A shocking report from Amnesty International has exposed the gruesome war crimes committed during the ongoing conflict in Sudan. The organization reveals that Sudan’s warring parties, particularly the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and its allied Arab militias, have engaged in extensive violence against civilians, including targeted killings, sexual violence, and widespread destruction.
According to the 56-page report released by Amnesty International, civilians in Sudan have been brutally killed and wounded in deliberate attacks. Women have been subjected to rape and held captive under appalling conditions that amount to “sexual slavery.” The conflict, now raging for months, has left innocent civilians trapped between a rock and a hard place, with fleeing fraught with danger and staying a perilous choice.
Donatella Rovera, co-author of the report, stressed that sexual assault has become a horrifying common occurrence in this conflict. The RSF and its allied Arab militias are predominantly responsible for the heinous acts, with the report outlining horrific incidents of abduction and multiple rape of women and young girls as young as 12.
Amnesty International’s report also accuses the RSF of committing deliberate attacks, alongside some members of the military. In response to these grave allegations, the military has claimed the establishment of a unit dedicated to minimizing civilian harm. The RSF, on the other hand, strongly denied the accusations of sexual violence and violent acts in West Darfur.
The conflict has tragically transformed urban areas, including the capital Khartoum, into battlefields. Darfur, still reeling from the genocidal war of the early 2000s, has experienced some of the deadliest episodes of violence during this ongoing conflict. The fighting has sparked ethnic clashes, forcing approximately four million people to flee their homes in search of safety, both within Sudan and in neighboring countries.
Amnesty International highlights that West Darfur province, one of the five regions constituting Darfur, has witnessed waves of violence, including the killing of innocent civilians and the widespread looting and destruction of homes and essential facilities, such as hospitals and markets. The recent killing of West Darfur’s Governor, Khamis Abdalla Abkar, by the RSF led to an exodus of the Masalit community towards eastern Chad, as they sought refuge from the relentless fighting in Darfur.
The horrors documented in the Amnesty report are mirrored by previous reports from various human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, which called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate atrocities in Darfur. The UN Human Rights Office has confirmed the discovery of a mass grave outside the town of Geneina, containing at least 87 bodies. The ICC’s prosecutor, Karim Khan, has also stated his intention to investigate alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.
In conclusion, Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International, emphasizes the unimaginable horrors that civilians in Sudan face on a daily basis. She calls upon the warring parties and their affiliated groups to cease targeting civilians, ensure safe passage for those seeking refuge, and put an end to this never-ending nightmare.
As the world witnesses the unfolding tragedy in Sudan, only time will tell if justice will prevail and the perpetrators of these ruthless war crimes will be held accountable.
Author: Ryan Scott
Just a guy