A French specialized administrative court said on Monday that South Darfur State in southwestern Sudan is facing “a blind fury of violence”, which could increase the chances of “protecting its residents through granting them asylum to France”.
The National Court of Asylum (CNDA) took its decision on Wednesday and announced it Monday in favor of a citizen from Darfur, which is witnessing ongoing battles.
The Sudanese war broke out on April 15 between the army led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by Mohammed Hamdan Daglo.
This decision by CNDA, which rules on appeals of asylum applications, sets a precedent for all similar cases in France.
The court granted the applicant “the benefit of protection stipulated by European law”. It added that if he returns to his home state, he will face a “real risk of being exposed to a serious threat to his life or person without being able to obtain effective protection from the authorities of his country.”
The CNDA said this threat ensues from the violence resulting from the domestic armed conflict that could harm civilians.
Until this situation changes, the ruling allows the protection of people coming from South Darfur to France.
A total of 1,947 Sudanese applied for asylum in 2022, according to a report by the French Office for the Protection of Refugees and Stateless People (OFPRA). Sudanese represented the majority of asylum applicants to Paris in the period between Oct. 9 and 15, according to official figures.
The fighting has killed more than 9,000 people and displaced 5.6 million.
