In a joint statement, the Africa Group for Justice and Accountability (AGJA) and the Wayamo Foundation condemn the horrendous violence, that appears to be genocidal, being perpetrated in El Fasher, Darfur, and call on all actors to use whatever power and influence they possess to stop the atrocities. Wayamo and the Africa Group also urge states and international bodies to adopt an all-hands-on-deck approach to accountability, sparing no effort to bring perpetrators of atrocities in Sudan to justice.
Credible reports and testimonies from El Fasher indicate that thousands of civilians have been killed in their homes, in hospitals, and while attempting to flee. There are also reports of rape, sexual violence, and summary executions. The blood of civilians spilled by this violence can reportedly be seen from space.
The violence being waged against the people of El Fasher was predictable, as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) laid siege to the city for eighteen months prior to the current massacres and mass atrocities. Not only has the international community failed to prevent these crimes, but reports indicate that many states — including Western ones — supplied the United Arab Emirates with weapons that were subsequently transferred to the RSF. At the same time, many states have neglected to pursue accountability for past and ongoing atrocities in Sudan.
While the international community faces challenges on many fronts, the plight of the Sudanese people must not be forgotten. Numerous external actors are fueling the violence in Sudan rather than doing everything possible to achieve a cessation of hostilities.
Moreover, no stone should be left unturned in the pursuit of accountability. Last month’s conviction of Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman at the International Criminal Court for war crimes committed in Darfur demonstrated that, while the wheels of justice may grind slowly, justice can and does catch up with perpetrators. In this respect, it is notable that evidence of atrocities being committed in Sudan is being captured and published by the perpetrators themselves. The Africa Group for Justice and Accountability and Wayamo encourage the collection, verification, and preservation of such open-source evidence so that it can be used in future investigations and prosecutions, at the ICC, national and regional mechanisms or elsewhere.
All eyes must remain on Sudan. States must immediately end any complicity in the RSF’s violence, significantly bolster efforts to protect the population and enable humanitarian aid to reach those in need, support an end to this war, and champion a new beginning for justice, accountability and peace for the people of Sudan.