New Investigations into War Crimes in Sudan

 

The escalation of violence in Sudan is cause for great concern: the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has initiated new investigations into alleged war crimes, with a focus on sexual violence.
 

The Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, has announced new investigations into alleged war crimes in Sudan. The escalation of violence in the conflict in the North African country is cause for great concern, according to his report to the UN Security Council.
 

Since the start of the fighting, there have been numerous reports of alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sudan, said Khan. Alleged sexual and gender-based crimes are a focal point of the new investigations.

 

Over three million people displaced

 

Since mid-April, Sudan has been rocked by a power struggle between the army of military ruler Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the RSF militia led by his former deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. Nearly 3,000 deaths have been recorded since then, but the actual number of victims is likely much higher. According to a UN organization, the conflict has displaced over three million people.

 

Throughout the conflict, allegations of atrocities have mounted. On Thursday, the bodies of at least 87 people, allegedly killed by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia, were found in a mass grave in western Sudan, according to the UN.

 

The ICC has been investigating crimes in the Sudanese region of Darfur since 2005. The former ruler, Omar al-Bashir, who was overthrown in 2019, has already been charged by the court in The Hague with several crimes, including genocide.