“Sudan Dams” case declared admissible by the African Commission: mass forced evictions, displacement, and forcible suppression of anti-dam demonstrations before the regional body

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) has decided to examine a case against the Republic of Sudan involving forced eviction, inadequate compensation and suppression of protesters during the building of two dams in Northern Sudan… The construction of the Merowe Dam began in 2003 and was completed in 2009 without prior consultation with the elected leaders of the affected communities, resulting in the alleged displacement and forced eviction of over 50.000 people...The construction of the Kajbar Dam began in 2005, also without prior consultation with the communities that would be affected. In June 2007, heavily armed Sudanese forces fired on a march protesting the construction of the Kajbar Dam, killing four, wounding more than fifteen others.

[Companies involved in the building of the two dams include Lahmeyer, Sinohydro and Harbin Power Engineering]