The United Nations Human Rights Office indicated on Friday that "the parties to the civil war in Sudan have committed violations that may amount to war crimes, including indiscriminate attacks on civilian sites such as hospitals, markets, and even displacement camps." The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, stated in a report's accompanying statement: "Some of these violations rise to the level of war crimes... The guns must be silenced, and civilians must be protected."
Efforts to end the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, which has lasted for ten months, have so far failed. Thousands have been killed, and more than six million have been forced to flee their homes, making Sudan home to the largest number of displaced people in the world.
The United States has officially determined that both warring parties have committed war crimes, stating that "the Rapid Support Forces and the allied militias are involved in ethnic cleansing operations in Western Darfur." Both sides claimed they would investigate the reports of killings and violations and prosecute any fighters found guilty.
The UN report covers the period from April to December and is based on interviews with over 300 victims and witnesses, as well as satellite footage and images. It notes that sometimes those fleeing to save their lives or displaced by violence become victims of explosive attacks.
The report mentions that in one incident, dozens of displaced persons were killed when their camp in Zalingei, Darfur, was bombed by the Rapid Support Forces between September 14 and 17. About 26 civilians, mostly women and children, were killed on August 22 by shells allegedly fired by the Sudanese armed forces while they sought refuge under a bridge.
The report also states that "the Rapid Support Forces adopted a military strategy involving the use of human shields, citing testimonies from affected victims." It describes incidents in the capital Khartoum, where dozens of individuals were captured and placed outside near military sites of the Rapid Support Forces to deter airstrikes by Sudanese fighter jets.
UN investigators have so far documented cases of sexual violence affecting 118 individuals, including one woman who was arrested and subjected to repeated gang rapes for weeks. The report adds that several of the rapes were committed by members of the Rapid Support Forces. Reuters has also documented cases of gang rapes in ethnically-targeted attacks carried out by the Rapid Support Forces and the allied Arab militias.
The war erupted last April due to disagreements over the powers of the army and the Rapid Support Forces, under a globally-backed plan for a political transition toward civilian rule and free elections.
