'Bodies still lying on the streets or in abandoned homes': Civilians bearing brunt of Sudan war

This picture released on the Sudanese Army's Facebook page shows army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan cheering with soldiers as he visits some of their positions in Khartoum (PHOTO: Sudan's Armed Forces Facebook Page, AFP)

• Sudan wants South Sudan to take charge of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development's "Troika on Sudan".
• It was agreed at the meeting that the African Union should be directly involved in every meeting convened by the troika.
• The Sudanese Red Crescent reported that it recently buried 180 unidentified bodies across the country.

Foreign affairs officials from the Intergovernmental Authority on Development's (IGAD) "Troika on Sudan", also known as the IGAD Quartet, met virtually on Monday to discuss ways of resolving the conflict in Sudan.

The quartet is led by Kenya, with the other members being Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Somalia.

Sudan snubbed the meeting because it did not agree with IGAD's appointment of Kenya as the lead facilitator.

Instead, Sudan wants South Sudan to take charge of the process.

At the meeting, it was agreed that the African Union (AU) should be directly involved in every meeting convened by the troika and also "ensure Sudanese ownership and leadership of the peace process".

READ | 72-hour truce between Sudan's warring generals takes effect^[1]

The quartet said it would stick to the set timelines for a face-to-face meeting between General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) - and the de facto head of state - General Abdel Fattah Abdelrahman al-Burhan of the Sudanese national army.

The two generals are due to meet in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, within the next four weeks.

This picture shows a damaged house that was hit by an artillery shell in southern Khartoum. Shelling and gunfire resumed in the Sudanese capital, witnesses said, after the end of a 24-hour ceasefire that had given civilians rare respite from nearly two months of war (AFP PHOTO: AFP)

However, the sticking point, as countlessly emphasised by al-Burhan, was the role of Kenya in the peace process.

The quartet also spoke about bringing civilians to the negotiation table to achieve lasting peace by launching an all-inclusive political process in the short run.

"[The Quartet agreed to] launch an all-inclusive political process aimed at achieving sustainable peace and peaceful transition to democracy and civilian rule to be hosted by the Republic of Kenya in mid-July or the first week of August 2023," reads its communiqué.

Enhanced interactive dialogue on Sudan

More than a million people remain trapped in Khartoum, Omdurman and Bahri, the major cities that have experienced heavy fighting in the two-month-old war.

Blatant disregard for international humanitarian and human rights law and utter indifference for human life and dignity lie at the heart of this conflict.

Records show that, as of 12 June, aggressive tactics have resulted in the deaths of at least 958 civilians and injuries to 4 746.

But these figures might be higher, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said in his address at the 53rd Session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Türk spoke about how ordinary people had been affected by the war.

He said:

"The Sudanese Red Crescent reported that they recently buried 180 unidentified bodies across the country. Scores of families must now live with uncertainty over the fate of their loved ones."

It's equally difficult for those who managed to escape from areas where fighting is concentrated.

"More than 2.1 million people have fled their homes, including 528 147 who have crossed into neighbouring countries. Refugees and internally displaced people face abysmal conditions, walking for days in searing heat with very little access to food, water, and shelter," Türk said.

Children are the hardest hit by the conflict.

Evacuees board an Abu Dhabi-bound Emirati plane at Port Sudan as violence between two rival Sudanese generals continues (AFP PHOTO: Mohamad Ali Harissi/AFP)

Last week, it was reported that, at the Mygoma Orphanage Centre in Khartoum, 71 children had died due to severe shortages of humanitarian and medical supplies.

"Every day, children are bearing the harrowing consequences, with more than 13 million across the country in urgent need of lifesaving humanitarian support, including 5.6 million in Darfur. At least 620 000 are reported to be suffering from acute malnutrition," Türk said.

The RSF stands accused of weaponising rape against women and young girls, according to reports reaching Turk's office.

"I am appalled by allegations of sexual violence, including rape. My office has received credible reports of 18 incidents of sexual violence related to the conflict against at least 53 women and girls; the victims include at least 10 girls. In one case, 18–20 women were reportedly raped in the same attack," he said.

"In almost all cases, the RSF has been identified as the perpetrator. There is little access to medical and psychosocial support, and many cases remain unreported."

The News24 Africa Desk is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation. The stories produced through the Africa Desk and the opinions and statements that may be contained herein do not reflect those of the Hanns Seidel Foundation.

References

1. ^{^} 72-hour truce between Sudan's warring generals takes effect (www.news24.com)