The UN Human Rights Office condemns rising civilian casualties in Sudan due to intensified fighting between SAF and RSF. A report indicates significant violations of international humanitarian law, including attacks on civilians and severe humanitarian conditions, particularly in North Darfur. The UN warns of worsening crises, with calls for adherence to humanitarian principles and a need for immediate intervention.
The UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) has condemned the increasing violence and civilian casualties in Sudan amidst ongoing armed conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The organization highlighted that both factions have shown a blatant disregard for international humanitarian law, particularly in Khartoum, where violations such as looting, arbitrary detentions, and summary executions have been reported.
Recent reports from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) highlight tragic incidents, including a drone strike in East Khartoum that resulted in the deaths of five women and injuries to others. Additionally, artillery shelling north of Omdurman caused multiple fatalities and over 40 injuries, including among children, pointing to an alarming pattern of attacks on residential areas that exacerbate the humanitarian crisis.
Conditions outside Khartoum, particularly in North Darfur, have reached catastrophic levels, with armed clashes displacing thousands from areas like El Fasher and forcing many to seek refuge in camps such as Zamzam. Checkpoints surrounding these camps restrict civilian movement, denying access to crucial resources like food, water, and medical care, and leading aid agencies to dismissively warn of an impending famine crisis as conditions deteriorate further.
International humanitarian law emphasizes the principle of distinction, which mandates that parties to a conflict differentiate between civilians and combatants. Failing to comply may result in serious war crimes as defined by the Rome Statute. The UN had previously flagged the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Sudan, announcing on March 11 that the conflict has led to the temporary halt of humanitarian assistance by the World Food Programme, with the African Union labeling the situation as one of the world’s worst crises.
The UN has raised urgent concerns over the escalating violence in Sudan, particularly the impact on civilians due to armed conflict between SAF and RSF. Widespread violations of international humanitarian law, compounded by dire conditions in areas like North Darfur, demand immediate global attention to prevent further humanitarian catastrophe and potential famine. The call for adherence to the principle of distinction underscores the need for compliance with international norms to protect civilians.
Original Source: www.jurist.org
