Sudan: Unlawful attacks on civilians, infrastructure

(Nairobi)– SudanRecent unlawful attacks by warring parties in El Fasher, North Darfur, have killed hundreds of civilians, forced tens of thousands to flee, and left thousands starving in and around the city, Human Rights Watch said today. The UN secretary-general should act in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 2736 and urgently work with the African Union (AU) to deploy a civilian protection corps. Governments should support the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor’s investigation of apparent War crimes and other atrocities in Darfur.

“Since mid-May, Sudan’s warring parties have launched heavy attacks on densely populated areas of El Fasher with seemingly total disregard for the civilians there, while the Rapid Support Forces have burned residential areas and deliberately attacked hospitals,” he said. Mohammed OthmanAfrica researcher at Human Rights Watch. “The UN and AU urgently need to take action to protect civilians.”

In mid-May, clashes escalated in El Fasher between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and its allied militias and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and its allied combined forces. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) explain Between May 10 and June 11, 2024, the city’s only intensive care facility, the Southern Hospital, and later the Saudi Hospital, admitted 1,418 injured people; 226 of them died. Many others were unable to reach the hospital.

On June 8, the Rapid Support Forces attacked the South Hospital. Armed men stormed the hospital and opened fire, forcing patients, family members and medical staff to flee. A health ministry official said the Rapid Support Forces beat him and two other doctors. The troops also Looted medical supplies and equipment. The hospital was forced to close.

video release Human Rights Watch published the location on Telegram on June 9, showing RSF fighters inside the hospital compound. In one of the photos, an RSF fighter sits in an ambulance at the entrance. Attacks on medical facilities that are civilian targets constitute war crimes.

From May 25 to June 3, the South Hospital was hit by explosives at least four times. kill There are 2 sick and 14 injured. Doctors Without Borders Reported On 25 May, a mortar shell landed in the antenatal care ward. On 26 May, a shell landed in another part of the hospital, also damaging the hospital and an ambulance. Satellite imagery from the next day showed a crater inside the hospital consistent with indirect fire, such as mortar or artillery. On 31 May, Impact of bombardment The southern wall of the hospital compound was shelled, but no casualties were reported. Doctors Without Borders said that on June 3, shelling and shooting killed one patient, injured another, and damaged the hospital’s water tank.

The warring parties Abu Shouk internally displaced persons camp Located in the northwest of El Fasher. video Information uploaded to X shows that Human Rights Watch confirmed the presence of RSF forces on the eastern edge of the Abu Shouk camp as early as May 22.

On June 8, at least one mortar shell and two other explosive weapons hit a volunteer-run first aid clinic in southern Abu Shouk after fighting broke out nearby, one witness said. The attack wounded four or five people inside the clinic, including volunteer medical staff and a volunteer’s child. Three people said the shells came from the east, where the RSF is based.. Human Rights Watch was unable to confirm the directive.

A video Human Rights Watch analysis and geolocation found stabilizing wings from mortar shells on the clinic’s walls, as well as damage to the walls and corrugated iron roof.

On June 9, a video posted on the Abu Shouk Emergency Room Facebook page showed injured children, including those allegedly injured in the June 8 shelling and clashes.

On May 22, after fierce clashes between the RSF and the joint forces, a local aid worker said the RSF shelled the camp and its surrounding areas. Rounding up and beating up young peopleSatellite imagery from 23 May shows new burnt homes in the southwestern part of the Abu Shouk refugee camp. Verified Videos Video uploaded to X on May 23 showed houses in the area engulfed in flames. A voice said: “RSF forces carried out shelling at Abu Shouk camp today. At least 10 shells were fired today.”

Human Rights Watch analysis of satellite imagery showed an increase in the number of graves at at least six cemeteries in the city between May 9 and June 12, particularly in the Abu Shouk camp and in the southwestern region that was attacked on May 22.

