Latest news with #Darfuris
Mint
3 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
Khartoum changes hands, marking a new phase in Sudan's civil war
Nearly two years after being forced to fall back to Port Sudan on the coast, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) under General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan are triumphantly back in charge of Khartoum, the capital. They still face resistance in areas south of the city and in the district of Omdurman on the west bank of the Nile. But the city's recapture marks a turning point in a war that has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 12m and caused one of the world's worst famines for decades. The question now is whether the SAF halts its advance or pushes westward. That will depend partly on pressure from the general's allies. The SAF has advanced on the battlefield in recent months largely thanks to a broad and diverse coalition assembled since the early months of the war, when it lost swathes of the country, including most of Khartoum, to the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a descendant of the Janjaweed, an ethnically Arab militia that terrorised the vast western region of Darfur for two decades. The RSF is commanded by Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo, better known as Hemedti, who is apparently determined to fight on. On the SAF's side are foreign backers such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar and neighbouring Egypt, which has reportedly provided air support. Looser associates include Russia, Turkey and Iran, which have sold the army weapons and drones. Some of those countries may now press General Burhan, who has doggedly refused peace talks, to negotiate with the RSF. To sweeten the deal, outsiders may offer to recognise an SAF-led government in Khartoum and help pay to rebuild the battered city. Yet competing interests among the army's domestic allies could scupper any such deal. The SAF has enlisted voluntary local defence units, composed of civilians enraged by the RSF's looting and terrorising of populations under its control, and militias from Darfur. It has also fought alongside jihadist brigades with links to the Islamist government of Omar al-Bashir that was ousted in 2019. Faced with the dilemma of whether to continue the fight westwards towards the RSF's base in Darfur, or to consolidate in Khartoum, this shaky alliance could well splinter. Prominent voices are urging it to push on. 'Darfur is part of Sudan,' says Amjed Farid, a former government official. 'The SAF should not surrender it to the RSF.' Many Darfuris, not least the ethnic African groups who have suffered atrocities including possible genocide at the hands of the RSF, probably feel the same. But such a push could easily end badly. The army has made the biggest recent gains in its traditional strongholds in central Sudan. A ground offensive in Darfur would entail battles on the RSF's home turf and stretched supply lines. As a commander during the first Darfur war, in the 2000s, General Burhan got bogged down in the region. Even with the support of local allies his forces could find themselves in a quagmire again. 'The Sudanese Armed Forces have never really won in Darfur,' says Kholood Khair of Confluence Advisory, a Sudanese think-tank. Still, for the moment there is little talk of a ceasefire or negotiations, at least in public. The SAF continues to bomb civilians: a strike on a market in Darfur on March 24th reportedly killed at least 54 people and injured dozens more. In Khartoum there are alarming reports of lawlessness. Gruesome videos have circulated in recent days appearing to show beheadings of suspected RSF collaborators by groups allied to the army. There are equally few signs that the RSF, despite its defeat in Khartoum and its recent insistence that it wished to begin dialogue, is ready to sue for peace. In February it announced the formation of a parallel government in the areas under its control. Its chief foreign supporter, the United Arab Emirates, does not appear to have stopped sending it weapons. Almost all of Sudan's immediate neighbours, except Egypt and Eritrea, now fall within the Emiratis' sphere of influence. This means the RSF should be able to continue resupplying itself. 'I'd be surprised if the RSF is going to take this one lying down,' says Alex Rondos, a former EU special representative to the Horn of Africa. In Khartoum and its surroundings the SAF's victory should at least make it easier for aid agencies to deliver food and other emergency supplies. That could stave off famine, temporarily reducing the misery for Sudanese in these areas. 'But does it actually bring the war closer to the end?' asks Payton Knopf, a former American diplomat. 'Probably not.'
