UN experts call for intervention force to protect civilians

The conflict, which has pitted the army against paramilitaries since April 2023, has left tens of thousands dead and displaced more than 10 million people.

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Sudanese children at a camp run by the United Nations refugee agency in Gallabat, Sudan, on September 4, 2024. (AFP)

Faced with the atrocities committed by the belligerents in Sudan, experts mandated by the Human Rights Council, a United Nations body, called on Friday, September 6, for “deployment without delay” of a force “independent and impartial” in order to protect civilian populations. The war between the army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane, to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of General Mohamed Hamdane Daglo, since April 2023, has left tens of thousands dead and caused the displacement of more than 10 million people.

Experts concluded in a report that both warring sides “have committed a horrific series of human rights violations and international crimes, many of which can be characterized as war crimes and crimes against humanity”. “The gravity of these findings underscores the urgency of immediate action to protect civilians.”stressed Mohamed Chande Othman, the chairman of the fact-finding mission on Sudan.

The mission was established late last year by the Human Rights Council to document human rights violations committed in the country since the start of the war in April 2023. The experts, who are also calling for a ceasefire, have asked the Sudanese authorities to visit the country four times, but to no avail. The report sent to the government for comment as is customary has also remained unanswered.


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