03 Dec 2020; MEMO: Legal adviser to the Sudanese victims of the Emirati Black Shield Company Omar Al-Obaid announced on Tuesday that he is preparing to file regional and international lawsuits against ten prominent Emirati, Sudanese and Libyan personalities for human trafficking.
Al-Obaid stated at a press conference in the capital, Khartoum: "We have contacted Human Rights Watch (HRW) about the misleading practices carried out by the Emirati Black Shield Company against Sudanese citizens, and we have received calls from the United Nations (UN) committee of experts on the Libyan file, saying that this case will be included in its report that will be released on 10 January."
He noted that ten prominent Emirati, Sudanese and Libyan figures, including Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Zayed, General Khalifa Haftar, officers from the three countries, the owners of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Black Shield Company and a Sudanese travel agency are defendants in the case.
Al-Obaid added: "No criminal proceedings have been brought before the Sudanese courts, and we are working to initiate regional and international prosecutions because we are facing cross-border and organised crimes that violate the anti-human trafficking charters of the United Nations, the African Union (AU) and Arab countries."
The lawyer asserted: "The Sudanese government is supposed to prosecute the suspects, but its position is very passive, and I represent the interests of the victims," while indicating that the defence committee has resorted to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Al-Obaid stressed that the case is not being filed against the UAE, but rather against people who trafficked and deceived Sudanese citizens into fighting in Libya.