The Guardian
14-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Sudan's news blackout stokes fear and confusion after refugee camp attacks
Sudan's information blackout has left relatives of those in Sudan's Zamzam refugee camp struggling for news of their safety after it was overrun by militiamen at the weekend. As leaders across the globe prepared to meet for peace talks in London to pressure the backers of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the Sudanese army to agree a ceasefire, the RSF launched a deadly assault that led to it seizing Zamzam after weeks of tightening its siege. Campaigners said the dearth of information on the violence, which has reportedly killed hundreds of civilians, highlighted the need for the talks to prioritise restoring communications to allow communities under attack to warn each other, to give better access to healthcare and to facilitate human rights documentation. Altahir Hashim, whose family was living in Zamzam, said: 'Zamzam as an IDP [internally displaced persons] camp no longer exists. The RSF has completely overrun the camp – killing, raping, burning and committing all kinds of atrocities. The communications are really bad and I haven't been able to speak to my family.' On Friday, nine medical workers from the aid organisation Relief International were killed when the RSF raided Zamzam, while the Sudanese American Physicians Association (Sapa), said the manager of a children's health centre was also killed. The medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières said its team at Tawila, another displacement camp near El Fasher, has seen about 10,000 people arrive in 48 hours suffering from dehydration and exhaustion. For two decades Zamzam has hosted people displaced during the 2000s in attacks by the army and the Janjaweed militias – who were later formalised into the RSF – but its population has grown to about 700,000 during the current civil war as people have fled other parts of the Darfur region. Hashim is part of a group of Darfuris abroad who have raised funds to buy and airdrop satellite phones into Darfur as well as walkie-talkies to allow local communication during emergencies. He said the communications blackout also made it difficult for people to receive money sent from relatives abroad through mobile banking systems. The limited information that has emerged from Zamzam has often relied on satellite communications – whether through imagery, phones or the Starlink service, which uses satellites rather than land-based communication towers to provide internet. But these services can be unreliable and are costly, meaning that while they are used by some activists in Darfur, others remain unable to be contacted. One video shared by the group North Darfur Observatory for Human Rights showed people fleeing Zamzam with their belongings strapped to camels and donkeys. Often the main source of information from Darfur has come from videos recorded by RSF fighters themselves of the atrocities and some have emerged showing their fighters entering Zamzam on pickup trucks mounted with heavy machine guns with burning buildings in the background. Shayna Lewis, from the US-based organisation Preventing & Ending Mass Atrocities (Paema).'We have reports of civilians being hunted and executed in the streets of Zamzam, but we are unable to consistently communicate with people as the networks are off and the internet can only be accessed through Starlink access points. Starlink access is sporadic, expensive and can be turned off by the belligerents at will.' Paema said the talks in London should prioritise restoring communications as a way to quickly relieve suffering in Sudan. Sapa, which operates medical facilities in El Fasher, said the last message it received from its teams in Zamzam on Sunday afternoon was: 'Zamzam under the control of the RSF.' Khalid Mishain, of the Sudanese human rights group Youth Citizens Observers Network, said they had lost contact with their observers in the area since the attack. He said the communications blackout had been a impediment to human rights documentation throughout the conflict. 'People have to write the information down, keep it with them and then secretly move to areas where there is communications and send it to us,' said Mishain. 'We have civilians suffering and no one knows about it, and those who report on it have to risk their life because of the communications blackout.'
