UN Condemns Atrocities in Sudan Conflict, Urges ICC Investigation
International human rights groups and the United Nations have strongly condemned the atrocities committed during the Sudan conflict and called for an investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The conflict erupted on April 15 between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), leading to widespread violations of human rights.
Numerous organizations, including activists, lawyers, doctors, and human rights advocates, have appealed to the UN Security Council to refer the violations committed by both warring parties to the ICC. In a statement released by the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), atrocities committed by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF were strongly condemned. The RSF is supported by Arab militias in Darfur.
UNITAMS has expressed its concern over the indiscriminate targeting of civilian populations and public facilities by the RSF and its allied militias, particularly in the locality of Sirba in West Darfur. Eyewitnesses who have managed to escape Darfur reported that the RSF is specifically targeting members of the local non-Arab Masalit group. The situation in el-Geneina, the capital of West Darfur, is grim, with unburied bodies of the victims continuing to accumulate.
The UN mission has also expressed its concerns about similar incidents in Nyala, South Darfur, and Zalingei, Central Darfur. Volker Perthes, the UN special representative, stated that he is alarmed by reports indicating that civilians are being prevented from reaching safety, resulting in numerous casualties. These reports are reminiscent of the violations committed in West Darfur last June.
Amnesty International, in a report released on the same day, accused both the SAF and the RSF of committing widespread violations against civilians. These violations include targeted killings, rape, abductions, random bombardments, random shelling, looting, and occupation of houses. Amnesty International stated that both parties have shown a complete disregard for international humanitarian law principles, which forbid the deliberate targeting of civilians and prohibit attacks that fail to distinguish between civilians and combatants.
The report also highlighted incidents where civilians were deliberately killed or injured in targeted attacks, with survivors and witnesses identifying armed RSF members and allied militias as the perpetrators. The report referred to the abduction and sexual violence, including rape, perpetrated against scores of women and girls as young as 12. These heinous acts have been committed in and around the capital, as well as in the Darfur region.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has reported satellite data showing massive fire destruction in the town of Sirba in Sudan’s West Darfur state. This town is the seventh village or town to have been destroyed in West Darfur since April. HRW has accused the RSF and its allied Arab militias of war crimes and called for an independent investigation by the ICC. The RSF has denied these accusations, describing them as inaccurate.
Local Sudanese groups, along with the Sudanese Lawyers Democratic Front and other organizations, have written an open letter to the UN Secretary General, urging the referral of the Sudan case to the ICC. These groups have called for an investigation into the violations committed by the warring parties, stressing the need for justice for the civilian victims.
As attention on the conflict in Sudan fluctuates, these organizations are pushing for international attention and action to address the crimes and violations against civilians. The atrocities committed during this conflict must not go unnoticed, and those responsible must be held accountable for their actions. The UN’s condemnation and call for an ICC investigation are crucial steps towards achieving justice and preventing further violations in Sudan.
