DW meldet in einem Artikel vom 22.07.2019, dass die gegen „illegale Migration“ gerichteten Projekte der Zusammenarbeit mit sudanesischen Sicherheitskräften eingestellt wurden. Insbesondere die Aufrüstung der RSF wurde im Zusammenhang mit der Repression des #Sudanuprising kritisch gesehen.
An EU spokesperson has confirmed to DW that a German-led project that organizes the provision of training and equipment to Sudanese border guards and police was „halted“ in mid-March, while an EU-funded intelligence center in the capital, Khartoum, has been „on hold“ since June. The EU made no public announcements at the time.
The initiatives were paid for from a €4.5 billion ($5 billion) EU fund for measures in Africa to control migration and address its root causes, to which Germany has contributed over €160 million. Sudan is commonly part of migration routes for people aiming to reach Europe from across Africa.
ritics had raised concerns that working with the Sudanese government on border management could embolden repressive state forces, not least the notorious Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia, which is accused by Amnesty International of war crimes in Sudan’s Darfur region. An EU summary of the project noted that there was a risk that resources could be „diverted for repressive aims.“ […]
While the EU maintains it has provided neither funding nor equipment to the RSF, there is no dispute that Sudanese police, who also stand accused of brutally repressing the protests, received training under the programs.
Dr. Lutz Oette, a human rights expert at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), told DW: „The suspension is the logical outcome of the change in circumstances but it exposes the flawed assumptions of the process as far as working with Sudan is concerned.“