Euronews
28-01-2025
- Politics
- Euronews
ICC to pursue arrest warrants over atrocities in Sudan's West Darfur region
The International Criminal Court's (ICC) prosecutor announced on Monday that his office will pursue arrest warrants for individuals accused of atrocities in Sudan's West Darfur region, where reports of ethnic cleansing by paramilitary forces have emerged during the country's 19-month-long conflict. Karim Khan told the UN Security Council on Monday that "criminality is accelerating in Darfur" and emphasised the need for justice and accountability. "Civilians are being targeted, women and girls are subjected to sexual violence, and entire communities are left in destruction," he said. "This is not just an assessment; it is a hard-edged analysis based on verified evidence." Sudan's conflict erupted in April 2023, when long-simmering tensions between the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) broke out in the capital, Khartoum, and spread to other regions, including the vast western Darfur region. Darfur became synonymous with genocide and war crimes two decades ago, 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 forced to flee their homes. The ICC prosecutor told the council on Monday that the current conflict bears 'very clear echoes' to the events that occurred 20 years ago in Darfur. "The pattern of crimes, the perpetrators, the parties, tracked very closely with the same protagonists, the same targeted groups as existed in 2003," Khan said. "It's the same communities, the same groups suffering, a new generation suffering the same hell that has been endured by other generations of Darfuris, and this is tragic." Khan told the council earlier this month there were grounds to believe that both government forces and the RSF, which was born out of the Janjaweed, may be committing war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide in Darfur. The Biden administration, shortly before it left office this month, determined that the RSF and its proxies are committing genocide in Sudan's civil war. Gender-based violence is 'a priority' Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report last May that the RSF and allied militias carried out attacks on the ethnic Masalit and other non-Arab groups in West Darfur's El Geneina from April to June 2023, with violence intensifying in November. According to HRW, thousands were killed and hundreds of thousands were displaced during the attacks. 'I can confirm today that my office is taking the necessary steps to put forward applications for warrants of arrest in relation to crimes we allege are being committed and have been committed in West Darfur,' Khan told the council. Khan stated that his office is particularly concerned about allegations of gender-based crimes against women and girls, calling them a 'priority' for ICC investigations. He described a worsening humanitarian crisis over the last six months, with famine, escalating conflict, sexual abuse of girls and women, and widespread destruction ravaging Darfur. Addressing those involved in the violence, Khan urged: "Now, better late than never, for goodness sake, comply with international humanitarian law, not as a charity, not out of some political necessity, but out of the dictates of humanity." Khan also revealed that his office is engaging with the RSF to gather relevant information for its investigations. Members of his team met with RSF representatives last week, and Khan emphasised the need for "swift and meaningful action," stating he would closely monitor developments.
The Guardian
28-01-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
ICC prosecutor seeks arrest warrants over accusations of Darfur atrocities
The prosecutor for the international criminal court has said he is seeking arrest warrants for people accused of atrocities in Sudan's Darfur region, where the US and others have determined that a paramilitary group and its allies have perpetrated genocide. Karim Khan told the UN security council in New York: 'Criminality is accelerating in Darfur. Civilians are being targeted, women and girls are subjected to sexual violence, and entire communities are left in destruction. 'This is not just an assessment; it is a hard-edged analysis based on verified evidence.' Khan said ICC lawyers had made material progress by interviewing witnesses who had fled Sudan. 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 the vast western Darfur region. 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 there were very clear echoes now of what happened 20 years ago. 'The pattern of crimes, the perpetrators, the parties, tracked very closely with the same protagonists, the same targeted groups as existed in 2003,' he said. 'It's the same communities, the same groups suffering, a new generation suffering the same hell that has been endured by other generations of Darfuris, and this is tragic.' He gave no details on Monday night on the specific crimes or the people the ICC wants arrested. In January Khan told the council there were grounds to believe both government forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which was born out of the Janjaweed, may be committing war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide in Darfur. Witnesses and rights groups have said the RSF targeted Masalit and other non-Arab groups in ethnically targeted attacks in Geneina, the capital of West Darfur state, in 2023. In an attempt to show the impact the ICC could have on the crisis, Khan highlighted the completion of the recent trial of Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-al-Rahman, accused of 31 war crimes between 2003 and 2004 as the leader of the Janjaweed militia. He handed himself into custody in June 2020 and his trial in The Hague was completed last December pending sentence. Arrest warrants remain outstanding for Omar al-Bashir, the Sudanese president until 2019, Abdel Hussein, the former president's representative in Darfur and Abdel Harun, the former minister of the interior. Khan's intervention