Khartoum - New York: Europe and the Arabs
The Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Sudan said that the warring forces in Sudan are deliberately targeting civilians across the ravaged country, committing atrocities that constitute war crimes on a widespread and systematic basis. Some acts may also amount to crimes against humanity, including persecution and extermination, according to the UN Daily News Bulletin, a copy of which we received this morning.
The commission's latest report, released Friday under the title "Atrocity War," concluded that the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces are responsible not only for direct and widespread attacks against civilians, but also for the widespread destruction of vital infrastructure essential to their survival, including medical centers, markets, food and water systems, and displacement camps. The report also stated that the Rapid Support Forces, during their siege of El Fasher and surrounding areas, committed a wide range of crimes against humanity, including murder, torture, enslavement, rape, subjugation, sexual violence, forced displacement, and persecution on ethnic, social, and political grounds.
It added that the Rapid Support Forces and their allies used starvation as a method of warfare by depriving the civilian population of basic necessities for their survival, including food, medicine, and relief aid, "which may amount to genocide, a crime against humanity."
"The findings of our investigations leave no doubt that civilians are paying the heaviest price in this war," said Mohamed Chande Osman, head of the fact-finding mission.
A devastated family behind every documented case
The report revealed that both sides failed to take sufficient measures to mitigate the impact of airstrikes and artillery shelling on civilians and civilian infrastructure. As a result, towns, villages, displacement camps, hospitals, and homes have been systematically destroyed or rendered uninhabitable, displacing 12.1 million people and leaving more than half the country's population facing severe food insecurity.
It also noted the obstruction of humanitarian aid, attacks on convoys, and the targeting of aid workers. It concluded that both sides in the conflict arbitrarily arrested, detained, and tortured civilians based on the victims' ethnicity, political opinions, work, or alleged collaboration with the other side.
According to the report, Rapid Support Forces fighters committed acts of sexual and gender-based violence, including rape, gang rape, forced marriage, and sexual slavery.
"Behind every documented case is a shattered family, a displaced community, and a human being who survived unimaginable violence," said Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, a member of the mission. According to Mona Rishmawi, a member of the mission, "The report not only exposes the atrocities, but also lays out a roadmap for justice." She called on the international community to act now to enforce an arms embargo, support justice by backing the International Criminal Court, establish an independent judicial mechanism for Sudan, use universal jurisdiction to hold perpetrators accountable, and ensure that those responsible for atrocities face consequences, including targeted sanctions.