Thousands of homes have been burned since fighting broke out in April, mostly by arson, especially in traditional residential areas in the east of the city. In May, Human Rights Watch posted a video online using geolocation technology showing Rapid Security Force soldiers approaching residential areas. combustionThe arson was consistent with attacks by RSF and allied militias in Western Darfur in 2023. As of June 12, 43 villages near El Fasher had been burned It is said that Affected by the fire.

Both forces have used explosive weapons with wide-area destructive power, including mortars, rockets and air-dropped munitions, in densely populated areas across the country. The use of these weapons often results in indiscriminate attacks in violation of international humanitarian law. Laws of War.

two video Human Rights Watch geolocation showed RSF soldiers using 9M133 Kornet portable anti-tank guided missiles. One photo showed the missile being fired at the city from a mountain east of El Fasher. A second photo showed the missile being fired from a pickup truck in a residential area east of the city.

A video Verified and geolocated videos shared on social media on 16 June showed hail-type rockets hitting neighborhoods around the Grand Market and the Grand Mosque in downtown El Fasher. Satellite imagery and shadow analysis showed that the attacks took place on the afternoon of 3 June. Video analysis showed that the rockets were fired from the north and northeast of the city, where RSF artillery positions are located.

On June 11, social media reported heavy shelling in the Tambasi community, killing several civilians, including eight volunteers at a soup kitchen south of Barakah Square. “I saw smoke and people running and screaming, and there was another shelling in Barakah Square,” said one witness. “The young men were serving food to a gathering of internally displaced people in the area.”

At the end of May, the United Nations Reported Fighting has left parts of the city without electricity and water, a trend that is well documented In Khartoum and other places.

A video uploaded to X on May 26 showed an RSF commander and several fighters shutting down the El Fasher water pumping station at the Golo reservoir east of the city. Human Rights Watch verified several photos and a video showing the military retaking the pump station a few days later, claiming to be restarting it. Human Rights Watch could not confirm whether the pump was restarted or the extent to which the reservoir was supplying water to the city.

Human Rights Watch received reports that on June 3, civilians fleeing through areas controlled by the Rapid Security Forces and their allies toward Melit, 60 kilometers north, were stopped, searched, and killed at the last checkpoint before the town of Melit.

One by one refugee Agency Officials explain June 11, violence has displaced 150,000 people in and around El Fasher over the past two months. Since the end of May, many civilians Already escaped Head south to Zamzam IDP camp, or To Taviracontrolled by the Sudan Liberation Army and the Darfur armed group Abdul Wahid’s forces.

On May 28, Minni Minawi, a member of the coalition forces supporting the military and leader of the Sudan Liberation Army and Governor of Darfur State explain El Fasher residents are expected to take up arms to defend their “honor and property.” Media reports indicate that the number of civilians arming themselves and fighting alongside coalition forces and civilian self-defense groups has increased.

The fighting has exacerbated the already disastrous humanitarian situation in the town, especially for those who have already been displaced. Reported On 13 June, a preliminary analysis of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) predicted that by September, 15 percent of the population in El Fasher and Zam Zam refugee camps would face catastrophic food shortages and many could die of hunger.

in a May 21 ResolutionThe AU Peace and Security Council asked the AU High-Level Panel on Sudan to work with the newly appointed AU Special Envoy for the Prevention of Genocide to develop a plan to protect civilians. On June 13, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution on the El Fasher issue, requesting the Secretary-General to make recommendations on protecting Sudanese civilians.

Human Rights Watch said both resolutions were long-awaited steps in the right direction, and it was time to develop a realistic vision for the protection mission and deploy it. The UN Security Council should also act on the findings of the UN Panel of Experts on Darfur, including violations of the UN arms embargo by other countries, particularly the United Arab Emirates.

On June 12, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court called Seek cooperation and provide information on suspected international crimes in Darfur, including El Fasher. ICC member states should provide the Court with timely information, support arrests, and ensure that the Court has an adequate budget to deliver justice in Darfur and in other cases before the Court.

“The people of Darfur have been asking for protection for months,” Osman said. “The UN and AU leadership should explore all possible options and deploy a mission before it is too late. Governments should support an international investigation into these heinous crimes.”