UN Human Rights commissioner Volker Turk said on Sunday he is alarmed by the increasing militarization of society by all parties to the conflict in Sudan, also expressing his worries that the atrocity crimes committed during and after the takeover of El Fasher would be repeated in the Kordofan region.
Speaking at a press conference in Port Sudan, where the government had been operating as a temporary capital since the conflict began, the UN envoy said the proliferation of advanced military equipment, in particular drones, across Sudan has enhanced the military capabilities of both the Sudanese army (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), prolonging hostilities and deepening the crisis for civilians.
“I am deeply alarmed by the increasing militarization of society by all parties to the conflict, including through the arming of civilians and recruitment and use of children,” Turk noted.
The envoy said that during his visit to refugee camps in north Sudan, he heard accounts of widespread summary executions by RSF during the offensive on El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur region – for revenge, for suspected affiliation with the Sudanese Army or its allied Joint Forces.
He added, “I am very worried that the atrocity crimes committed during and after the takeover of El Fasher are at grave risk of repeating themselves in the Kordofan region, where the conflict has been rapidly escalating since late October.”
Horror and Hell
Turk also said the Sudanese population had endured “horror and hell,” especially with the expansion of the fighting in Kordofan.
“The Kordofan states are extremely volatile, with relentless military engagements, heavy shelling, drone bombardments and airstrikes causing widespread destruction and collapse of essential services,” he warned.
Since the end of October, and after taking control of El Fasher in Darfur, the RSF attacks have expanded into the neighboring Kordofan region, resulting in a continued displacement of civilians from the besieged city – all in the context of extreme food insecurity, with famine conditions confirmed in Kadugli, and risk of famine in other areas including Dilling, according to Turk.
The latest UN figures show that more than 65,000 people have been displaced since October.
At his press conference at Port Sudan airport, the envoy said that during his four-day visit to Port Sudan, Dongola, Ad Dabba and Merowe, he has met with those who have been hardest hit by brutal violence and injustice in this war.
“The terrifying experiences of these survivors must provoke action to end this conflict, and to make sure they can access what they need: medical care, psychosocial care, justice and support to pursue education and a livelihood”.
End This Madness
Turk and his UN team had visited the Al Afad site for internally displaced people (IDPs) in Ad Dabba, where they met with a large number of displaced people from the regions of Darfur and Kordofan.
“In my meetings with more than 50 local and international organizations in Dongola and Port Sudan, I heard appeals directed to those waging this war and the international community to end this madness,” he said.
“And to allow NGOs, journalists, lawyers and humanitarian actors to do their essential work without undue restrictions and reprisals,” Turk added.
He said the RSF and the Sudanese army must cease intolerable attacks against civilian objects that are indispensable to the civilian population, including markets, health facilities, schools and shelters.
“Attacks on critical civilian infrastructure are serious violations that can amount to war crimes,” Turk affirmed.
The UN envoy said the international community must ensure that the perpetrators of the horrific violations in Sudan face justice, regardless of their affiliation.
My Office, he said, is working to document and report on these violations and abuses to pave the way for accountability.
Turk described as “despicable” the fact that large sums of money are being spent on procuring increasingly advanced weaponry – funds he said that should be used to alleviate the suffering of the population.
Protection of Civilians
The envoy then called on all parties to the conflict to ensure the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, to guarantee safe passage for civilians to leave areas of active conflict – including Kadugli and Dilling – and for humanitarian aid to enter where it is needed.
He also repeated his call from three years ago, when he last visited Sudan, urging all those involved to set aside entrenched positions, power games, and personal interests, and to focus on the common interests of the Sudanese people.
The envoy then left Sudan with a plea that human rights be central to building confidence and bringing this war to an end, to resuming the difficult task of building a sustainable peace.
“It is difficult, but certainly not impossible, with the resilience and power of the Sudanese people,” he affirmed.