came as the UN secretary general, António Guterres, condemned the 24 January attack on the Saudi teaching hospital in El Fasher in North Darfur, the only functioning hospital in Darfur's largest city. At least 70 patients and their relatives were reportedly killed, and dozens more injured in what may have been a drone strike. The Trump administration may adopt a more robust approach to Sudan, one of the five signatories to the Abraham accords, the normalisation deal with Israel that Donald Trump still cherishes. The new US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, has confirmed he regards recent events in Darfur as a genocide, a term deployed by the Biden administration in its final days. Rubio also openly accused the United Arab Emirates of funding the RSF, which the UAE denies. The US treasury last month imposed sanctions on Capital Tap Holding LL.C a UAE-based holding company that manages 50 companies in 10 countries. It also placed sanctions on Creative Python, a UAE firm that was described as the procurement arm of the RSF. The UK foreign secretary, David Lammy, last week went to the Sudan-Chad border to be briefed on the humanitarian crisis, and plans to hold a foreign ministers' meeting on Sudan in the next few months. He cannot describe what has happened as a genocide since UK policy is for courts rather than ministers to make such determinations. The timetable for some diplomats may be overrun by events on the ground. Large numbers of RSF fighters have been seeking through January to encircle El Fasher, and are now less than 2 miles (3km) from the Zamzam camp for internally displaced people, according to a report from the Yale School of Public Health's Humanitarian Research Lab, an acknowledged tracker of the war's progress. The Zamzam camp is home to as many as 500,000 displaced people, and the World Food Programme has been battling to prevent a full-scale famine there. The Trump team is being urged to appoint a special envoy for the horn of Africa, and to review its decision to freeze all US aid for six months pending a review, a move that Democratic senators such as Chris Murphy said would lead to malnourished babies in Sudan dying in weeks. The US was the largest donor of humanitarian aid to the Sudan response, providing more than $1.4bn (£1.1bn) in humanitarian assistance since October 2022, including more than $980m in USAid funding.
Voice of America
28-01-2025
- Politics
- Voice of America
ICC prosecutor seeking arrest warrants for those accused of atrocities in Sudan's West Darfur
The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court announced Monday that his office will be seeking arrest warrants for those accused of atrocities in Sudan's West Darfur region, which has seen reported ethnic cleansing by paramilitary forces that have been fighting government forces for 19 months. Karim Khan told the U.N. Security Council that crimes are being committed in Darfur 'as we speak and daily' and are being used as a weapon of war. He said that conclusion is the result of 'a hard-edged analysis' based on evidence and information collected by his office. 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 the vast western Darfur region. 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 told the council in January there were grounds to believe both government forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Force, which was born out of the Janjaweed, may be committing war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide in Darfur. The Biden administration, just before it left office this month, determined that the RSF and its proxies are committing genocide in Sudan's civil war. And the ICC prosecutor told the council Monday that there are 'very clear echoes' in the current conflict of what happened 20 years ago. 'The pattern of crimes, the perpetrators, the parties, tracked very closely with the same protagonists, the same targeted groups as existed in 2003' and led the Security Council to refer Darfur to the ICC, Khan said. 'It's the same communities, the same groups suffering, a new generation suffering the same hell that has been endured by other generations of Darfuris, and this is tragic.' Human Rights Watch in a major report last May said the Rapid Support Forces and their allied militias carried out attacks against the ethnic Masalit and other non-Arab groups in El Geneina, the capital of West Darfur state, from April to June 2023, with attacks intensifying that November. At least thousands of people were killed and hundreds of thousands displaced during the attacks, according to the report by the leading rights group. 'I can confirm today that my office is taking the necessary steps to put forward applications for warrants of arrest in relations to crimes we allege are being committed and have been committed in West Darfur," Khan told the council on Monday. He gave no details on the specific crimes or the people the ICC wants arrested. But he did say his office is particularly concerned about a stream of allegations of gender crimes against women and girls, which he said were 'a priority' for the ICC. He said the last six months have seen 'a tailspin into deeper suffering, deeper misery for the people of Darfur," with famine present, conflict increasing, children targeted, girls and women subjected to rape and the whole landscape 'one of destruction.' Khan had a simple message for those on the ground in El Geneina in West Darfur, the city of El Fasher in North Darfur, which is besieged by RSF forces, and elsewhere in Darfur: 'Now, better late than never, for goodness sake, comply with international humanitarian law, not as a charity, not out of some political necessity, but out of the dictates of humanity.' Khan told the council he made efforts to engage with the RSF to obtain information relevant to the ICC's investigations, and members of his office met with representatives of the paramilitary force last week. 'I do expect, and hope, and require swift and meaningful action, and will be monitoring that,' he said.
