “What is astonishing is that Home office officials are working so closely with Sudanese embassy officials and either they’re blind to what is going on, or turning a blind eye.
“Tony Blair speaks strong words about the need for the world to respond, but they’re negated by his own government’s action of returning Darfuris into the hands of the abusive security services.”
Home Office unmoved
So far though, the Home Office remains unmoved. In response to Sadiq’s story, it gave the following statement:
“In line with current case law, we continue to consider that it is safe to return to Sudan those Sudanese nationals who have been found by both the Home Office and the independent appeals process not to be in need of international protection….
“We do not routinely monitor the treatment of individuals once removed from the UK – we would not remove them if we considered that they were likely to suffer persecution on their return.”
Today, Sadiq is haunted by terrible nightmares and is deeply insecure about his future. “I have no country, no family, nothing left,” he says. “My life is very difficult.”
Inigo Gilmore’s film about Sadiq will be broadcast tonight on Channel 4 news, beginning at 7pm.
