Sudan Doctors Network: 28 dead in Misteriya raid – lawyers demand ICC take action

The Sudan Doctors Network says that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) raid on the Misteriya area in North Darfur on Monday resulted in the deaths of 28 civilians and the injury of 39 others, including 10 women, according to initial information from the area. Sudan’s Emergency Lawyers have called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to intervene and hold the perpetrators accountable.

On Monday, the Rapid Support Forces seized control of the Misteriya area in North Darfur, a stronghold of tribal leader and head of the Revolutionary Awakening Council, Musa Hilal, who is allied with the army. Reports indicate that Musa Hilal fled to Chad, and that one of his sons was killed and another wounded.

The official spokesperson for the Awakening Council said in a press statement that “Musa Hilal is safe and in a secure location”. He explained that the forces attacked Misteriya from four directions, with the participation of “mercenaries” from areas of South Sudan. He confirmed that the attack resulted in civilian casualties, including deaths and injuries, as well as the burning and looting of homes and the displacement of residents.

The Sudan Doctors Network explained in a statement seen by Radio Dabanga that the bombardment of the area on Sunday caused the destruction of the only health centre, and the medical staff working there were assaulted, in addition to the detention of a medical staff member whose fate is still unknown to this moment.

They condemned the widespread attack by the RSF on the Misteriya area, which resulted in the killing of civilians, the spreading of terror among them, and the targeting of health facilities, leading to a massive displacement of people from the area to neighbouring villages and hamlets. The network stated that these attacks constitute a fully-fledged crime and a flagrant violation of all humanitarian and international laws and conventions that criminalise attacks on civilians.

The network called on the international community to take urgent action to protect civilians displaced by this systematic attack, ensure the delivery of humanitarian and medical aid to them, and work immediately to stop the violations and hold the Rapid Support Forces leaders directly responsible for this incident accountable, which is contrary to all international laws that criminalise attacks on civilians, their displacement, and their terrorising.

Call for the ICC to intervene

The Emergency Lawyers Group confirmed that the attack on Misteriya in North Darfur is “a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and human rights, and constitutes a crime against humanity”. It held the Rapid Support Forces directly responsible for all its repercussions, indicating that this attack adds to the record of ongoing violations in Darfur, which may be classified as genocide and crimes against humanity.

The group emphasised that this attack falls within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate crimes committed in Darfur. The Emergency Lawyers Group called on the ICC to take immediate action to prosecute those directly responsible for these crimes, issue arrest warrants, and bring them to international accountability. The group also stressed the need to ensure the protection of civilians and victims and to document these violations as part of the international crimes record. Furthermore, the Emergency Lawyers Group reaffirmed its full commitment to supporting and protecting the rights of civilians and to monitoring violations to ensure full accountability.

Background

Tensions escalated between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Musa Hilal following a drone attack on the Al-Firdous area in Central Darfur State in early January. The attack killed Hamid Ali Abu Bakr, an advisor to the RSF commander, and Major General Ramadan Salem Abu Bakr, commander of the Awakening Council forces (the faction aligned with Musa Hilal), along with 40 other people, mostly women and children.

Social media circulated reports that the RSF had demanded that Sheikh Musa Hilal hand over his son, Fathi, whom they accused of providing the coordinates of the area to the army. Later, Fathi swore on the Quran before a delegation of local residents that he had not sent the coordinates.

Musa Hilal, for his part, accused the RSF of carrying out 75 percent of the drone attack on Al-Firdous and the army of 25 percent, stating that the army and the RSF were the only two forces possessing drones.

Last week, in a speech to a crowd of his supporters in Misteriya, Musa Hilal attacked the RSF’s deputy commander, Abdel Rahim Dagalo, accusing him of ‘cowardice’.