ICC believes war crimes and crimes against humanity are taking place now in Sudan's Darfur region
Nazhat Shameem Khan told the U.N. Security Council that the depth of suffering and the humanitarian crisis in Darfur 'has reached an intolerable state,' with famine escalating and hospitals, humanitarian convoys and other civilian infrastructure being targeted.
' People are being deprived of water and food,' she said. 'Rape and sexual violence are being weaponized. Abductions for ransom or to bolster the ranks of armed groups have become common practice.'
'And yet we should not be under any illusion,' Shameem Khan warned the U.N.'s most powerful body. 'Things can still get worse.'
Sudan plunged into conflict in mid-April 2023, when long-simmering tensions between its military and paramilitary leaders broke out in the capital, Khartoum, and spread to other regions, including Darfur. Some 40,000 people have been killed and nearly 13 million displaced, including to other countries, according to U.N. agencies.
ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan told the Security Council in January that there were grounds to believe both government forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Force, may be committing war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide in Darfur.
The Biden administration, just before it left office in January, determined that the RSF and its proxies were committing genocide.
Karim Khan has stepped down temporarily as the ICC chief prosecutor pending the outcome of an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct, which he categorically denies.
Deputy prosecutor Shameem Khan, who is not related, said the ICC has closely tracked reports in recent weeks of the dire situation in North Darfur, whose capital El Fasher is besieged by RSF and their affiliates. The RSF, which controls the capitals of all other states in Darfur, has also attacked famine-hit Zamzam and other camps for displaced Sudanese in North Darfur.
'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,' Khan told the council.
This conclusion, she said, is based on documentary, testimonial and digital evidence collected by ICC investigators during the past six months, including at refugee camps in neighboring Chad. Over 7,000 items of evidence have been collected to date, she said.
Khan emphasized to the council and to victims that the ICC considers the situation in Darfur 'of the utmost importance' and will not be deterred until justice is delivered to the perpetrators.
Two decades ago, Darfur became synonymous with genocide and war crimes, particularly by the notorious Janjaweed Arab militias, against populations that identify as Central or East African. Up to 300,000 people were killed and 2.7 million were driven from their homes.
Khan said those in Darfur now 'inflicting unimaginable atrocities on its population' should know that while they may feel a sense of impunity, Janjaweed leader Ali Kushayb is currently on trial and the ICC hopes it will be the first of many.
'However, we also have a duty of confidentiality to the court,' Khan said. 'I am not able to share more details of the nature of our progress or of specific outcomes hoped for. I can only assure you that the progress we have made is concrete, positive and significant.'
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The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Images of children starving in Gaza have shaken some world leaders out of inertia – but what will Labor do?
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BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Bowen: Israel's aid measures a gesture to allies horrified by Gaza starvation
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Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Jordanian aid air drops start delivering food and essential supplies to starving Gazans after pressure on Israel for 'tactical pause' in fighting
Jordan and the United Arab Emirates parachuted 25 tons of aid into the Gaza Strip on Sunday in their first airdrop in months, a Jordanian official said. The country has confirmed that it has carried out three airdrops over Gaza, including one in co-operation with the United Arab Emirates. An official said the air drops were not a substitute for delivery by land, as it is also sending in 60 trucks carrying essential food supplies, the country's state-run news agency reports - while Egypt is also delivering more aid by land. Two Jordanian C-130 planes and one United Arab Emirate aircraft were involved in the mission and targeted several locations within the embattled Gaza Strip. Jordanian state TV added that the latest delivery of aid brings the total number of airdrops by the nation to 127 since the start of the war in Gaza. Although some experts have questioned the practicality of airdrops to feed Gaza's approximately two million people. Calls for 'humanitarian corridors' to allow for more trucks with aid to access Gaza continue to sound as the region faces yet more food shortages. It comes as Israel announced a 'tactical pause' to fighting in populated parts of Gaza to address a surge in hunger and allow in UK-backed aid air drops. The steps mean food can now enter the regions for 10 hours a day as Israel faces a wave of international criticism over its conduct in the 21-month conflict. A pause to fighting will begin from today, taking place between 10am and 8pm in Gaza City, Deir al-Balah and Muwasi - three areas of the territory with large populations, to 'increase the scale of humanitarian aid' entering the territory. The Israeli military also stated it has carried out aid airdrops into Gaza, including packages of aid with flour, sugar and canned food. 