A group of Sudanese rights and professional bodies has accused both warring parties in Sudan of committing atrocities that could be prosecuted as war crimes and crimes against humanity. In a petition addressed to United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, the coalition called for an investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
More than 30 Sudanese rights groups and professional entities are accusing both the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of committing human rights violations against civilians in Sudan’s Darfur region and elsewhere.
In a joint statement issued Saturday, the rights groups demanded an immediate investigation into the alleged violations and for the referral of the matter to the International Criminal Court through the UN Security Council.
Speaking to VOA, Nafisa Hajar, deputy head of the Darfur Bar Association, said her group has documented a series of violations and attacks, including mass killings, ethnic cleansing and forceful displacement, which she said would amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
She said, given that the judicial system of Sudan is now paralyzed due to the ongoing war, the international community should take action to bring the perpetrators to a court of law. Hajar said right now there are continued airstrikes on civilian buildings, civilians are forcefully displaced from their homes, and women are being systematically raped. All these atrocities, she said, should be counted as war crimes.
On July 13, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, announced the opening of a new investigation regarding allegations of war crimes in the context of the war in Sudan, especially in the city of El Geneina in West Darfur state.
Hajar said the motive behind the filed petition is to help the victims and to prevent the continued impunity of the alleged perpetrators. Both the army and the RSF deserved to be investigated. She said at the moment there are serious violations of all treaties and agreements that call for protection of civilians. She said the rights of Sudanese civilians are now being violated by both warring parties.
Sudanese lawyer Abdul Basit Al Haj criticized the Sudan Armed Forces for failing to protect civilians in El Geneina during RSF attacks in the city and elsewhere in Sudan. Speaking to VOA, Al Haj said the RSF has been attacking hospitals, occupying them, targeting doctors in Khartoum, and committing genocide and ethnic cleansing of non-Arab groups, specifically the Masalit ethnic group in West Darfur state.
“They are occupying civilians’ houses,” he said. “They occupy hospitals, schools, universities, and destroy all these buildings. ... According to the definition of war crimes, these are war crimes or crimes against humanity.”
Sudan Army spokesperson Nabeel Abdallah distanced the military from these atrocities, saying “all” were committed by the RSF.
"They took over the homes of citizens in Khartoum by force and turned them into military barracks," Abdallah told VOA.
VOA reached out to the RSF commander's special adviser for foreign affairs, Ibrahim Mukhayer, for a comment, but received no immediate reply.
War broke out between the army and the Rapid Support Forces on April 15. Forces from both sides have been battling for control of the country since hostilities erupted. Thousands of people have been reportedly killed in the conflict.
Over three months into the conflict, heavy fighting between the SAF and RSF continues at the same pace, with no signs of a possible resolution of the conflict or successful ceasefire after numerous failed attempts. Reports indicate a deterioration of the situation and continuation of deadly attacks across Khartoum, Darfur, the three Kordofan states and Blue Nile state.
Since mid-April, more than 3.5 million people have been forced to flee, including nearly 2.7 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and more than 830,000 refugees, asylum seekers, returnees, and other foreign nationals, who have crossed the borders into neighboring countries.
The major hosting countries include the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia and South Sudan. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), most of the people displaced in Sudan have fled from Khartoum state and Darfur region.
Humanitarian needs across the Sudan and in neighboring countries continue to rise as the situation deteriorates. The number of people in need of humanitarian aid stands now at 24.7 million people – more than half of Sudan’s population. Among them are 13 million children in urgent need of lifesaving humanitarian support.
More than 80 percent of hospitals in the country are out of service, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Attacks on health care continue to be reported across the country. WHO has verified 53 attacks on health facilities since the conflict began.
Over 40 percent of Sudan’s population – more than 19 million people – are facing hunger due to the conflict - the highest number ever recorded in Sudan.
Some information for this report provided by VOA.