< Statement>
Sudan’s Military, which is accountable for the massacre of civilians, should give up power!
The Korean people support democracy in Sudan!

Since December last year, the people of Sudan have been fighting for democracy in Sudan, protesting against the dictatorship. The government of Omar al-Bashir, who has committed crimes against humanity, including the horrendous Darfur massacre to be charged by the International Criminal Court, ended up by the brave resistance of the Sudanese people.
Though the dictator has stepped down, the military, which is the pawn of the dictatorship, is threatening the people of Sudan again. The military committed the atrocities of massacring civilians demanding democracy in Sudan. Protesters demanding the transfer of power to the Transnational Military Council, which took power after Omar al-Bashir was ousted on April 11 this year, agreed to a three-year transitional period for civilian power transfer in May. But the military, blinded by power, carried out an attack on civilians who were eventually staging a sit-in on June 3, including live ammunition and tear gas. The "Khartoum massacre," in which as many as 100 civilians were killed and more than 70 people were raped in a brutal military attack, has shocked the world. 
The military came out more strongly after the Khartoum massacre. It cancelled all agreements to form a government through elections after a three-year transitional period and announced that elections would be held within nine months. The measure is intended not to allow time for the civil society and opposition parties to prepare for the election. The brave Sudanese citizens went into immediate disobedience. And again on June 30, tens of thousands of Sudanese citizens nationwide launched a nationwide protest demanding transfer of power and Justice for Khartoum massacre. Even then, the military used tear gas and live ammunition to stage another round of armed crackdowns. More than 10 Sudanese people were killed and more than 200 were injured. Among the wounded, twenty-seven were shot.
The international community has been strongly opposed to this. The innocent sacrifice of Sudanese citizens caused outrage. Finally, on July 5, both sides agreed to establish joint military-civilian sovereign council that will rule the country by rotation "for a period of three years or slightly more". However, it remains to be seen whether the military will keep the promise. If public outrage of the international community subsides, the military will extend its power with a bullet any time. Already, Sudan's military has broken promises and constantly responded to its citizens with violence, including the Khartoum massacre. 
Despite the Khartoum massacre, the U.N. Security Council's statement was thwarted by opposition from China and Russia. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt support Sudan's military because Sudan joined the civil war in Yemen. The U.S., too, is apparently urging an early transfer power to civil government, but has not been active because Saudi Arabia is an ally of US’s Middle East policy. While the African Union and the European Union support the transfer of power to civil government, international solidarity is desperately needed for democracy in Sudan. 
In 2018, Korean society could meet Yemeni refugees who were forced to flee to South Korea due to the Yemeni civil war. Though Sudan is geographically far away from South Korea, Sudan's democracy, which Sudanese citizens keep bleeding for, is by no means irrelevant to us. On April 12, last year, the South Korean government held a high-level policy consultation meeting with the Sudanese government to discuss Korean companies' investment in Sudan. In fact, in the past, Daewoo Group had paid attention to Sudan and invested more than $100 million to become the largest investment company in Sudan. While Sudanese citizens were groaning under dictatorship, the South Korean government used Sudan as an investment opportunity. It is urgent for the Korean government to support and support Sudan's struggling democracy.
Countries who support Sudan's military, which have oppressed their people as a tool of dictatorship and is directly responsible for the recent massacre, should be ashamed of their actions under name of "national interests." The same is true of Transnational corporations that are trying to exploit Sudan's resources and its people by taking advantage of fragile situation of Sudan, which started its journey from the long tunnel of dictatorship to democracy. The international community should engage in monitoring such companies and protecting the human rights of the Sudanese people actively. Korean companies are no exception.
We expect that the democracy that the Sudanese people will win and build will be not only means, but also great courage and hope for Arab and African democracy. South Korean citizens will continue to join brave Sudanese citizens who are building democracy against dictatorship and violence. The Sudanese army shall no longer kill its citizens. It is a strong warning from the Korean people.

July 9, 2019

Activists group for Human Rights 'BARAM’
Advocates for Public Interest Law ‘APIL’
Buddhist Human Rights Committee
Catholic Human Rights Committee
Committee to Support Imprisoned Workers
Dasan Human Rights Center
Disability and Human Rights in Action
Korean Lawyers for Public Interest and Human Rights, ‘Hope and Law’
Human Rights Education Center 'Deul'
Jeju Peace Human rights Center
Jesuit Research Center for Advocacy and Solidarity
Korean House for International Solidarity
Migrants center FRIENDS
MINBYUN-Lawyers for a Democratic Society International Solidarity Committee
NANCEN, Refugee Rights Center
PINKS: SOLIDARITY FOR SEXUAL MINORITY CULTURES & HUMAN RIGHTS
Sarangbang Group for Human Rights
Seoul Human Rights Film Festival
Solidarity for Another World
Solidarity for LGBT Human Rights of Korea
Supporters for the Health And Rights of People in the Semiconductor industry 
The National Council of Churches in Korea Human Rights Center
Won Buddhism Human Rights Committee
(Total 23 Korean Civil organizations)