Truth-finding Mission in Sudan Calls for Submissions on Violations
Moatinoon
The Truth-finding Mission in Sudan, affiliated with the Human Rights Council, has urged individuals, groups, and organizations to submit information and relevant documents regarding its jurisdiction. The submission window will remain open until July 31 of the coming year.
In a statement on its website, the mission announced that it would present the investigation results to the Human Rights Council in its fifty-sixth session (June-July 2024) and the fifty-seventh session (September-October 2024), followed by an "interactive dialogue enhanced by the participation of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, among others."
The Human Rights Council had mandated the mission on October 11, 2023, to investigate all alleged human rights violations, breaches of international humanitarian law, and their proof, along with evidence of the facts, circumstances, and root causes. This includes those committed against refugees and related crimes in the context of the ongoing armed conflict that began on April 15, 2023, between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, as well as other warring parties.
The one-year mission comprises three members: Joy Ezeilo (Nigeria), Mona Rashmawi (Jordan/Switzerland), and Mohamed Shandi Othman (Tanzania), with the latter serving as its president.
The mission clarified that information and documents can be submitted in English and/or Arabic. It particularly welcomes information related to:
Facts and circumstances about human rights violations, breaches, and violations of international humanitarian law, including those against refugees and related crimes in the context of the conflict that began on April 15, 2023. The mission is particularly interested in direct information, including information available directly from survivors, their relatives, and witnesses who can provide information about:
Acts of sexual violence and gender-based violence.
Ethnicity-motivated attacks on civilians.
Indiscriminate aerial bombardments.
Recruitment and use of children in armed conflicts.
Ill-treatment and life-threatening conditions faced by detainees.
Looting, burning, and destruction of villages and towns.
Plunder of humanitarian aid convoys and aid agencies and unjustified restrictions on humanitarian aid access.
Killings, arbitrary detention, intimidation, and retaliation against humanitarian and health workers, human rights defenders, community leaders, public officials, journalists, students, and lawyers.
Identifying those responsible, including security forces, judicial bodies, institutions, and individuals involved through various roles, in committing or facilitating alleged human rights violations.
Recommendations regarding preventive, protective, or compensatory measures. These measures may include, among other things, political and normative measures, and accountability measures aimed at avoiding and ending impunity for any individual ordering or facilitating the commission of crimes under international law. Additionally, measures for redress for victims, survivors, and their families.
Encouragement for recommendations on measures that third states, multilateral institutions, companies, and the private sector should take to enhance human rights protection, promote equality, truth, justice, and reparations.
To ensure the confidentiality and security of the provided information, it is recommended to submit it via the email address established by the committee for this purpose: submissions-ffmsudan@un.org. For any inquiries, including how to submit information differently, contact the committee via the following email: ffmsudan@un.org.
If you wish to send large video clips, digital materials, or other files, please inform the Truth-finding Mission in advance through the general email. The mission will then communicate with you to enable the submission of large files securely.
The mission emphasized the protection and confidentiality of information and the non-disclosure of individuals identities, stating that the Truth-finding Mission "attaches utmost importance to protecting information sources, especially respecting the confidentiality of information and the principle of do no harm (i.e., not exposing the lives of victims, witnesses, and others cooperating with the Truth-finding Mission to risk). The Truth-finding Mission will not disclose the identity of cooperating individuals unless there is prior consent, and the provided information will be used according to their stated preferences."
The mission also noted that it would not send "individual notifications of receipt of information to individuals or entities submitting it." Additionally, the information received may not necessarily all be reflected in public reports, and, in particular, the mission will not investigate issues claiming violations beyond the scope of the missions mandate. The involved parties were advised to take additional measures to safeguard safety. It stated:
Maintain the confidentiality of your communications with the Truth-finding Mission. Please refrain from informing your family, friends, or others, as much as possible, that you are communicating with the Truth-finding Mission or sending information.
After sending a message to the Truth-finding Mission, completely delete it from your device (including from the trash folder), and do not save the email address of the Truth-finding Mission in your contact list.