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In a video statement, he said that while Israel continues its fighting in Gaza, the country has got to allow the entry of 'minimal' humanitarian supplies. The prime minister claimed that Israel has always allowed aid into Gaza, and that the UN has blamed his government for the crisis Palestinians are facing. He said: 'There are secure routes. There have always been, but today it's official. There will be no more excuses. 'We will continue to fight and we will continue to act until we achieve all of our war goals - until complete victory.' The local pause in fighting came days after ceasefire efforts between Israel and Hamas appeared to be in doubt. On Friday, Israel and the US recalled their negotiating teams, blaming Hamas, and Israel said it was considering 'alternative options' to ceasefire talks with the militant group. After ending the latest ceasefire in March, Israel cut off the entry of food, medicine, fuel and other supplies completely to Gaza for two and a half months, saying it aimed to pressure Hamas to release hostages. Under international pressure, Israel slightly eased the blockade in May. Since then, it has allowed around 4,500 trucks for the UN and other aid groups in to distribute. The average of 69 trucks a day, however, is far below the 500 to 600 trucks a day the UN says are needed for Gaza. The UN says it has been unable to distribute much of the aid because hungry crowds and gangs take most of it from its arriving trucks. As a way to divert aid delivery away from the UN, Israel has backed the US-registered Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which in May opened four centres distributing boxes of food supplies. More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since May while trying to get food, mostly near those new aid sites, the UN human rights office says. As a way to divert aid delivery away from the UN, Israel has backed the US-registered Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which in May opened four centres distributing boxes of food supplies. Israel has railed against the UN throughout the war, saying that its system allowed Hamas to steal aid, without providing evidence. The UN denies that claim and says its delivery mechanism was the best way to bring aid to Palestinians. The military said the new steps were made in co-ordination with the UN and other humanitarian groups. Much of Gaza's population, squeezed by fighting into ever tinier patches of land, now relies on aid. Recent conflict was sparked following Hamas's attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, saw militants kill 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 hostages. Hamas still holds 50 hostages, more than half of them believed to be dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed more than 59,700 Palestinians. The count doesn't distinguish between militants and civilians, but the Palestinian Health Ministry says that more than half of the dead are women and children. It is understood that Sir Keir will press Donald Trump at a meeting in Scotland on Monday as to whether more can be done to stop the conflict. While the Prime Minister will urge for securing a ceasefire, it is feared this will raise the risk of a clash with Mr Trump who has insisted Hamas does not want peace. Sir Keir said: 'Israel must allow aid in over land to end the starvation unfolding in Gaza. The situation is desperate. 'We are urgently accelerating efforts to evacuate children who need critical medical assistance to the UK for treatment.' Britain is working with Jordan on plans to airdrop aid into Gaza and evacuate children needing medical assistance. However, the head of the UN's Palestinian refugee agency has warned the efforts are 'a distraction' that will fail to properly address deepening starvation in the strip, and could in some cases harm civilians. UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini said: 'A manmade hunger can only be addressed by political will. 'Lift the siege, open the gates and guarantee safe movements and dignified access to people in need.' The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) also claimed there was 'no starvation' in Gaza, despite increasing accounts of malnutrition and starvation-related deaths. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has said pictures of children starving in Gaza has not wavered her support for Israel. She told Sky News' Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips show: 'War is a difficult situation and what I see when I see Israel is a country that is trying to defend itself, mostly from Iran and a lot of its proxies, Hezbollah, Hamas, the Houthis. I think they are in a very difficult situation. 'What worries me is that the length of time that this war has been going on is making it very difficult for the people in the Palestinian territories and also for Israel. 'We need to bring things to an end.'
