Latest news with #Fact-FindingMission
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
UN fact-finding mission says Sudan conflict escalating, aid weaponised
The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for Sudan has warned that both sides in the country's civil war have escalated the use of heavy weaponry in populated areas while weaponising humanitarian relief, amid devastating consequences for civilians. 'Let us be clear: the conflict in Sudan is far from over,' said Mohamed Chande Othman, chair of the Fact-Finding Mission, which presented its latest findings to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Tuesday. 'The scale of human suffering continues to deepen. The fragmentation of governance, the militarisation of society, and the involvement of foreign actors are fuelling an ever-deadlier crisis.' The brutal conflict, now in its third year, erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), and has killed tens of thousands of civilians and displaced more than 13 million Sudanese, according to United Nations data. The UN has previously said that Sudan is experiencing the world's 'worst humanitarian crisis'. The mission found that both sides escalated the use of heavy weaponry in populated areas. In May, an RSF drone strike on Obeid International Hospital in North Kordofan killed six civilians, while earlier this month, an SAF bombing in Al Koma killed at least 15 civilians. Aid was also being weaponised by the SAF, which imposed bureaucratic restrictions, as well as by the RSF, which looted convoys and blocked aid, the group said. The mission also documented a sharp rise in sexual and gender-based violence, including gang rape, abduction, sexual slavery, and forced marriage, mostly in RSF-controlled displacement camps. Member of the Fact-Finding Mission Mona Rishmawi said what began as a political and security crisis has become 'a grave human rights and protection emergency, marked by international crimes that stain all involved'. 'It is unconscionable that this devastating war is entering its third year with no sign of resolution,' she said. Sudan has seen growing instability since longtime President Omar al-Bashir was removed from power in 2019 after months of anti-government protests. In October 2021, the Sudanese military staged a coup against the civilian government of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, leading to his resignation in early 2022. Sudan's army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and rival Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who leads the RSF, had shared power after the coup but then started fighting for control of the state and its resources in April 2023. Last week, the Sudanese Army accused the forces of eastern Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar of attacking Sudanese border posts, the first time it has charged its northwestern neighbour with direct involvement in the civil war. Egypt, which has also backed Haftar, has long supported the Sudanese Army. Sudan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs accused the United Arab Emirates of backing the RSF, which it denies.
Telegraph
15-03-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Iran deploying drones and apps to enforce hijab wearing, UN warns
In 2024, at least 618 women were detained under the Noor plan, the UN report says. Many have been summoned to revolutionary courts, where evidence from surveillance tools, including photos and security reports, has been used to convict them. Some have been fined, while others have faced more severe punishments. 'For two years, Iran has refused to adequately acknowledge the demands for equality and justice that fuelled the protests in 2022. The criminalisation, surveillance and continued repression of protesters, families of victims and survivors - in particular women and girls - is deeply worrying,' said Sara Hossain, chairman of the Fact-Finding Mission. On Nov 23, Roshnak Alishah was lashed 14 times after being convicted of 'disturbing public chastity'. She had been arrested weeks earlier for posting a video, which showed her without the mandatory hijab, in which she confronted a man on a motorcycle who had harassed her. In March, prominent Iranian singer Mehdi Yarrahi was flogged 74 times for a song criticising the mandatory hijab. The Iranian parliament has been pushing to formalise harsher hijab laws under the Hijab and Chastity bill, which could see women sentenced to up to 10 years in prison or fined up to $12,000 (£9,000) for non-compliance. The law would also expand the role of security forces and private citizens in enforcement. While the bill was set to take effect in December 2024, Iran's Supreme National Security Council has since suspended its implementation, citing ongoing internal debate. However, human rights advocates fear that the delay is merely procedural and that the government will soon press forward with increased restrictions. 'We are unarmed and powerless' In November, authorities announced the opening of a so-called 'clinic' where young girls caught without a hijab would undergo 'scientific and psychological treatment' to correct their behaviour. Beyond digital crackdown, UN investigators conducted nearly 300 interviews with victims and witnesses, revealing deep flaws within Iran's judiciary. The report describes a legal system that operates without true independence, where victims of state abuse face further persecution, and their families are subjected to systematic intimidation. The UN mission also documented instances of extrajudicial killings, including the execution of three child protesters and three adults, later falsely classified by authorities as suicides. Further evidence uncovered by investigators details shocking accounts of sexual violence in custody. One woman, the report states, endured brutal beatings, two staged executions, and repeated sexual assault, including gang rape, during detention in 2023. 'One day, like my friends, I'll leave this doomed country and never return. Iranian women are brave and fighting every day, but a change seems impossible because they don't care about women. They have guns and no mercy, we are unarmed and powerless,' the female protester said. The UN's findings will be formally presented to the Human Rights Council on March 18.
