Image source: hrw
International organizations have spoken about the suffering experienced by civilians in Sudan in general, and in the Darfur region (western Sudan) in particular, due to the ongoing war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, which has intensified for more than 15 months.
“Widespread” Acts of Violence
On July 28, 2024, Human Rights Watch stated that the Rapid Support Forces committed “widespread” physical and sexual violence in the areas they control in the capital, Khartoum.
In a report titled “Khartoum is No Longer Safe for Women: Sexual Violence Against Women and Girls in Sudan’s Capital,” the organization documented widespread sexual violence, including gang rapes. The report confirmed that women and girls were forced into marriage and were held under conditions that amounted to “sexual slavery.”
The report also found that both parties to the conflict in Sudan prevented victims from accessing comprehensive emergency healthcare and did not take genuine steps to prevent their forces from committing rape or attacking healthcare facilities, nor did they conduct independent and transparent investigations into the crimes committed by their forces.
Proliferation of Weapons Fuels the Conflict
On July 25, 2024, Amnesty International called on the United Nations to expand the arms embargo on Darfur to cover all of Sudan, considering that the continued flow of weapons is fueling the conflict in the country.
Amnesty’s report, titled “New Weapons Fueling the Conflict in Sudan,” discussed the influx of newly manufactured or recently transferred weapons and ammunition from countries (China, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, the UAE, and Yemen) into the Darfur region after being brought into Sudan in large quantities.
Civilian Casualties
Since April 2023, more than 18,800 people have been killed, and over 33,000 injured, due to the fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, according to UN figures.
Amnesty’s estimates indicate that more than 11 million people have been internally displaced, with millions at risk of “starvation,” confirming that violations against civilians committed by both parties to the conflict in Sudan have reached the level of war crimes.
Threat of Famine
Sudan is facing its worst levels of acute food insecurity in its history, according to the United Nations. More than half of the country’s population (approximately 25.6 million people) suffer from severe hunger, with over 8.5 million people facing emergency levels of hunger, while more than 755,000 people live in catastrophic conditions in several regions, including Darfur and the capital, Khartoum, according to UN statistics.
Same Justice organization affirms that the ongoing violations against civilians, especially women and children in Sudan, constitute war crimes and that these actions violate international humanitarian law. They call on relevant global organizations to take immediate and strict measures to stop the fighting between the warring parties and reach a lasting solution.
Same Justice organization emphasizes the necessity of holding all perpetrators of violations accountable and calls for the protection of civilians from killing, forced displacement, and all acts of violence in Sudan.
