Source: Amnesty International –
The three-year-long brutal conflict in Sudan between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and their respective allies continues to intensify and to inflict devastating harm on civilians, Amnesty International said today, ahead of the anniversary of the outbreak of the war on 15 April.
Each shift of the frontlines has left behind a trail of death and destruction characterized by direct and indiscriminate attacks on civilians, looting and destruction of civilian infrastructure, widespread sexual violence, restriction of humanitarian aid delivery and reprisal attacks.
The Sudan conflict is not forgotten; it is being deliberately ignored and neglected. Behind this neglect are countless human beings undergoing untold suffering as the world looks the other way. This has to stop.
Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General
“Time and again, the parties to the conflict have deliberately and indiscriminately targeted civilians, notably during and after their takeover of towns and cities throughout the country. They continue to block humanitarian aid from reaching those desperately in need,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.
“Minimal, half-hearted and lacklustre responses from the African Union, the UN Security Council and other international and regional actors have only emboldened the perpetrators to continue carrying out these attacks. The world must now urgently prioritize the protection of civilians in Sudan.”
Amnesty International further calls for the international community, including the African Union, the European Union and the UN to prioritize accountability for ongoing crimes under international law and other serious human rights violations and abuses in Sudan. The UN Security Council must expand the Darfur conflict referral to the ICC to also include investigation and prosecution of crimes committed in the rest of Sudan.
The international community must also secure increased funding and pressure the parties to the conflict to ensure unhindered humanitarian access to allow lifesaving healthcare services to be delivered to civilians, including survivors of sexual violence.
“The Sudan conflict is not forgotten; it is being deliberately ignored and neglected. Behind this neglect are countless human beings undergoing untold suffering as the world looks the other way. This has to stop,” said Agnès Callamard.