A group of foreign ministers and senior officials from more than 20 countries issued a joint statement on Monday condemning atrocities and violations of international humanitarian law in Sudan, expressing “deep alarm over reports of systematic violence against civilians”.
The signatories said they were “gravely alarmed by the reports of systematic and ongoing violence against civilians during and after the fall of (the city of) El-Fasher to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)”, as well as by the escalation of fighting across North Darfur and the Kordofan region.
They described the “deliberate targeting of civilians, ethnically motivated mass killings, conflict-related sexual violence, starvation as a method of warfare and obstruction of humanitarian access” as “abhorrent violations of international humanitarian law”.
“Such acts, if substantiated, constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity under international law,” the statement said.
The ministers and officials demanded an immediate end to the violence, saying that “impunity must end and accountability must be upheld”.
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 called it “intolerable that widespread starvation and famine persist due to access restrictions”, urging authorities to allow the World Food Programme (WFP), UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and other humanitarian agencies to deliver aid freely.
“All parties must respect international humanitarian law,” it said, calling for safe passage for civilians and the immediate facilitation of aid in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2736.
The group also urged the warring parties to agree to a ceasefire and a three-month humanitarian truce and warned against any attempts to partition Sudan.
“We reaffirm our support for the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the country and for the right of its people to live in peace, dignity and justice without external interference,” it said.
Among the signatories were Canada, Spain, the UK, Norway, Germany, Ireland, Sweden, Austria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, Poland and Switzerland.
The ministers and officials concluded by urging all sides to “come to the negotiating table”, stressing that “only a broad and inclusive Sudanese-owned political process can resolve Sudan’s challenges”.
On Sunday, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that nearly 89,000 people have been displaced from Al Fasher and its surroundings in North Darfur since October 26, the date the RSF seized control of the city.
The RSF seized control of Al Fasher and committed ethnic-based massacres, according to local and international organisations, amid warnings that the assault could entrench the country’s geographical partition.
Since April 15, 2023, the Sudanese army and the RSF have been locked in a war that regional and international mediations have failed to end. The conflict has killed thousands of people and displaced millions of others.
