Turk regrets the rise in attacks “with ethnic overtones” and warns of the impact on the population of the “imminent battle” for control of Khartoum
Jan. 17 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, warned this Friday that the war in Sudan “is taking an even more dangerous turn for civilians”, after the death of dozens of people in “attacks with ethnic overtones.” ” in the state of Gezira and amid reports of “an imminent battle” for control of the capital, Khartoum.
“In the midst of the fight between the Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for control at all costs in this senseless war, active for nearly two years, direct and ethnically motivated attacks against civilians are more and more frequent,” lamented Turk, who stressed that “the situation for civilians is already desperate and there is evidence of the commission of war crimes and other atrocities.”
“I fear that the situation is now taking an even more dangerous turn,” he warned, after his office documented this week the death of 21 people in two attacks in Gezira, although it is feared that the figure is higher. An attack on January 10 killed eight civilians in the Taiba camp, where another fourteen people were kidnapped, while a day later thirteen civilians, including two children, were killed in an attack on the Jamsa camp, both near the capital. of the state, Uad Madani.
Turk’s office has specified that the available information indicates that the attacks were carried out by the Sudan Shield Forces, led by Abu Aqla Kikil, a former commander of the RSF in Gezira who in October 2024 defected to the Armed Forces, from whose side he has been fighting ever since. The attacks would have targeted the Kanabi, a “historically marginalized” group made up of Nuba and other tribes.
Several videos published after the attacks also show that the victims were denigrated and called “animals” and “bastards”, while those responsible for the executions spoke of a “cleansing operation”. Turk’s office has also warned of increased recruitment and mobilization of forces along ethnic lines.
“Retaliation, of shocking brutality, against entire communities based on real or perceived ethnic identity is increasing, as is hate speech and incitement to violence. It is urgent to put an end to this,” said the chief for Rights of the UN, which has said that it takes note of the promise of the Sudanese authorities that it will investigate these events and bring those responsible to justice.
On the other hand, he has indicated that there are “serious concerns” about the “ethnically motivated” attacks by the RSF and allied militias against communities in North Darfur, particularly against the Zaghawa and the Fur, while highlighting that some 120 people were recently killed in drone attacks allegedly carried out by the Armed Forces against an area controlled by paramilitaries in Omdurman, adjacent to Darfur.
“I once again ask the president of the Sovereign Transitional Council – who is also the head of the Army, Abdel Fattá al Burhan – and the commander of the RSF (Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti) to put an end to the fighting,” he said. asserted Turk, who has also asked both parties to comply with their obligations under International Humanitarian Law.
“The Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF are responsible for the actions of the groups and individuals fighting on their behalf,” he argued, before calling on the parties to the conflict to “adopt immediate measures to ensure the protection of all civilians.” , including taking all possible measures to avoid or at least minimize harm to civilians in the course of hostilities.”
Sudan has been mired in a civil war since April 2023 following an increase in tensions over the integration of the RSF – now declared a terrorist group – within the Armed Forces, a key part of a agreement signed in December 2022 to form a new civilian government and reactivate the open transition after the overthrow of Omar Hasán al Bashir in 2019.
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