Sudan: Civilians still being killed and displaced after six months of conflict

Image: Smoke plumes billow from a fire at a lumber warehouse in southern Khartoum, Sudan, amidst ongoing fighting on June 7, 2023 (© AFP via Getty Images)

As the escalation in the conflict between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in Sudan reaches its sixth month today, (15 October 2023^[1]), resulting in the deaths of at least 5,000 civilians^[2], more than 12,000 injured, and over 5.7 million people forcibly displaced^[3], Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, said:

“Every day, civilians in Sudan are being killed and displaced as the conflict continues to rage; countless lives have been needlessly destroyed in the last six months.

Every day, civilians in Sudan are being killed and displaced as the conflict continues to rage; countless lives have been needlessly destroyed in the last six months.

Tigere Chagutah, Regional Director, Amnesty International East and Southern Africa

“Justice and accountability are essential for the protection of civilians. The ongoing lack of accountability for past crimes is one of the root causes of this renewed violence.

“We welcome^[4] last week’s ambitious action from the Human Rights Council establishing an international accountability mechanism to collect and preserve evidence, and look forward to its operationalisation as soon as possible.  We urge all parties to the conflict to cooperate with it.”  

“The UN Security Council must urge all relevant actors to significantly increasehumanitarian support for Sudan and demand the parties to allow the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid. The Security Council must also extend the existing arms embargo to all of Sudan and ensure its enforcement.”

The Security Council must also extend the existing arms embargo to all of Sudan and ensure its enforcement

Tigere Chagutah

Amnesty International recently joined more than 50 human rights and humanitarian organizations calling on the international community to mobilize^[5] to address the disaster unfolding in Sudan.

The escalation in violence in April 2023 came after weeks of tensions between the RSF and the SAF over security force reform during negotiations for a new transitional government. The RSF and SAF jointly overthrew Sudan’s transitional government in October 2021.

In a report released in August, Amnesty International revealed that extensive war crimes being committed by the RSF and SAF in the conflict. The report, ‘Death Came To Our Home’: War Crimes and Civilian Suffering In Sudan^[6], documented mass civilian casualties in both deliberate and indiscriminate attacks by the warring parties. The report also details sexual violence against women and girls, targeted attacks on civilian objects such as hospitals and churches, and extensive looting.

References

1. ^{^} 15 October 2023 (www.amnesty.org)
2. ^{^} 5,000 civilians (unitams.unmissions.org)
3. ^{^} forcibly displaced (data.unhcr.org)
4. ^{^} welcome (x.com)
5. ^{^} calling on the international community to mobilize (www.amnesty.org)
6. ^{^} ‘Death Came To Our Home’: War Crimes and Civilian Suffering In Sudan (www.amnesty.org)