Faced with the atrocities committed by the belligerents in Sudan, UN experts called on Friday for the “immediate deployment” of an “independent and impartial” force to protect the civilian population.
The experts, mandated by the Human Rights Council, concluded in a report presented in a statement that the two warring parties “have committed a horrific series of human rights violations and international crimes, many of which can be qualified as war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
“The gravity of these findings underscores the urgency of immediate action to protect civilians,” said Mohamed Chande Othman, chair of the Sudan fact-finding mission.
It 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 conflict pits the army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhane, against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) of General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.
The war has left tens of thousands dead and displaced more than 10 million people, including in neighbouring countries, according to the UN. It has also caused a very serious humanitarian crisis.
Protecting civilians
“Given that the warring parties have not spared civilians, it is imperative that an independent and impartial force with a mandate to protect civilians be deployed without delay,” Othman said. His colleague, Mona Rishmawi, pointed out that several models exist, whether it be UN peacekeepers as in neighbouring South Sudan or a regional interposition force from the African Union, for example.
The experts, who did not speak on behalf of the UN, stressed that “the protection of the civilian population is essential” for a country where half of the population – 25 million people – suffer from malnutrition.
They also called for a ceasefire and regretted that the Sudanese authorities had turned a deaf ear to the four requests to be allowed to visit the country. The report sent to the government for comment as is customary has also remained unanswered.
Large-scale violations
The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), along with their respective allies, “have been found responsible for large-scale violations, including direct and indiscriminate attacks through airstrikes and shelling against civilians, schools, hospitals, communications networks and vital water and electricity supplies,” the statement said.
The warring parties also targeted civilians “through rape and other forms of sexual violence, arbitrary arrests and detentions, as well as torture and ill-treatment.”
All of these violations could “constitute war crimes,” according to the report.
The experts highlighted “the horrific attacks perpetrated by the RSF and its allies against non-Arab communities – particularly the Masalit in and around El-Geneina, West Darfur.”
They reported killings, torture, rape and other forms of sexual violence, destruction of property and looting.
“There are also reasonable grounds to believe that the acts committed by the FSR and its allied militias constitute numerous crimes against humanity.”
Arms Embargo and ICC
The experts – who were able to meet refugees from the conflict in Sudan’s neighbouring countries and 182 direct victims of abuses or their relatives – want the arms embargo to be extended to the whole of Sudan. They also call on the authorities to cooperate with the International Criminal Court and hand over former dictator Omar al-Bashir.
They also call for the establishment of an international judicial mechanism dedicated solely to Sudan.
Joy Ngozi Ezeilo regretted that the tragedy in Sudan was not making headlines. “It is truly heartbreaking and the world absolutely needs to do much more,” the expert said, adding: “This needs to be at the heart of international discussions.”