UN Report: SAF is responsible for the crimes and deteriorating humanitarian situation in Sudan

UN Organizations have renewed urgent warnings about the deteriorating humanitarian situation across Sudan, calling for an immediate intervention in an effort to save millions of Sudanese in conflict zones that have begun to expand to include new states in the west of the country.

The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan stated in its latest report, released on Tuesday evening, that the escalation of the civil war has led to deadly consequences for countless civilians caught up in the midst of the conflict.

The Mission called on the international community to implement an arms embargo and ensure those responsible for serious human rights violations are held accountable.

The report highlighted the severe bureaucratic restrictions imposed by the de facto authority in Port Sudan, which prevents all humanitarian access and continues to use humanitarian relief as a “weapon” to deliberately starve civilians, particularly millions of Sudanese in the Darfur region in western Sudan, which is controlled by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The Fact-Finding Mission revealed that the de facto authority in Port Sudan, led by Al-Burhan, rejected several requests to allow its teams to enter Sudan to conduct investigations into the human rights situation and violations against civilians in conflict zones.

In this regard, the report stated that the Fact-Finding Mission initiated confidential cooperation with relevant judicial entities. In addition to carrying out investigative missions to Uganda and Chad, the Mission engaged in high-level consultations in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with African Union officials.

Sudanese civil society sources who participated in the three-day meetings held by the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, reported that extensive discussions took place regarding the dire humanitarian situation in Sudan, particularly the international community’s disregarding behavior when it comes to the horrific crimes committed by the de facto authority in Port Sudan and its allied Islamist brigades against innocent civilians in the battles that took place in the regions of Al-Jazeera, Khartoum, and Kordofan.

The same sources told (Erem News) that participants from various human rights organizations, activists, and civil society organizations submitted documented reports of these violations, including the involvement of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and its allied extremist brigades in the liquidation and field executions of hundreds of innocent civilians, under the pretext of alleged cooperation with the Rapid Support Forces, moreover, these accusations are baseless.

The sources added that the head of the Fact-Finding Mission, Mohamed Chande Othman, chaired the sessions held in Nairobi and listened attentively to all the interventions and discussions of the hundreds of participants, who spoke transparently about the humanitarian situation as well as the importance of legal accountability, holding accountable individuals and entities responsible for the deteriorating humanitarian situation, at the forefront of this list being the military commanders in Port Sudan.

Mohamed Chande and the members of the Independent International Fact-finding Mission for Sudan pledged to relay these reports and the documented information they had obtained about the situation in Sudan before the Human Rights Council in Geneva.

The briefing later published by the Mission reflected the extent of the worsening humanitarian suffering that has resulted in the deaths of thousands of Sudanese and the displacement of more than (13 million) Sudanese internally and internationally.

The UN report documented widespread retaliatory violence in areas where Al-Burhan’s militia managed to regain control, i.e Khartoum, Al-Jazeera, and Sennar. Individuals, including human rights defenders, medical workers, and aid workers, were subjected to arbitrary arrest, torture, and in some cases execution.

The Fact-Finding Mission’s report concluded that What began as a political and security crisis has become a grave human rights and protection emergency. In addition, civilians continue to bear the brunt of escalating violence and hostilities.

It noted that this devastating war is entering its third year with no sign of resolution.

Furthermore, as a result of the disruption of food supply chains, the humanitarian situation in Darfur has reached a critical stage, with the most basic necessities lacking and the prices of basic commodities skyrocketing, according to local sources.

The General Coordination for Displaced Persons and Refugees in Darfur shared that thousands of civilians displaced from El-Fasher and other IDPs Camps to areas in the north of the state are in dire need of assistance with food and drinking water.

The General Coordination renewed its accusations that militias allied with Al-Burhan are preventing civilians from leaving these areas, using them as human shields in their war against the Rapid Support Forces.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Coordination warned of an impending humanitarian disaster in Darfur, which it described as completely torn apart and nearly out of control.

The statement shared that the crisis is beyond the capacity of humanitarian agencies, local authorities, and host communities.

According to the latest reports from relief agencies operating in Darfur over the past three months, more than (70%) of El-Fasher’s population is in need of urgent humanitarian assistance, after the number of civilian deaths multiplied due to widespread hunger and shortages of medicine and drinking water.