Civilians in the Sudan live in "unimaginable terror"

Amnesty International stated on Thursday that civilians in Sudan are living through "unimaginable horror" as clashes continue between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 15th.

In a report titled "Death is knocking on our door," the organization documented the "widespread war crimes," with deliberate and indiscriminate attacks leading to the deaths of civilians.

The report focuses on incidents in Khartoum and the western region of Darfur and is based on interviews with 181 individuals in eastern Chad and remote communications.

Amnesty International Secretary-General Agnès Callamard said, "Civilians across Sudan are living in daily terror amidst an unrelenting conflict between the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese army over control of the land."

The conflict, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan of the army and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo of the RSF, has resulted in over 3,900 deaths according to the non-governmental organization Aklid, along with nearly four million displaced and refugees according to the United Nations.

Callamard added, "People are being killed in their homes or while desperately seeking food, water, and medicine. They are caught in the crossfire during their escape, deliberately shot in targeted attacks."

Dozens of women and girls, some as young as 12 years old, have been subjected to rape and other forms of sexual violence by combatants from both sides. There is no safe place for them.

Attacks on hospitals and churches have become systematic looting operations.

"The cycle of violence in Darfur continues, with the RSF and allied militias spreading death and destruction, using scorched-earth tactics seen in the past and sometimes by the same actors," Amnesty said.

The organization pointed out that "many health and humanitarian facilities have been destroyed or damaged across the country," and most documented cases of looting involved elements of the RSF.

Amnesty stated that "deliberate attacks on humanitarian workers or objects, as well as on health facilities or medical units, amount to war crimes."

The organization called on the UN Security Council to expand the arms embargo currently imposed in Darfur to cover the whole of Sudan and ensure its enforcement.

Callamard said, "The international community must significantly increase humanitarian support. Neighboring countries must ensure that their borders remain open to civilians seeking safety."

She emphasized the "need for countries with significant influence over the warring parties to use it to end the human rights violations."

The organization concluded by urging the Human Rights Council to establish an independent mechanism to investigate and hold accountable those responsible for human rights violations in Sudan, gathering and preserving evidence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AFP