Physical Address
Indirizzo: Via Mario Greco 60, Buttigliera Alta, 10090, Torino, Italy
More than 20 countries, mainly European, issued a joint statement on Monday to condemn atrocities and violations of international humanitarian law in Sudan, expressing their “deep concern” over systematic violence targeting civilians. Signatories include Canada, Spain, the United Kingdom, Norway, Germany, Ireland, Sweden, Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Finland, Poland and Switzerland.
In their statement, the foreign ministers and senior officials present said they were “gravely alarmed by reports of systematic and continued violence against civilians during and after the fall of El-Fasher to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)”, as well as by the escalation of fighting in North Darfur and the Kordofan region.
They described as “heinous violations of international humanitarian law” the “deliberate targeting of civilians, ethnically motivated massacres, conflict-related sexual violence, starvation used as a method of warfare and obstruction of humanitarian access.” The press release specifies that “such acts, if proven, constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity under international law”.
The signatories demanded an immediate end to the violence and affirmed that “impunity must end and those responsible must be held accountable”. They stressed that “protection and justice for the Sudanese people is not only a legal obligation, but also an urgent moral imperative.”
The statement also denounces the persistence of widespread famine and malnutrition, resulting from restrictions on humanitarian access, and urges the Sudanese authorities to allow the World Food Program (WFP), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other humanitarian agencies to freely distribute aid to affected populations. He recalls that all parties must respect international humanitarian law, guarantee the safety of civilians and immediately facilitate the delivery of aid in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2736.
The international group also called on the parties to the conflict to agree on a ceasefire and establish a three-month humanitarian truce, while warning against any attempt to partition the country. “We reaffirm our support for the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Sudan and the right of its people to live in peace, dignity and justice, without external interference,” the statement said.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), nearly 89,000 people have been displaced from El-Fasher and its surrounding areas since October 26, when the RSF took control of the city. The Rapid Support Forces are accused of having perpetrated ethnically motivated massacres, particularly targeting civilian populations. These events take place in a context of strong concern about the risk of geographical fragmentation of Sudan, which could aggravate an already dramatic crisis.
Since April 15, 2023, the Sudanese army and the RSF have been engaged in an armed conflict which has left thousands dead and displaced millions of civilians, despite multiple regional and international mediation attempts. The conflict has also caused a humanitarian catastrophe, with thousands of people deprived of access to basic services and food aid, worsening an already critical situation.
The signing ministers and officials concluded their statement by urging all parties to “sit at the negotiating table,” asserting that “only a broad, inclusive and credible Sudanese political process can sustainably resolve the country’s problems.” They also call for the establishment of monitoring and accountability mechanisms to hold perpetrators of war crimes and human rights violations accountable for their actions before international justice.