{"id":20052332,"date":"2023-09-12T10:46:35","date_gmt":"2023-09-12T08:46:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dabangasudan.org\/?p=20052332"},"modified":"2023-09-13T20:22:43","modified_gmt":"2023-09-13T18:22:43","slug":"redress-mounting-evidence-of-war-crimes-in-sudan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dabangasudan.org\/en\/all-news\/article\/redress-mounting-evidence-of-war-crimes-in-sudan","title":{"rendered":"REDRESS: Mounting evidence of war crimes in Sudan"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The UK-based REDRESS organisation and the SOAS Centre for Human Rights Law<\/strong> have reported that \u201ca large body of credible (and evolving) evidence\u201d is emerging implicating both sides of the war in Sudan \u201cin the commission of serious human rights abuses and possible war crimes.\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the co-autored report entitled Ruining a country, devastating its people. Accountability for serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law in Sudan since 15 April 2023<\/a>, <\/em>REDRESS and the SOAS Centre for Human Rights Law note that there are \u201creasonable grounds to conclude that some of the patterns of violations being reported in Sudan constitute crimes against humanity. there are also credible accounts of conduct in Darfur that could possibly amount to genocide.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Battles between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the vicinity of El Shajara Armoured Corps<\/a> in western Khartoum and Omdurman continue to be reported, along with clashes in Darfur<\/a>, Kordofan, and other parts of Sudan. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Sudan reported that as of September 5, about 5.1 million people<\/a> have fled their homes since the war erupted in mid-April.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The report states that there is a large body of credible prima facie evidence implicating both the RSF and SAF in\u00a0serious human rights abuses and possible war crimes, including mass arbitrary detention, torture,\u00a0enforced disappearance, rape and other sexual and gender-based violence, intentionally targeting civilians\u00a0and protected objects, and hostage-taking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, the use of scorched earth tactics in Darfur by the RSF may constitute crimes against humanity. \u201cThere is strong evidence that these attacks have been deliberately targeted against the Masalit and other non-Arab groups,\u201d said REDRESS. A Human Rights Watch report, published on August 4, said that Sirba \u201cis the seventh village or town that has been nearly destroyed or burned completely to the ground in West Darfur since April,\u201d including Habila, Mistri, Morni, and Megmari.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the time, an Amnesty International report documented mass civilian casualties<\/a> \u201cin both deliberate and indiscriminate attacks by the warring parties.\u201d The report also detailed \u201csexual violence against women and girls, targeted attacks on civilian objects such as hospitals and churches, and extensive looting.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u201cspiralling violence\u201d in Darfur \u201cis raising the spectre of the scorched earth<\/a> campaign of previous decades, at times involving some of the same actors,\u201d said Amnesty International\u2019s Secretary General Agn\u00e8s Callamard on August 3. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to REDRESS, the RSF and SAF hold an estimated 5,000 and 1,500 civilian detainees respectively, with reports of torture and ill-treatment being inflicted. \u201cThe RSF are also implicated in numerous hostage-taking cases and appear to have intentionally occupied civilian-populated buildings as a means of trying to prevent its forces from being targeted by the SAF.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At least 108 cases of rape and other sexual and gender-based violence, particularly in Khartoum and Darfur, have been reported by Sudan\u2019s Combating Violence Against Women Unit. \u201cThe Unit estimates that the cases it has registered likely represent approximately 2% of actual numbers,\u201d according to REDRESS. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere are various ongoing mediation initiatives, each attempting to broker some form of comprehensive ceasefire,\u201d said REDRESS. \u201cHowever, there is currently no clear end in sight. Behind the rhetoric of the two forces, atrocities continue to be reported daily. As both sides are seemingly convinced of their respective paths to victory, neither has made a meaningful public commitment to withdraw its troops from residential areas. With States and regional bodies taking regular stock of the leverage that they can feasibly deploy to resolve the impasse, a solution is urgently needed.\u201d <\/p>\n