Amnesty International: 6 months civilians killed and displaced in Sudan

Moatinoon
Civilians in the Sudan continue to be killed and displaced every day as the conflict that has unnecessarily claimed countless lives in the past six months continues, Amnesty International said.

The organization emphasized that justice and accountability were essential for the protection of civilians, and that the continuing lack of accountability for past crimes was one of the root causes of such renewed violence.

It welcomed the Human Rights Councils action last week to establish an international accountability mechanism for the collection and preservation of evidence, looking forward to its operationalization as soon as possible. She urged all parties to the conflict to cooperate with her.

The United Nations Security Council must urge all relevant actors to significantly increase humanitarian support to the Sudan and call on the parties to allow unimpeded humanitarian access. The Security Council must also extend the arms embargo to all Sudan and ensure its enforcement”.

Amnesty International recently joined more than 50 human rights and humanitarian organizations calling on the international community to mobilize to confront the catastrophe unfolding in the Sudan.

With the escalation of the conflict between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) reaching its sixth month today (15 October 2023), killing at least 5,000 civilians, more than 12,000 injured, and more than 5.7 million forcibly displaced people, said Tejir Chagota, director of Amnesty International in East Africa.

The escalation of violence in April 2023 followed weeks of tensions between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) over the reform of UNISFA during negotiations to form a new transitional government. The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) jointly overthrew the Sudanese transitional government in October 2021.

In a report released in August, Amnesty International revealed that extensive war crimes being committed by the RSF and SAF in the conflict. The report, ‘Death Came to Our Home’: War Crimes and Civilian Suffering In Sudan, documented mass civilian casualties in both deliberate and indiscriminate attacks by the warring parties. The report also details sexual violence against women and girls, targeted attacks on civilian objects such as hospitals and churches, and extensive looting.