US Committed to Seeking Accountability in Syria

Ethan Goldrich during his meeting with Syrian Civil Defense officials. (US Embassy)
Ethan Goldrich during his meeting with Syrian Civil Defense officials. (US Embassy)
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US Committed to Seeking Accountability in Syria

Ethan Goldrich during his meeting with Syrian Civil Defense officials. (US Embassy)
Ethan Goldrich during his meeting with Syrian Civil Defense officials. (US Embassy)

US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Ethan Goldrich discussed with the head of Syrian Civil Defense Raed al-Saleh the vital work that the organization is doing to save lives through preparation, response, and recovery operations.

The US embassy tweeted that Washington "is committed to​ seeking accountability for those responsible for atrocities in Syria," noting that for 11 years, the regime "has detained, tortured, and committed crimes against Syrians, but impunity will end. This month, we highlight how Syrians and the international community are pursuing accountability for these crimes."

Goldrich was set to host on Thursday European Union, Arab and European envoys to discuss Syria. UN envoy to Syria, Geir Pedersen, was expected to brief them on the latest political developments.

The gatherers will hold consultations on the field developments in Syria, the positions of Arab nations that are open to normalizing relations with Damascus, and the impact the Ukraine war will have on the country.

Washington has notably invited Turkey to the talks. It had previously asked Ankara for the first such meetings held in Brussels in December.

The invite is part of US efforts to steer Turkey away from Russia, ease tensions, and mitigate the severity of the situation due to Washington's support to Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Pedersen is scheduled to host the meeting of the Constitutional Committee in Geneva, starting Mar. 21, with the participation of delegations from the government, the High Negotiations Committee (HNC), and the civil society.



RSF Shelling On Camp Kills 8 in Sudan's Darfur, Say Rescuers

A view of a street in the city of Omdurman damaged in the year-long civil war in Sudan, April 7, 2024. REUTERS/El Tayeb Siddig
A view of a street in the city of Omdurman damaged in the year-long civil war in Sudan, April 7, 2024. REUTERS/El Tayeb Siddig
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RSF Shelling On Camp Kills 8 in Sudan's Darfur, Say Rescuers

A view of a street in the city of Omdurman damaged in the year-long civil war in Sudan, April 7, 2024. REUTERS/El Tayeb Siddig
A view of a street in the city of Omdurman damaged in the year-long civil war in Sudan, April 7, 2024. REUTERS/El Tayeb Siddig

Rapid Support Forces (RSF) shelled a displacement camp in Sudan's Darfur region on Thursday, killing eight civilians and injuring others, a local rescue group said.

The bombardment hit Abu Shouk camp, which hosts tens of thousands of displaced people on the outskirts of El Fasher, the besieged capital of North Darfur.

El-Fasher remains the last major stronghold in Sudan's western Darfur region not under the control of the RSF, who have been at war with the regular army since April 2023, AFP reported.

"The Abu Shouk camp witnessed heavy artillery bombardment by the RSF... killing eight people," the camp's Emergency Response Room said in a statement.

In recent weeks, El-Fasher, which has been under RSF siege since last year, has been locked in intense fighting between warring sides in a region also gripped by famine.

Thursday's offensive comes just days after a series of attacks by the RSF targeted another battleground region of Sudan.

More than 450 people, including 35 children, were killed in several villages of North Kordofan, southwest of the capital Khartoum, according to a statement released this week by the UN's children agency.

"No child should ever experience such horrors," said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. "Violence against children is unconscionable and must end now."

On Sunday, the RSF claimed to have killed more than 470 army personnel near the town of El-Obeid, also in North Kordofan, in a statement posted to its Telegram channel.

Independent verification of casualties in Sudan remains difficult due to restricted access to its conflict zones.

Now in its third year, the conflict has killed tens of thousands and forced millions to flee, creating what the United Nations describes as the world's largest displacement crisis.

In December last year, famine was officially declared in three displacement camps near El-Fasher, namely Zamzam, Abu Shouk and Al-Salam, according to the UN.

Since the Sudanese army regained control of the capital Khartoum in March, the RSF has shifted its operations westward, focusing on Darfur and Kordofan in a bid to consolidate territorial gains.

In April, RSF fighters seized the Zamzam displacement camp, located near Abu Shouk.

The assault forced nearly 400,000 people to flee, according to UN figures, effectively emptying one of the country's largest camps for the displaced.

Sudanese analyst Mohaned el-Nour told AFP the RSF aims to redefine its role in the conflict.

"Their goal is no longer to be seen as a militia, but as an alternative government in western Sudan, undermining the legitimacy of the authorities in Port Sudan."

He added that the recent surge in violence in North Kordofan was likely intended to divert the army's attention from El Fasher, where the military is trying "at all costs" to maintain.