ICC prosecutors reveal evidence of war crimes in Sudan’s Darfur
Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court revealed on July 10th that war crimes are being committed in Sudan’s Darfur region, according to The National on July 11th.
Nazhat Shameem Khan, who is the deputy ICC prosecutor, told the UN Security Council that “the humanitarian position has reached an intolerable state” in war-torn Sudan.
She detailed that “hospitals, humanitarian convoys, and other civilian objects are apparently being targeted. Famine is escalating, and humanitarian aid is not reaching those in dire need of it.”
“People are being deprived of water and food. Rape and sexual violence are being weaponised, abductions for ransom or to bolster the ranks of armed groups have become common practice, and yet we should not be under any illusion that things can still get worse.”
“On the basis of our independent investigations, the position of our office is clear. We have reasonable grounds to believe that war crimes and crimes against humanity have been and are continuing to be committed in Darfur.”
The war has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced a further 13 million, including four million who have fled across national boundaries into neighbouring countries. The United Nations labelled the situation in Sudan as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. On June 23rd, a top UN official warned that the risk of genocide occurring in Sudan is “very high”.
The Darfur region was previously plunged into extreme violence in 2003, where up to 300,000 people were killed after former dictator Omar Al-Bashir sent the Janjaweed, which is the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces’ progenitor, to repress a civilian-led insurrection.
Ms Khan said that the ICC had closely tracked recent reports of the humanitarian catastrophe occurring in North Darfur, where the regional capital of El-Fasher has been besieged by the RSF and its allies since May 2024. Numerous displacement camps in North Darfur have also been targeted by the RSF, including the famine-stricken Zamzam camp.
A report released by UN experts in September 2024 concluded that both warring factions – the military and the RSF – have committed war crimes across Sudan.
The report, which was rejected by the military-run government based in Port-Sudan, suggested imposing an arms embargo on the country and creating an international peacekeeping force to protect civilians from the violence.
The National, Maghrebi.org
Want to chase the pulse of North Africa?
Subscribe to receive our FREE weekly PDF magazine
