IDP camp in El Fasher, North Darfur, Sudan. Sudan: UN calls on international community to act urgently to stop ‘bloody fighting and atrocities’ Peace and Security
Many violence-stricken residents of Sudan’s El Fasher remain “trapped” as they are prevented from leaving the city. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk warned of this today, expressing fears that “monstrous atrocities”, including extrajudicial killings, rape and ethnically motivated violence, continue.
For those who manage to escape, however, the violence continues: on the way to shelters, they are again met with “unimaginable cruelty.”
The High Commissioner also warned of the dire situation in Kordofan, where “the number of civilian casualties, the scale of destruction and massive movements.”
“There are no signs of de-escalation. On the contrary, what is happening on the ground indicates obvious preparations for an intensification of hostilities – with all the ensuing consequences for the population, which has already suffered for a long time,” Turk said in a statement.
The role of the international community
The UN’s top human rights lawyer called on the world community, especially states that have influence over the parties to the conflict, to “realize that unless they take quick and decisive action, we will face more bloody fighting and atrocities.” Turk recalled the Security Council arms embargo, which requires that further military support to parties committing serious violations be stopped.
“I reiterate my call for an immediate end to the violence in both Darfur and Kordofan. The international community must act boldly and urgently,” said the High Commissioner.
Preventing Genocide
The recently appointed UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Chaloka Beyani, also expressed concern over numerous reports of war crimes committed in El Fasher last month. He plans to discuss a coordinated response with African Union officials soon.
“We are seeing massive violations of international human rights norms, direct attacks on civilians, non-compliance with international humanitarian law governing hostilities, with attacks mainly directed against civilians,” Beyani told UN News Service. Guterres, the Security Council and the rest of the UN system.
Alarm
When the Office of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide sounds the alarm, Beyani said, it signals a situation that goes beyond “ordinary human rights violations or international humanitarian right.”
“This indicates that the threshold is about to be exceeded and therefore early response measures must be taken,” Beyani stressed.
Late last month, shocking reports and videos of alleged war crimes by members of the Rapid Reaction Force (RRF) began circulating online as they took control of the North Darfur capital after a siege of more than 500 days. El Fasher.
The Office said that there are indicators of risk of particularly serious international crimes being committed in Sudan, but stressed that only a competent judicial authority can establish the fact of genocide.
Earlier this week, the International Criminal Court (ICC) expressed deep concern over reports of massacres, rapes and other crimes committed in El Fasher, noting that the investigation into alleged war crimes, which began after the outbreak of conflict in April 2023, continues. fighters in and around El Fasher.
RRF leaders said they were ready to accept the terms of the truce brokered by the United States, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.