A report by the UN human rights office accuses both of Sudan’s warring parties of committing horrific violations and abuses against the country’s civilian population, “some of which may amount to war crimes and possibly other serious crimes under international law.” The UN report holds the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) responsible for the killings of at least 14,600 civilians and the forced displacement of more than 8 million people both inside Sudan and as refugees in five neighboring countries.
The 16-page report is based on interviews with 303 victims and witnesses, as well as analysis of photographs, videos and satellite imagery gathered between April 15 and December 2023. Authors of the report say the intensity of hostilities between the armed forces and “the significant lack of adherence to international humanitarian law and international human rights law standards are concerning.”
“For nearly a year now, accounts coming out of Sudan have been of death, suffering and despair, as the senseless conflict and human rights violations and abuses have persisted with no end in sight,” said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk in a statement Friday.
Since the rival generals plunged Sudan into war on April 15, the report says, armed forces and their allies have indiscriminately attacked civilians in densely populated areas, including sites sheltering internally displaced people, with most attacks occurring in the capital, Khartoum, as well as Kordorfan state and Darfur.
Since April, there have been widespread allegations of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in the conflict-affected hot spots. As of December 15, the report says, it has received reports that at least 118 people had been subjected to sexual violence, including rape, gang rape and attempted rape, among them 19 children.
The report finds many victims were trafficked “for the purpose of sexual exploitation and forced prostitution, by both parties to the conflict and their allied groups, which are prohibited under international law.”
Seif Magango, the UN human rights office regional spokesperson, said the warring parties also have looted property, conscripted child soldiers and otherwise violated the human rights of thousands of helpless, destitute people.
Speaking from the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, he said his office just this week received credible video evidence that several students traveling by road in North Kordofan State may have been beheaded by men in SAF uniforms in El-Obeid City.
Magango said the students were likely killed “based on their perceived ethnicity as being RSF supporters.” The video, which was posted on social media on February 15, “shows troops parading with decapitated heads in the street while chanting ethnic slurs.”
In Darfur, the UN report says, thousands of people have been killed in RSF attacks, “some of which were ethnically motivated.” For example, between May and November the RSF and its allied Arab militia carried out at least 10 attacks against civilians in El-Geneina, the capital of West Darfur, “killing thousands of people, most from the African Masalit ethnic community.”
Magango described the situation in Sudan as very concerning and getting worse. He said it is disturbing that the appalling crimes are taking place out of the international limelight, as Sudan risks becoming a forgotten conflict.
Nevertheless, he said the human rights office continues to document and record multiple cases of killings, injury, displacement and growing cases of sexual violence, among other forms of abuse.
“These violations are incredibly serious under international law,” Magango said.
“Some of these violations would amount to war crimes,” Türk said in response to the report. “There must be prompt, thorough, effective, transparent, independent and impartial investigations into all allegations of violations and abuses of international human rights and violations of international humanitarian law and those responsible must be brought to justice.”
Commanders of the RSF and the Sudanese Armed Forces have previously denied committing war crimes as they battle for control of the country.
In his statement, the High Commissioner said the report makes “more painful reading on the tragedy being needlessly inflicted on the Sudanese people since April 2023, but also underlines once more the dire need to end the fighting and to break the cycle of impunity that gave rise to this conflict in the first place.”
“The guns must be silenced, and civilians must be protected. A credible re-start of inclusive talks to restore civilian-led government is desperately needed to open a path forward,” he added.
Türk also called on both parties to the conflict to ensure rapid and unimpeded access to humanitarian aid in all areas under their respective control.
The number of people in need of humanitarian aid stands now at 24.8 million people – half of Sudan’s population. Among them are 14 million children.
On April 15, 2023, a power struggle between two rival generals of the SAF and the RSF plunged the country into war. The conflict erupted amid a stalled transition to elections and a civilian-led government. Fighting has continued to escalate despite international efforts to broker a ceasefire.
More than ten months after the war between the SAF and the RSF began in the capital, Khartoum, more than 8.2 million people have been forced to flee their homes and seek refuge inside and outside Sudan. At least 6.4 million of those displaced are within Sudan, while more than 1.8 million others have sought refuge in other countries. More than 1.6 million of these have fled across borders into the five neighboring South Sudan, Chad, Ethiopia, Egypt and the Central African Republic.
In total, more than 9 million people are now displaced by conflict within the country, making Sudan the largest internal displacement crisis in the world.
Some information for this report provided by VOA.
Further Information
Full text: Situation of human rights in the Sudan, Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, A/HRC/55/29, released February 23, 2024
https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/hrcouncil/sessions-regular/session55/advance-versions/a-hrc-55-29-auv.docx