Two months have passed since the fighting between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) began on 15 April 2023. Both parties to the war continued to use explosive weapons in urban areas, killing civilians, damaging property and critical infrastructure and leaving millions of Sudanese without access to basic necessities showing reckless disregard for civilian lives and in clear violation of international humanitarian law.[1] Widespread looting by warring parties – mostly RSF- as well as armed gangs or unidentified assailants, is also common.[2] Currently 25 million Sudanese, more than half of the population, are in need of assistance.[3]
There have been numerous cases of rape and other forms of sexual or gender-based violence, the governmental Combating Violence Against Women and Children Unit documented 49 cases in the first two weeks of the war,[4] this number is believed to be grossly underreported. Health facilities have been destroyed or forced to close down, and medical supplies have been looted,[5] by mid-May, only 16% of the capital’s hospitals were still functioning.[6] Doctors and activists seeking to document the ongoing human rights violations are being targeted, with arrests and threats and 11 doctors had been killed as of 17 May. At least some threats are believed to come from people connected to former president al-Bashir seeking to put an end to the civilian resistance.[7]
Fighting has been particularly intense in Al Geneina, which was subject to intense fighting also in the transitional period. Community leaders were targeted in Geneina and witnesses in Darfur said that the RSF is carrying out ethnic killings against the Masalit tribe, which fought the central government and the Janjaweed in the early 2000s.[8] Over 1,100 people have been killed in Geneina since the start of the fighting, doctors have compared the situation with the Rwandan genocide of 1994,[9] and it is estimated that over 273,000 people are displaced in West Darfur state.[10] Although internet and connectivity issues are making it difficult to fully report on the situation, there is increasing reason to believe that mass atrocity crimes are currently being committed. The head of UNITAMS, Mr. Volker Perthes, issued a statement recognising the “emerging pattern of large-scale targeted attacks against civilians based on their ethnic identities” in El Geneina, allegedly committed by Arab militias and men in RSF uniform, which if verified, could amount to crimes against humanity.[11] He has since been declared persona non grata in Sudan.
The first round of the Jeddah talks, mediated by the US and Saudi Arabia took place in May and resulted in both parties committing to protect civilians and two ceasefire agreements that were repeatedly violated. The mediators later announced the suspension of negotiations citing the repeated violations to the ceasefire which impeded the delivery of humanitarian assistance and restoration of basic services, which were the purpose of the short-term ceasefires.[12] Since the suspension of the Jeddah talks different approaches to a path forward are being analysed, including the possibility of them taking place in another fora.[13] There was no civilian participation in the Jeddah talks, making it essentially a closed negotiation between both warring parties.
International Response:
The African Union’s Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) met at the head of State level on May 27 condemning the fighting and recognising ongoing violations of international human rights law and humanitarian law.[14] They adopted the Roadmap for the Resolution of the Conflict in Sudan toward silencing the guns in Sudan, consisting of six elements:
- the establishment of a coordination mechanism to ensure all efforts by the regional and global actors are harmonised and impactful;
- an immediate, permanent, inclusive and comprehensive cessation of hostilities;
- effective humanitarian response;
- protection of civilians and civil infrastructure;
- Strategic role of neighbouring states and the region; and
- resumption of a credible and inclusive political transition process, that takes into account the contributory role of all Sudanese political and social actors, as well as the signatories to the Juba Peace Agreement, towards a democratic civilian-led government.[15]
[1] Human Rights Watch, “Sudan: Explosive Weapons Harming Civilians,” 4 May 2023, https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/05/04/sudan-explosive-weapons-harming-civilians
[2] Human Rights Watch, “Interview: Stories of Abuse, Suffering From People Fleeing Fighting in Sudan,” 2 June 2023, https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/06/02/interview-stories-abuse-suffering-people-fleeing-fighting-sudan
[3] Washington Post, “Sudan’s warring factions target doctors and activists,” 17 May 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/05/17/sudan-rsf-doctors-military-bahri
[4] VOA, “’No Woman Feels Safe’: Sexual Violence Rampant in Sudan War,” 7 June 2023, https://www.voanews.com/a/no-woman-feels-safe-sexual-violence-rampant-in-sudan-war-/7127981.html
[5] Human Rights Watch, “Interview: Stories of Abuse, Suffering From People Fleeing Fighting in Sudan,” 2 June 2023, https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/06/02/interview-stories-abuse-suffering-people-fleeing-fighting-sudan
[6] Washington Post, “Sudan’s warring factions target doctors and activists,” 17 May 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/05/17/sudan-rsf-doctors-military-bahri/
[7] Washington Post, “Sudan’s warring factions target doctors and activists,” 17 May 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/05/17/sudan-rsf-doctors-military-bahri/
[8] Washington Post, “Sudan’s warring factions target doctors and activists,” 17 May 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/05/17/sudan-rsf-doctors-military-bahri/
[9] Dabanga Sudan, “Sudan: More Than 1,100 Dead in Besieged El Geneina, West Darfur,” 12 June 2023, https://allafrica.com/stories/202306130016.html
[10] US Department of State, Condemning Atrocities in Darfur, 15 June 2023, https://www.state.gov/condemning-atrocities-in-darfur/#:~:text=Local%20groups%20estimate%20that%20up,displaced%20in%20West%20Darfur%20state.
[11] UNITAMS, Statement by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sudan and head of UNITAMS, Mr. Volker Perthes, on the situation in Sudan, 13 June 2023, https://unitams.unmissions.org/en/statement-special-representative-secretary-general-sudan-and-head-united-nations-integrated
[12] Dabanga Sudan, “Sudan: Jeddah Talks Suspended As Sudan Ceasefire Falters,” 1 June 2023, https://allafrica.com/stories/202306020013.html
[13] Agenzia Nova, “Sudan: Kenya leads African mediation after the failure of the Jeddah talks,” 13 June 2023, https://www.agenzianova.com/en/news/sudan-kenya-leads-african-mediation-after-failure-of-jeddah-talks/
[14] AUPSC, Communique of the 1156th meeting of the PSC, held at the level of Heads of State and Government, on 27 May 2023, on the Situation in Sudan, 29 May 2023, https://www.peaceau.org/en/article/communique-of-the-1156th-meeting-of-the-psc-held-at-the-level-of-heads-of-state-and-government-on-27-may-2023-on-the-situation-in-sudan
[15] AUPSC, Communique of the 1156th meeting of the PSC, held at the level of Heads of State and Government, on 27 May 2023, on the Situation in Sudan, 29 May 2023, https://www.peaceau.org/en/article/communique-of-the-1156th-meeting-of-the-psc-held-at-the-level-of-heads-of-state-and-government-on-27-may-2023-on-the-situation-in-sudan
