Evidence found of war crimes in Sudan's Darfur, ICC prosecutor says
Deputy ICC prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan told the UN Security Council that "the humanitarian position has reached an intolerable state" in the war-torn region.
"Hospitals, humanitarian convoys and other civilian objects are apparently being targeted. Famine is escalating, and humanitarian aid is not reaching those in dire need of it," she said.
"People are being deprived of water and food. Rape and sexual violence are being weaponised, abductions for ransom or to bolster the ranks of armed groups have become common practice, and yet we should not be under any illusion things can still get worse.
"On the basis of our independent investigations, the position of our office is clear. We have reasonable grounds to believe that war crimes and crimes against humanity, have been and are continuing to be committed in Darfur."
Sudan was plunged into conflict in mid-April 2023, when long-simmering tension between its military and paramilitary leaders broke out in the capital, Khartoum, then spread to other regions, including Darfur. About 40,000 people have been killed and nearly 13 million displaced, including to other countries, the UN has said.
The Darfur region was previously rocked a war that began in 2003, with hundreds of thousands of civilians killed and more than two million displaced.
Ms Khan said the ICC had closely tracked reports in recent weeks of the dire situation in North Darfur, where the capital El Fasher is being besieged by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and its affiliates. The RSF has also attacked famine-hit Zamzam and other displacement camps in North Darfur.
There are also allegations of war crimes occurring in other parts of the country amid the conflict. A report by UN experts released in September last year concluded that both sides in the civil war may have committed war crimes.
The report, which was rejected by the military-run Sudanese government, recommended an arms embargo on the nation and the creation of an international peacekeeping force to protect civilians.
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